as in nickname
a name that is placed before one's family name
a long string of forenames was given to the latest addition to the royal family
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Recent Examples of forename
Alan, whose forename appeared in initial reports with its Turkish spelling, Aylan, died with his brother, Galip, 5; their mother, Rihan; and two other refugees when a dinghy carrying 14 migrants toward the Greek island of Kos capsized.
—
New York Times, 13 Mar. 2020
Removing professional athletes and a couple of Hollywood personalities who once called Cleveland home, the contemporary list of recognizable forenames is essentially narrowed to a single person:
Tamir.
—Phillip Morris, cleveland.com, 31 May 2017
New York Times, 13 Mar. 2020
Removing professional athletes and a couple of Hollywood personalities who once called Cleveland home, the contemporary list of recognizable forenames is essentially narrowed to a single person:
Tamir.
—Phillip Morris, cleveland.com, 31 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forename
Noun
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Haida Gwaii, formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands, is a place with many nicknames.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
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The players, who mostly went by unique nicknames, had to be over the age of 18, not currently playing in college and have played in fewer than 162 NBA games to be eligible to compete.—
Jason Beede,
Sun Sentinel,
16 May 2026
Noun
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His mother, Martha — who asked that CBS News use their first names only to protect their privacy — says the experience saved his life.—
Samantha Rappaport,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
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At one point, Sirius XM golf analysts debated on air how to pronounce the South African player’s first name.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forename.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forename. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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