prename

Prename is a term used to denote a person's given name—the first name by which an individual is personally addressed. In contemporary English, the term is largely archaic or regional; most people say “given name” or “first name” while “surname” or “family name” identifies the last name. In official forms and data records, fields may be labeled “First name” or “Given name” rather than “Prename.”

Historically, the word derives from Latin praenomen, the first name in the traditional Roman naming system. The praenomen referred to a personal name placed before the nomen (family name) and was often abbreviated in inscriptions (for example, C. for Gaius, M. for Marcus). In English, “prename” came into more common use in earlier centuries but is now uncommon outside scholarly or genealogical contexts.

Variations in meaning exist across English dialects and reference works. Some dictionaries treat “prename” as synonymous with “given name” or “forename,” while others describe it as archaic. It should not be confused with a nickname or with a middle name, which occupy different positions in a full name.