birth name

American  

[burth neym] / 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

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

Posting on social media, he said: "At my birth, believe it or not was Jamie Bigg. So in 2026, I'll be reclaiming my birth name and making some big changes."

From BBC ● Jan. 1, 2026

Keaton — then going by her birth name of Diane Hall — needed to be loved by everyone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2025

To her embarrassment, she could not remember the baby’s birth name.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng