given name

American  

[giv-uhn neym] / ˈgɪv ən ˈneɪm /

noun

• given names
  plural

1. the name given to a person, as distinguished from an inherited family name; first name; Christian name.

   His given name is John.

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given name British  

noun

1. another term for first name

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• given names
  plural

Etymology

Origin of given name

An Americanism first recorded in 1820–30

Compare meaning

How does given-name compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• surname vs. given name
• given name vs. family name

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

given name

“I never told nobody, I just kept doing every show,” said YoungBoy, who also goes by YoungBoy Never Broke Again and whose given name is Kentrell DeSean Gaulden.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

When the reporter placed a letter for Paxton in the mailbox, an envelope addressed to Warren Paxton, the attorney general’s given name, was visible.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

Mojtaba Khamenei—his given name is the Arabic word for “chosen”—was born in 1969 in the religious hub of Mashhad.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 9, 2026

When Sheen wanted to meet Carlos Estévez because the major league pitcher shared Sheen’s given name, he turned to his connected friend, Tony Todd.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2025

Although his given name was printed on the sign in his kitchen window, and on the business cards he circulated, he was called by the townspeople Soaphead Church.

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison