as in surname
a woman's last name before she is married
After she divorced, she took back her maiden name.
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Recent Examples of maiden name
For some families, maiden names or other significant surnames are carried on as first names.
—
Lisa Milbrand, Parents, 1 Apr. 2026
Bucher also introduced Epstein to Varvara Corcos (at the time going by her maiden name Russkova), a partner at venture capital firm GVA Capital.
—Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
The writer’s earlier novels were published under her maiden name, Lizzie Pook.
—Diane Garrett, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Soon after, Pedro started going professionally by her maiden name in her honor.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for maiden name
Lisa Milbrand, Parents, 1 Apr. 2026
Bucher also introduced Epstein to Varvara Corcos (at the time going by her maiden name Russkova), a partner at venture capital firm GVA Capital.
—Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
The writer’s earlier novels were published under her maiden name, Lizzie Pook.
—Diane Garrett, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Soon after, Pedro started going professionally by her maiden name in her honor.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for maiden name
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maiden name
Noun
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Such hospitality was reserved for a narrow category of humanity, resembling as closely as possible those local barons whose surnames crusted the stones of local cemeteries.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
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The three-judge panel found no abuse of discretion, noting that throughout three decades of living under Woods' identity, Keirans hid his true identity from his wife and gave his child Woods' surname.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Foremost for Nelson, a softball recruit for Columbia in New York, likely would be leading the Green Wave to a second straight regional title and advancing further than last year’s sectional semifinal.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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Taft was seeking its eighth City title and first since winning Division II in 2019.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The names of places, roads, buildings and more, reflect the impact folks in Connecticut have made for hundreds of years.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2026
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After all, coaches want a sure thing when millions are being spent on revenue sharing and name, image and likeness compensation.—
Eric Olson,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Never underestimate the power of a cute nickname to change hearts and minds.—
Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Apr. 2026
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But my favorite Commanders selection was Allen, a durable and powerful runner with good vision and one of the finest nicknames in sports.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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His family name, going way back to Spain, was originally Cantenys before it got shortened.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
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And Jimmy Carter’s brother Billy cashed in on the family name by selling beer.—
Bernard Condon,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Jones said the petition had almost 20 signatures from faith communities across several denominations as of Monday afternoon.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Apr. 2026
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Lawmakers and Green's denomination have called for more transparency from the Pentagon about why he was fired.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Ryder’s middle name is Russell, in honor of Goldie Hawn’s partner of more than 40 years and Hudson’s father figure, Kurt Russell.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
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The profile used his middle name, Jacob.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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She and others who spoke with CNN for this story asked only to use their first name for privacy reasons.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
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Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this story misspelled Nahida Bristy’s first name.—
Dan Sullivan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Maiden name.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maiden%20name. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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