government name

Birth certificate name

A person's legal name as it appears on official documents—birth certificate, driver's license, passport—as opposed to nicknames, stage names, or aliases.

The term comes from Black American English and emphasizes the formal, institutional nature of one's "real" name: What's your government name?

She goes by Sasha, but her government name is Alexandra.

documentation

passport

Government-issued travel credential

driver's licenseOfficial driving permit
social security numberState-assigned citizen identifier
ID cardDocument verifying identity

birth certificate · naturalization papers · citizenship certificate · registration · authentication · notarization · affidavit · registry · official records · enrollment

identity

birth certificate

Official record of arrival

surnameHereditary family identifier
forenameGiven name at birth
patronymicName from father's name

matronymic · christening · ancestry · heritage · lineage · genealogy · kinship · ethnicity · nationality · selfhood

slang

ID

Identity document abbreviation

aliasAdopted false name
nicknameInformal substitute name
pseudonymFictitious professional name

moniker · handle · deadname

Opposites

formality of identification

government namenickname

Informal substitute name

alias · stage name · street name · pen name · pseudonym

origin/agency of name

government namechosen name

Self-selected personal identifier

preferred name · stage name · street name · nickname · deadname

authenticity/identity expression

government namechosen name

Self-selected personal identifier

preferred name · drag name · rap name · ring name · professional name

Family

government, name, govern, governs, governed, governing, governor, governors, governance

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Everyday, not technical · Rated G