as in surname
a woman's last name before she is married
After she divorced, she took back her maiden name.
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Recent Examples of maiden name
Her mother, who attended the University of Kansas, was born with the maiden name Kerr.
—
Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2025
After high school, Keaton—who took her mother’s maiden name as her own—spent three semesters at her local junior college before leaving for New York, aged 19, to study acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse.
—Ellen Burney, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2025
Catherine reverts to her maiden name, and The Catherine Fox Foundation is born.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
Two years later, Wilson legally changed her name and gender, choosing to take her mother’s maiden name.
—Pilar Melendez, NBC news, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for maiden name
Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2025
After high school, Keaton—who took her mother’s maiden name as her own—spent three semesters at her local junior college before leaving for New York, aged 19, to study acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse.
—Ellen Burney, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2025
Catherine reverts to her maiden name, and The Catherine Fox Foundation is born.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
Two years later, Wilson legally changed her name and gender, choosing to take her mother’s maiden name.
—Pilar Melendez, NBC news, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for maiden name
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maiden name
Noun
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Andrew will now go by Mountbatten Windsor, the royal family's surname for direct descendants of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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Baptista is Portuguese, and the baby’s name is a nod to her roots and her family surname.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Dodgers are looking to become baseball's first back-to-back champions in a quarter-century, as the Blue Jays hope to win their first World Series title since 1993.—
Gabe Smallson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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After his 21 goals had helped steer John Mousinho’s side to the League One title the previous season, Bishop reported for pre-season in high spirits and in peak physical shape ahead of his first campaign in the Championship.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Here she is being woke in the name of destroying her enemies, most of whom the show has given us very little reason to root for.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
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What if that once-in-a-lifetime work of investigative journalism, the one sure to bring glory upon the writer’s name, will also have dire consequences for someone who could otherwise do a lot of good?—
Judy Berman,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Others go by the nickname Chris, including actors Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, and Chris Evans, as well as comedian Chris Rock.—
Anna Halkidis,
Parents,
29 Oct. 2025
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When Jack kidnaps him in Christmas Town and takes him to Halloween Town, he is given a nickname that doesn't fit his true nature.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Famously, the original title of Annie Hall was Anhedonia (meaning an inability to experience pleasure), but was changed to reflect Keaton’s dominant presence (and her actual family name, Hall).—
Matt Zoller Seitz,
Vulture,
12 Oct. 2025
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Beckham, a marketeer to her core and fully aware of the power of the family name, offered deeply personal stories to go with each fragrance.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Yet another was a forum for people who, like me, had left a highly controlling religious denomination.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
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This rounding practice isn't new and has been used in other countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand where low-denomination coins have been eliminated.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Like some of his siblings, the now-8-year-old goes by his middle name.—
Katie Mannion,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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The Smiths are known for tapping into Daddy’s name for unique inspiration by choosing two words for the first and middle names of their babies, and this angel is no exception.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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However, a few days later, OP received another birthday invitation for a kid with the same first name.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
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In response, Bramani developed a treaded rubber sole that could offer climbers greater traction and named it using the first two letters of his first name and the first four letters of his surname—Vibram.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Maiden name.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maiden%20name. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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