first name

English · Thesaurus

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

first name

Where it comes from

From Middle English firste name, first nam, equivalent to first + name.

noun first names

The first element of a full name, particularly when it could also be surname in East Asian and other cultural traditions. In a structure typical for East Asia cultures, first names are usually used as family names. It usually identifies that person is a one of the members of a group (typically a family or clan) who have a common family name.
Synonym of given name, particularly when it forms the first element of a full name. Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16.[…]Children address teachers by their first names. Even 15-year-olds do no more than 30 minutes' homework a night.
Similar: given name, particularly when it forms the first element of a full name

Talk about this word

Cite this

MLA

"first name." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/first%20name. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

first name. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/first%20name

Chicago

"first name." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/first%20name.

BibTeX

@misc{first_name_2026,
  title = {first name},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/first%20name},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}