first-name

¹ 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.

---

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 ² American  

noun

1. given name.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of first-name¹

First recorded in 1300–50

Origin of first name¹

Middle English word dating back to 1200–50

Example Sentences

“Is someone helping you?” asked Judge Gary Tanaka at a Dec. 17 hearing in his Torrance courtroom where she had been appearing with such regularity that the clerk knows her by first name.

From Los Angeles Times

"I sent my family away a while ago with my eldest son," he told AFP via satellite internet connection, asking to be identified only by his first name.

From Barron's

She had lived in Kershaw all her life and greeted people around town by their first names.

From The Wall Street Journal

They don’t even refer to each other by their first names.

From Salon

Importantly, Salah still considers himself as one of the first names on the Liverpool team sheet.

From BBC

Related Words

• given name