Birth name
.jpg)
A birth name is the name a person is given when they are born. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the full name. Where births are officially registered, the full birth name entered onto a birth register or birth certificate may become the person's legal name by that fact alone.[1]
Maiden and married names
[edit]The terms née (feminine) and né (masculine; both pronounced /neɪ/ ⓘ; from French né[e] 'born') are used to indicate a pre-marital maiden name or a birth name that was later changed.[2] The term née has feminine grammatical gender and is used to denote a woman's surname at birth; né is the equivalent term for men. In most English-speaking cultures, née is specifically used to indicate a woman's maiden name after her surname is changed due to marriage.[3] The diacritic marks (the acute accent) are considered significant to its spelling, and ultimately its meaning, but they are sometimes omitted.[4] According to Oxford University's Dictionary of Modern English Usage, the terms are typically placed after the current surname; for example, 'Ann Smith, née Jones' or 'Adam Smith, né Jones' would represent people with the birth surname 'Jones' and current surname 'Smith'.[5][4] Because these terms were adopted into English from French, they do not have to be italicized, but often are.[5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "French administration must routinely use woman's maiden name in letters". The Connexion. 27 January 2014. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. 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.
- ^ Waddingham, Anne (2014). New Hart's Rules: The Oxford Style Guide. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199570027.
- ^ "née - definition of née in English from the Oxford dictionary". Archived from the original on 13 January 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
- ^ a b Butterfield, Jeremy (10 March 2016). Fowler's Concise Dictionary of Modern English Usage. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780191062308.
- ^ a b Garner, Bryan (11 March 2016). Garner's Modern English Usage. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780190491505.