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• first name
  first name

  noun

  given name.
• first-name
  first-name

  adjective

  of or relating to one's first, or given, name; familiar; intimate.

first name

¹ American  

noun

1. given name.

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first-name ² American  

[furst-neym, furst-neym] / ˈfɜrstˌneɪm, ˈfɜrstˈneɪm /

adjective

1. of or relating to one's first, or given, name; familiar; intimate.

   They were on a first-name basis soon after meeting.

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verb (used with object)

first-named, first-naming

1. to address (someone) by their first name, especially as a sign of informality or familiarity.

   The boss doesn't like the employees to first-name her.

first name British  

noun

1. Also called: Christian name.   forename.   given name.  a name given to a person at birth, as opposed to a surname

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Etymology

Origin of first name¹

Middle English word dating back to 1200–50

Origin of first-name²

First recorded in 1300–50

Example Sentences

He changed his first name to Val, and went by several other identities over the years, including Mark Simon Bentley.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

Shamsuddin, a 43-year-old driver who gave only his first name for privacy reasons, was waiting since midnight at a Dhaka gas station.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

And we all know her first name, because she made sure we’d never forget.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

With him was 35-year-old Hani, a technically minded cousin who spearheaded the effort to understand how the abduction took place, and who gave only his first name to avoid reprisals.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

He hated calling the man by his first name; it assumed a cordiality he did not feel.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

• given name