maiden name

noun

plural maiden names

Definition of maiden name

: 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 Caitlin Everett worked for the Dallas police for four years under her maiden name Caitlin Rochelle, the records said. — Martha Bellisle, ajc, 14 Aug. 2021 John and Nettie bestowed one of their sons with her maiden name: Robert Wright Lee, born in 1902. — al, 17 May 2021 After Shelton introduced his wife by her maiden name, Stefani had the cutest tease. — Tomás Mier, PEOPLE.com, 28 July 2021 Your high school mascot, mother’s maiden name, hometown, favorite sports team, or any other obvious fact. — Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 6 June 2021 This may seem inconsequential, but there seems to be a growing trend of omitting a woman’s maiden name in obituaries. — Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, 25 July 2021 Her maiden name is Wuerffel, and her younger brother is Florida Gators Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL player Danny Wuerffel. — Emmett Hall, sun-sentinel.com, 15 July 2021 McPherson, who is using her maiden name to avoid retaliation, is not alone in her anxiety about returning to pre-coronavirus working conditions in the office. — NBC News, 29 July 2021 Meanwhile, Meghan did not use her royal titles, listing her full name Rachel Meghan Markle as the document required their legal names and her maiden name. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE.com, 6 July 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'maiden name.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.