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Synonyms

maiden name

American  

noun

  1. a woman's surname before her marriage.


maiden name British  

noun

  1. a woman's surname before marriage

"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

Etymology

Origin of maiden name

First recorded in 1680–90

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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.

One told me she has started using her maiden name professionally because her married name was used in a scam.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Van Rootselaar went mostly by Jesse Strang, the maiden name of her mother, Jennifer Strang.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

Until this month, Ferguson kept the title Sarah, Duchess of York - but she reverted to her maiden name of Ferguson after Andrew was stripped of his Duke of York title.

From BBC • Oct. 30, 2025

Pauline Margaret Brown - maiden name Doyle - was born in Birmingham and lived in Water Orton, Warwickshire.

From BBC • Sep. 30, 2025

"Grace Wexler's maiden name is not Windsor, it's Windkloppel," the judge exclaimed, riffling through the pages of Sandy's notebook.

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin