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forename

[fawr-neym, fohr-]
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noun
  1. a name that precedes the family name or surname; first name.
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Origin of forename

First recorded in 1525–35; fore- + name
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for forename

Historical Examples

  • The name-token should follow close on the forename for the sake of clearness.

    An Outline of English Speech-craft

    William Barnes

  • Being given in the course of especially important religious ceremonies, this forename has a sacred character.

British Dictionary definitions for forename

forename

noun
  1. a first or Christian name
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for forename

n.

1530s, from fore- + name (n.). The equivalent of Latin praenomen.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper