birth name

American  

[burth naym] / ˈbɜrθ ˌneɪm /

Sometimes birthname

noun

1. the surname inherited by a person at birth, especially a woman’s maiden name.

2. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of birth name

First recorded in 1865–70 birth name for def. 1; 1975–80 birth name for def. 2

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

birth name

My mother’s birth name was Pearl but she changed it to Sue because she loved how it sounded.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

Once when young, Sorcinelli met the former Robert Prevost -- the birth name of Pope Leo -- then just an Augustinian priest, but the men have not spoken since, he said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Shi - whose birth name is Liu Yingcheng - had earlier admitted his guilt, China's state Xinhua news agency reported.

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

TMZ reported that Lil Nas X — birth name Montero Hill — will be cleared of his four felony counts if he complies with treatment and commits no other crimes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2026

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

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