some foreign students will prefer surname.

[nelson13]

Whenever I look up SURNAME in a dictionary, it is said to be a countable noun, never uncountable.

At my university, some of my foreign friends want to call me by my surname; then can I say?:

You can call me XYZ, but some foreign students will prefer surname.

And I consider it as a mass noun?

 

[Rover_KE]

No, you can't.

Believe the dictionaries: it's countable.

Rover

 

[SlickVic9000]

(not a teacher)

No. "You can call me XYZ, but some of my foreign friends prefer to use my surname."

 

[nelson13]

Thank you all.