Birth name
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The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the
childhood
only, rather than for life.
Maiden and married names
The French and
English-adopted terms née and né (/neɪ/ ⓘ; from French né[e] 'born')[a] have been used to indicate maiden or married names.[2]
The term née, having
feminine grammatical gender, can be used to denote a woman's surname at birth that has been replaced or changed. In most English-speaking cultures, it is specifically applied to a woman's maiden name after her surname has changed due to marriage.[3] The term né, having masculine grammatical gender, can be used to denote a man's surname at birth which has subsequently been replaced or changed.[4] The diacritic marks (the acute accent) are considered significant to its spelling, and ultimately its meaning, but are sometimes omitted.[4] According to Oxford University's Dictionary of Modern English Usage, the terms are typically placed after the current surname (e.g. 'Ann Smith, née Jones' or 'Adam Smith, né Jones').[5][4] Because they are terms adopted into English from French, they do not have to be italicized, but often are.[5]
In
Polish tradition, the term de domo (literally meaning "of house" in Latin) may be used, with rare exceptions meaning the same as née.[b]
See also
Notes
- ^ Both née and né are pronounced the same. The second 'e' in née is silent.
- Godzamba" (Paul of Glownia noble family, of Godziemba coat of arms). See also De domo (disambiguation).
References
- ^ "French administration must routinely use woman's maiden name in letters". The Connexion. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
Laws have existed since the French Revolution stating that 'no citizen can use a first name or surname other than that written on their birth certificate' – but many official organisations address both partners by the husband's surname.
- ISBN 9780199570027.
- ^ "née - definition of née in English from the Oxford dictionary".
- ^ ISBN 9780191062308.
- ^ ISBN 9780190491505.