maiden name
noun
plural maiden names
: the surname prior to marriage of a person who takes their spouse's last name
especially
: the surname of a married or divorced woman prior to marriage
After she divorced, she took back her maiden name.
Examples of maiden name in a Sentence
After she divorced, she took back her maiden name.
Recent Examples on the Web
His ex-wife reverted to her maiden name earlier this month when Andrew relinquished the use of his royal titles, including Duke of York.
—
Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
The actress' daughter also filed to legally change her last name to Neuens — her birth mother's maiden name — after being removed from Rosie's will in January.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
Ibsen’s choice to use Hedda’s maiden name for the play speaks to her resistance to the strong presence of men in her life; DaCosta’s choice to remove the surname entirely speaks to a rejection of patriarchal identity, replaced with an ambiguous void that Hedda herself doesn’t know how to fill.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
The baby's middle name is the maiden name of McAnally's grandmother.
—Nancy Kruh, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for maiden name
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Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
The actress' daughter also filed to legally change her last name to Neuens — her birth mother's maiden name — after being removed from Rosie's will in January.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
Ibsen’s choice to use Hedda’s maiden name for the play speaks to her resistance to the strong presence of men in her life; DaCosta’s choice to remove the surname entirely speaks to a rejection of patriarchal identity, replaced with an ambiguous void that Hedda herself doesn’t know how to fill.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
The baby's middle name is the maiden name of McAnally's grandmother.
—Nancy Kruh, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for maiden name
Cite this Entry
“Maiden name.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maiden%20name. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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