variants or nee
1
used to identify a woman by her maiden family name
Mrs. Jane Doe, née Smith
2
: originally or formerly called
the Brewers née Pilots who also are in their third yearFred Ciampa

Word History

Etymology

French née, feminine of , literally, born, past participle of naître to be born, from Latin nasci — more at nation

First Known Use

1758, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of née was in 1758

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Née.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/n%C3%A9e. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

née

adjective
variants or nee
used to identify a woman by her family name at birth
Mrs. Jane Doe, née Smith
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