as in first name
a name that is placed before one's family name
everyone calls me Jack, but my given name is John
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of given name
Before Wales’ women’s teams were given names on the back of their shirts in 2019, Fishlock’s was the one people could reel off, a byword for Welsh women’s football.
—
Megan Feringa, New York Times, 10 July 2025
Recent options at An’s Dry Cleaning, which are given names related to fabric, included Canvas (olive oil and rosemary), Broken Heart Brocade (chocolate, brownie and raspberry jam) and Melton (mango and peach).
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2025
Not even a year into Lai’s term, China has broken precedent by staging three large-scale exercises, which were given names to raise their profile and distinguish them from smaller drills.
—Bonny Lin, Foreign Affairs, 15 May 2025
This season, the turtles in long-term care were given names based on Greek mythology.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for given name
Megan Feringa, New York Times, 10 July 2025
Recent options at An’s Dry Cleaning, which are given names related to fabric, included Canvas (olive oil and rosemary), Broken Heart Brocade (chocolate, brownie and raspberry jam) and Melton (mango and peach).
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2025
Not even a year into Lai’s term, China has broken precedent by staging three large-scale exercises, which were given names to raise their profile and distinguish them from smaller drills.
—Bonny Lin, Foreign Affairs, 15 May 2025
This season, the turtles in long-term care were given names based on Greek mythology.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for given name
Recent Examples of Synonyms for given name
Noun
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The elegant new stations have cocktail bars named Mary Mary, apparently in reference to Henry Flagler’s first and third wives, who had the same first name.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
22 Oct. 2025
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Elham asked to be identified by her first name due to security concerns, as did other Iranians in the country who spoke with CNN.—
Leila Gharagozlou,
CNN Money,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Her strategically manipulative style of play on the series earned her the nickname Black Widow, a moniker that also followed her on other reality show appearances, such as on The Traitors 2 and Deal or No Deal Island 2.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Oct. 2025
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But the nickname in Jets lore lives on.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Given name.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/given%20name. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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