first name
"first-name" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“first name” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The first element of a full name, particularly when it could also be surname in East Asian and other cultural traditions.
Corpus desk
Index EN-first-name · first name · English
first name · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 10 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "F" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | first name |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “first name” in English
Rare enough to double-check
first name is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for first name, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English firste name, first nam. The correct English form is first name, spelled F-I-R-S-T- -N-A-M-E.
Definition
- 1The first element of a full name, particularly when it could also be surname in East Asian and other cultural traditions.
- 2Synonym of given name, particularly when it forms the first element of a full name.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how first name appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
In a structure typical for East Asia cultures, first names are usually used as family names. It usually identifies that person is a one of the members of a group (typically a family or clan) who have a common family name.
Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16.[…]Children address teachers by their first names. Even 15-year-olds do no more than 30 minutes' homework a night.
Etymology
From Middle English firste name, first nam.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.