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née

née

1 9.3
A word put after a married woman's name to show her family name before marriage
  • adjective
  • /neɪ/
  • Formal
: de soltera
  • The biography was about Queen Elizabeth II, née Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor.

Examples

  • Sarah Johnson, née Smith, is a renowned author.

  • The novel's protagonist is Anna Peterson, née Ivanova, a Russian immigrant.

  • Her full name was listed as Margaret Johnson, née Smith, in the announcement.

  • The actress, Emma Watson, née Thompson, won an award last night.

  • Her full name is Maria Johnson, née Smith, which reflects her maiden name.

  • The actress, Taylor Swift, née Anderson, announced her new album today.

  • In her bio, she proudly mentions that she is Julia Roberts, née Johnson.

Synonyms

maiden name
vsnée
44 3.1

A woman's last name before she marries

is placed after a married woman's current surname to show her former surname

Surface Forms

née positive

Etymology

Née comes from French and means 'born', using the feminine form of a verb for birth. It is used after a married woman's name to show the family name she had when she was born, and you can remember it by thinking of English words like native or natal, which also come from the idea of birth.