as in surnames
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 names
For some families, maiden names or other significant surnames are carried on as first names.
—
Lisa Milbrand, Parents, 1 Apr. 2026
In a step that rights activists call an attempt to block a dual-surname system, Takaichi is calling for a law to allow the greater use of maiden names as aliases instead.
—Mari Yamaguchi, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
In a step that rights activists call an attempt to block a dual-surname system, Takaichi is calling for a law to allow the greater use of maiden names as aliases instead.
—Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
In a step that rights activists call an attempt to block a dual-surname system, Takaichi is calling for a law to allow the greater use of maiden names as aliases instead.
—ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
Lisa Milbrand, Parents, 1 Apr. 2026
In a step that rights activists call an attempt to block a dual-surname system, Takaichi is calling for a law to allow the greater use of maiden names as aliases instead.
—Mari Yamaguchi, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
In a step that rights activists call an attempt to block a dual-surname system, Takaichi is calling for a law to allow the greater use of maiden names as aliases instead.
—Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
In a step that rights activists call an attempt to block a dual-surname system, Takaichi is calling for a law to allow the greater use of maiden names as aliases instead.
—ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maiden names
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 top five American surnames — Smith, Johnson, Williams, Brown and Jones — remained unchanged from 2010 to 2020, but Asian surnames surged to become the fastest-growing in the decade.—
Mike Schneider,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The king had already stripped Andrew of his royal titles due to his connections to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.—
Kathryn Watson,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
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The whole album is constantly in motion, and not only because three different song titles reference modes of transportation.—
Brendan Hay,
SPIN,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The truth in this story seems to be elusive and unknowable, and this circles back to your earlier question about what kind of assumptions are made about people with names like Saïd or Tamerlan.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
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The sandwiches derive their names from the city’s streets.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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However, unlike similar programs, these folks have to stay true to their Southern roots and family names, a difficult feat in today’s modern world.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
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Everyone on both sides of my family has always used family names, which has been really important to me to continue only using family names with my children.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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She’s guarded, gives her co-workers obnoxious nicknames, and is always ready with a snarky comment.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
19 Apr. 2026
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The French newspaper has given him various nicknames during the past four decades, tracing the arc of his public reputation.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
17 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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Gold coins are often easier to sell than gold bars because they are widely recognized, easy to verify and come in smaller denominations.—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Back then, the most popular male first names were James, John, Robert, Michael and William.—
Mike Schneider,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
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Viewers tend to refer to anchors like Savannah Guthrie, Robin Roberts and Gayle King by their first names and regard watching them as part of a morning ritual.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Maiden names.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maiden%20names. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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