forenames
Names before surnames
Forenames are first names or given names—the names that come before the family name or surname.
In Western naming conventions, forenames distinguish individuals within a family: Please list your forenames and surname on the application.
Someone might have multiple forenames, as with a first and middle name.
Ceremony naming a child
- baptismRitual water purification ceremony
- designationFormal name or title
- appellationName or title given
- monikerInformal designation for someone
nickname · alias · pseudonym · sobriquet · handle · epithet · label · tag
- MariaCommon feminine given name
- JamesTraditional masculine name
- FatimaCommon Arabic female name
- ChenZhou dynasty state
Svetlana · Hiroshi · Isabella · Aisha · Olga · Raj · Ingrid · Mei
Word origin study
- nomenclatureSystem of specialized terms
- lexicographyCompiling word reference books
- transliterationCross-script phonetic spelling
- transcriptionWritten version of speech
loanwords · cognate · morphology · phonology · pronunciation · spelling · orthography · variants
Family line of descent
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- genealogyStudy of family descent
- familyRelated people together
- clanRelated group sharing ancestry
dynasty · bloodline · ethnicity · origin · tradition · customs · familial · patrilineal
Unique personal character
- uniquenessQuality of being singular
- selfhoodIndividual identity, personhood
- personaAssumed public identity
- self-identityOne's sense of oneself
personal · distinctiveness · recognition · signature · identification · authenticity · character · personality
christening
Ceremony naming a child
- baptismRitual water purification ceremony
- designationFormal name or title
- appellationName or title given
moniker · nickname · alias · pseudonym · sobriquet · handle · epithet · label · tag · patronymic
Muhammad
Chen · Svetlana · Hiroshi · Isabella · Aisha · Olga · Raj · Ingrid · Mei · Giovanni
etymology
Word origin study
- nomenclatureSystem of specialized terms
- lexicographyCompiling word reference books
- transliterationCross-script phonetic spelling
transcription · loanwords · cognate · morphology · phonology · pronunciation · spelling · orthography · variants · anglicization
ancestry
Family line of descent
clan · dynasty · bloodline · ethnicity · origin · tradition · customs · familial · patrilineal · matrilineal
individuality
Unique personal character
- uniquenessQuality of being singular
- selfhoodIndividual identity, personhood
- personaAssumed public identity
self-identity · personal · distinctiveness · recognition · signature · identification · authenticity · character · personality · self-expression
- namesfirst name, last name, given name, nicknames, full name
forenamessurnames
Hereditary family identifiers
last names · family names · patronymics · clan names · ancestral names
forenamestitles
Names of creative works
honorifics · appellations · designations · ranks · styles