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forename

American  
[fawr-neym, fohr-] / ˈfɔrˌneɪm, ˈfoʊr- /

noun

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

forename British  
/ ˈfɔːˌneɪm /

noun

  1. a first or Christian name

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of forename

First recorded in 1525–35; fore- + name

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Hopwood DePree is related to them through his great-grandmother, and Hopwood was passed down that line of the family as a forename.

From BBC • May 4, 2019

There have been times when I feel like their pronunciation of my forename should win out over mine.

From The Guardian • May 23, 2016

Emily was the most popular girls' first forename in nine council areas, Sophie was top in seven and Isla was top in five.

From BBC • Dec. 17, 2015

In various court documents, Quok’s forename appears as Cuarco, Quack, Quork, Quaco, Quarko, but most commonly as Quok, which is the spelling I have adopted.

From Slate • Jun. 16, 2015

I have a strange name, too, that is, forename.

From The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Volume 12 by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.