first name

noun

: the name that stands first in one's full name

Examples of first name in a Sentence

Children at the school call their teachers by their first names. the parents still haven't picked a first name for the baby
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Some interviews have been translated from Arabic and people have been referenced only by first names to protect their identities. Adam Leventhal, The Athletic, 23 Nov. 2024 Maya Freelon’s first name comes from her godmother Maya Angelou. Chadd Scott, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024 Eastwood, with more than five decades under his belt directing films dedicated to complex inquiries into virtue, ethics, and fairness, was the first name that popped into his head. Tomris Laffly, TIME, 4 Nov. 2024 Jennifer, a 23-year-old Honduran woman who asked to be identified only by her first name, said that her daughters, ages 4 and 5, were traumatized after being held at gunpoint for four hours in a livestock pen. Emily Green, ProPublica, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for first name 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of first name was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near first name

Cite this Entry

“First name.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20name. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on first name

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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