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Understanding Personal Name Structures

Individuals typically have a personal or first name, a last or family name, and sometimes a middle name. Middle names originated in ancient Rome and were used to further identify individuals, falling out of use before regaining popularity in the 19th century in Europe. In addition to legal names, people may also use nicknames, aliases, or titles to refer to themselves or others in different contexts.

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10 views1 page

Understanding Personal Name Structures

Individuals typically have a personal or first name, a last or family name, and sometimes a middle name. Middle names originated in ancient Rome and were used to further identify individuals, falling out of use before regaining popularity in the 19th century in Europe. In addition to legal names, people may also use nicknames, aliases, or titles to refer to themselves or others in different contexts.

Uploaded by

Max Perez
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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A personal name is an identifying word or words by which an individual is intimately known or

designated such as "Bobby," "Sophia-Grace," or "Muhammad." [2] It is traditional for individuals to


have a personal name (also called a "first name") and a last name (also called a "family name" or
"surname" because it is shared by members of the same family).[3] Middle names are also used by
many people as a third identifier, and can be chosen for personal reasons including signifying
relationships, preserving pre-marital/maiden names (a popular practice in the United States), and to
perpetuate family names.
The practice of using middle names dates back to ancient Rome, where it was common for
members of the elite to have a praenomen (a personal name), a nomen (a family name, not exactly
used the way middle names are used today), and a cognomen (a name representing an individual
attribute or the specific branch of a person's family). [4] Middle names eventually fell out of use, but
regained popularity in Europe during the nineteenth century.[4]
Besides first, middle, and last names, individuals may also have nicknames, aliases, or titles.
Nicknames are informal names used by friends or family to refer to a person ("Chris" may be used
as a short form of the personal name "Christopher"). A person may choose to use an alias, or a fake
name, instead of their real name, possibly to protect or obscure their identity. People may also have
titles designating their role in an institution or profession (members of royal families may use various
terms such as King, Queen, Duke, or Duchess to signify their positions of authority or their relation to
the throne).[3]

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