Definition

1. Noun:
   • A personal name given to someone at birth or baptism, which precedes the surname or family name: A "forename" is the first name or given name that identifies an individual within a family unit, distinguishing them from other family members who share the same surname.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • Please write your forename and surname on the application form.
  • Her forename is Elizabeth, but her friends call her Liz.
  • The official document required both his forename and his middle name.

Advanced Usage

• Legal and formal contexts: "Forename" is commonly used in official documents, legal forms, and administrative contexts to specify the given name, often in contrast to the surname.
  • The passport application must list all forenames exactly as they appear on the birth certificate.
• Distinction from other name types: Used to clarify when discussing the structure of a full name.
  • In many Western cultures, the forename is chosen by the parents, while the surname is inherited.

Variants and Related Words

• Given name (n): A synonym for "forename," more commonly used in everyday American English.
• First name (n): The most common everyday term for "forename."
• Christian name (n): A traditional term for a forename given at Christian baptism, though its use is declining in secular contexts.
• Surname (n): The family name or last name that follows the forename.

Synonyms

• First name: The name that comes first in the conventional order of a full name.
• Given name: A name bestowed upon a person, typically at birth.

Related Phrases

• "Forename and surname": A standard phrase used to request a person's full name in a structured format.
  • The system is designed to search by both forename and surname.

Noun

1. the name that precedes the surname