nombre

Nombre is a Spanish noun that denotes the name by which a person, place, or thing is identified. It is the general term for the designation used to distinguish one entity from another and is treated as masculine: el nombre, los nombres. The plural form is nombres.

In naming practices, nombre commonly appears with otros términos to specify the kind of name. For example, nombre de pila refers to a given name or baptismal name, while nombre completo means the full name. On forms and in legal or administrative contexts, people are often listed as nombre y apellido, combining the given name with the surname. Middle names are referred to as segundo nombre or nombre intermedio.

Etymology traces nombre to Latin nomen, nominis, meaning "name." The verb nombrar, meaning "to name," shares the same root and has given rise to related vocabulary in Spanish. Cognates appear in other Romance languages, such as Portuguese nome and French nom, reflecting a common Latin origin.

In usage, nombre also appears in discussions of proper names (nombres propios) and in data collection or software interfaces as a label for a name field. Phrases like nombre científico designate the scientific name of an organism, illustrating its broad application beyond personal naming.

Note: nombre is not used to mean number in Spanish; that meaning is número. Confusion can occur for learners translating from languages where similar forms exist.