birth name
Americannoun
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the surname inherited by a person at birth, especially a woman’s maiden name.
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the first or middle name that is given to a person at birth, but which may be changed later according to preference, upon adoption, after gender transition, etc.
Etymology
Origin of birth name
First recorded in 1865–70 birth name for def. 1; 1975–80 birth name for def. 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He was adopted and his birth name was Stuart Proudlove.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
"But Prevost is for Real Madrid," he added - using his birth name Robert Francis Prevost.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
Sudan, whose birth name is Brittney Denise Parks, is one of the rare souls who remains real in the spotlight and behind the curtain, disarmingly authentic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2025
Cain is half-Japanese on his father’s side, his birth name being Dean Tanaka.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2025
Jule had realized the truth of it early on, even before Immie had told Jule her birth name, and before Brooke Lannon ever turned up at the Vineyard house.
From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
