forename

[ fawr-neym, fohr- ]

noun

1. a name that precedes the family name or surname; first name.

forename

/ ˈfɔːˌneɪm /

noun

1. a first or Christian name

Word History and Origins

Origin of forename¹

First recorded in 1525–35; fore- + name

Example Sentences

A calm, softly spoken, scrupulously polite, seemingly ego-free individual, he refers to every journalist by their forename.

From BBC

Jill Tambaros said Keir Mather was named after Keir Hardie, who founded the party, and is also the forename of the current leader.

From BBC

Bulgaria have three players in their squad called Iliev, which I believe derives from the forename Iliya.

From The Guardian

Instead, he will lead England into this summer’s European Championship — hoping to win an international tournament in a final on home soil — as Harry Kane, forename and surname, like a reverse Pelé.

From New York Times

“Our Chin state used to be peaceful, but this is a new experience for us,” said one of the resistance fighters, who would be identified only by his tribal forename, Salai, for safety reasons.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• given name