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; see origin at nascent

Explanation

Use the word nee when you refer to a person's original, birth name. If your neighbor was Mary Jones until she got married to Larry White, you could introduce her to someone else as "Mary White, nee Jones." If a woman marries and adopts her husband's last name, her former name becomes a thing of the past. If your grandmother's maiden name was "Smith," describe her as nee Smith. This works when people change their names for reasons other than marriage as well. Nee comes from the French née, the feminine past participle of naitre, "to be born."

Example Sentences

Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee and Dave Callaham have written a heavy-handed script in which, when Castle Grayskull comes under attack, Idris Elba’s soldier is forced to yell, “We’re under attack!”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

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 • Mar. 22, 2026

“In light of this critical situation and to avoid falling into the enemy’s trap, we must temporarily withdraw our Karen National Liberation Army joint forces from Myawaddy,” Mr. Saw Taw Nee said in an interview.

From New York Times • Apr. 24, 2024

Nee, a 36-year-old with a number of previous convictions, was the intended target of the attack, the trial heard.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2023

At this point, Ida Nee came marching toward them, her white boots glowing and her baton flashing.

From "Raymie Nightingale" by Kate DiCamillo