née

or nee

[ ney ]

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.

née

/ neɪ /

adjective

1. indicating the maiden name of a married woman

   Mrs Bloggs née Blandish

Gender Note

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of née¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of née¹

C19: from French: past participle (fem) of naître to be born, from Latin nascī

Example Sentences

Hazel Gogol, née Green, the protagonist of HBO Max’s odd, enjoyable but somewhat slight Made for Love, is one of these women.

From Time

Jemima Khan, nee Goldsmith, is the daughter of one of Britain's richest men, Sir Jimmy Goldsmith, who died in 1997.

From The Daily Beast

Rooney, nee Joe Yule, Jr., always understood his role in life.

From The Daily Beast

Still more celebs: Hank Williams, Jr., headlined for John McCain in Fayetteville ( nee Fort Bragg) Tuesday afternoon.

From The Daily Beast

Odoribvs vana vaporat crypta tegit cineres nee speciosa tros qvod mortale minvs tibi.

From Project Gutenberg

No-o-mn-nee, He who walks in the Rain; warrior, with his pipe and tobacco-pouch in his hand.

From Project Gutenberg

Indians formerly called the Yosemite Valley Ah-wah-nee, meaning "grassy valley."

From Project Gutenberg

Scandit aeratas vitiosa naves Cura; nee turmas equitum relinquit.

From Project Gutenberg

Quem enim nimia sui caritas ceperit, aliena deserit: nee sibi quisquam ambitiose atque aliis amice consulere potest.

From Project Gutenberg