as in nickname
a name that is placed before one's family name
a long string of forenames was given to the latest addition to the royal family
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Recent Examples of forename
Alan, whose forename appeared in initial reports with its Turkish spelling, Aylan, died with his brother, Galip, 5; their mother, Rihan; and two other refugees when a dinghy carrying 14 migrants toward the Greek island of Kos capsized.
—
New York Times, 13 Mar. 2020
Removing professional athletes and a couple of Hollywood personalities who once called Cleveland home, the contemporary list of recognizable forenames is essentially narrowed to a single person:
Tamir.
—Phillip Morris, cleveland.com, 31 May 2017
New York Times, 13 Mar. 2020
Removing professional athletes and a couple of Hollywood personalities who once called Cleveland home, the contemporary list of recognizable forenames is essentially narrowed to a single person:
Tamir.
—Phillip Morris, cleveland.com, 31 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forename
Noun
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The longtime chef at Miami’s Best Pizza recently opened his own joint called Thad’s Pizza, after his nickname.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
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Bella’s — after Veliu’s grandmother’s nickname given by her husband — hopes to start serving customers sometime in November.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Yamal is now well established as the first name on Barcelona’s teamsheet.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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The three accused, who police only identified by first names and initials of their last names, were charged with membership in a foreign terrorist organization and preparing an act of violence endangering the state.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forename.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forename. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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