given name

American

[giv-uhn neym] / ˈgɪv ən ˈneɪm /

noun

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

His given name is John.

given name British

noun

another term for first name

"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

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:

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The 38-year-old entrepreneur’s given name is Nathan Young.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

He will then introduce the new Pope by his chosen papal name, which may or may not be his original given name.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2025

As he would explain, one of his young friends in Jackson, Tenn., had trouble saying his given name, Winston, and it came out sounding like Winkie.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2025

Buzbee fired back by amending his October civil complaint on Sunday to add Jay-Z, whose given name is Shawn Carter, as a defendant.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2024

He knew the Whisperer wanted Sticky’s given name.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023