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
-
Don’t let Will Lee’s nickname fool you.—
Mike Kaye
May 4,
Charlotte Observer,
4 May 2026
-
Hence, the nickname Alonso supplied him.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
She and others who spoke with CNN for this story asked only to use their first name for privacy reasons.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this story misspelled Nahida Bristy’s first name.—
Dan Sullivan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forename.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forename. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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