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

Robinson-Foster initially started writing verse as a teenager around 2004, becoming an established performance poet under the name Nee Hi, as well as being part of a grime outfit called Ear 2 da Street.

From BBC

In 1945, Anna Reynolds, nee Aulick, then 18, hitched a ride with an aunt and uncle from her family’s home in rural Kentucky to San Francisco, where they lived.

From Los Angeles Times

Wife Catherine Lowe, née Giudici, sat almost silently at his side as he told the story.

From Los Angeles Times

Gotti is survived by his children Angie, Sonny and Jonathan Wilson; his Murder Inc. co-founder and brother Chris Lorenzo; mother Nee Nee Lorenzo and sisters Tina and Angie.

From Los Angeles Times

Gotti is survived by his three children, Angie, Sonny and Jonathan Wilson; his mother, Nee Nee Lorenzo; sisters Tina and Angie; and his brother Chris Lorenzo, with whom he co-founded Murder Inc.

From BBC