née

American  

[ney] / neɪ /

Or nee

adjective

1. formerly known as (used following the person’s current or recognized name to introduce a previous, usually feminine, name).

   Jackie Kennedy Onassis, née Bouvier.

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née British  

/ neɪ /

adjective

1. indicating the maiden name of a married woman

   Mrs Bloggs née Blandish

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Gender

Née has long been used in English, as in French, to pair a woman’s married name with her maiden name. Since women are more likely to change their names in adulthood, the feminine-inflected form of this French word, spelled with a second letter e, is the one most widely used and recognized. While in French a man’s original name would be noted with the masculine form né , some English speakers are only familiar with the form née. It is not uncommon to see this feminine form used for masculine names, or inanimate objects: the Tennessee Titans, née the Houston Oilers. On the other hand, because English has no gender inflection, it is normal for borrowed words to lose gender markings, so the masculine form né is also sometimes seen modifying a woman’s name: Marilyn Monroe, né Norma Jean Mortensen.

Etymology

Origin of née

First recorded in 1750–60; from French née, feminine of né (past participle of naître “to be born”), ultimately derived from Latin nātus; nascent

Example Sentences

Participating energy companies include AES, Constellation, Invenergy, NextEra Energy NEE -3.15%decrease; red down pointing triangle , Nscale Energy & Power, and Vistra.

From The Wall Street Journal

Former head coach Danny Nee had led the team to the tournament four straight years in the early 1990s—twice as a favored high seed, twice as a toss-up No. 8 or 10.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ozzy the Younger is Jack’s kiddo No. 5 after the media personality welcomed three daughters with entrepreneur ex-wife Lisa Stelly and a fourth with current wife Aree Osbourne, née Gearhardt, an interior designer.

From Los Angeles Times

Kirsty Grabham, 24, nee Wilkinson, had been reported missing by her husband Paul a week earlier on 30 March, last seen by friends after a night out the previous Friday.

From BBC

"In the last few weeks, our family took some consolation, thinking that perhaps Nee's death would bring about change in our country, and it has not," Luke Ganger, Good's brother, told the US Congress.

From Barron's