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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Aside from being a fruit and a nickname for New Zealanders, Kiwi is also a brand name of New Zealand-style bacon that's also popular in Australia.—
Keith Pandolfi,
The Enquirer,
12 Aug. 2025
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Monroe reveals that Lynne is the one who gave her the nickname, the inspiration for the song.—
Nancy Kruh,
People.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Captain Ethan Ampadu is almost certainly going to be one of the first names on Farke’s team sheet going into the opening weeks of the season.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
2 Aug. 2025
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The baby — identified only by his first name, Carter — had been left with relatives in Ormond Beach while his parents went out to to dinner to celebrate his mother’s 21st birthday, according to Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forename.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forename. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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