How to Use given name in a Sentence

given name

noun
  • No one has mourned enough of them, given name to enough of them.
    — Chris Searles, National Geographic, 23 Aug. 2019
  • Many have since been microchipped and given names.
    — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2026
  • Things would be discussed, things that had just been done would be given names.
    — Lo Carmen, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2023
  • Many geese were given names with goose puns and/or after celebrities.
    — Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Apr. 2024
  • The seven kittens were given names meant to honor where they were born.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Choosing a last name or surname as a first name (or given name) is not a new tradition.
    — Lisa Milbrand, Parents, 1 Apr. 2026
  • And while he’s not mentioned by given name in the film, here’s the story of the real life serial killer.
    — Selena Kuznikov, Variety, 4 July 2024
  • Coates gave few details and did not give names of the Russians who appealed Wednesday.
    — USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2018
  • This season, the turtles in long-term care were given names based on Greek mythology.
    — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
  • The hurricane came at a time before tropical storms were given names.
    — Craig Hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, 19 Mar. 2020
  • Clay-Flores said the children were given name tags, cloth linens and pillows for their cots, as well as new jeans and gym shoes.
    — Liz Hardaway, San Antonio Express-News, 30 Mar. 2021
  • Why add a surname or include a father’s fathers’ given names given to me at birth to identify me?
    — Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
  • Why add a surname or include a father’s fathers’ given names given to me at birth to identify me?
    — Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 6 Jan. 2026
  • The caterpillars are usually plucked out of trees in the days before the race and given names, like racehorses.
    — Corey Buhay, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Oct. 2023
  • People like my parents hoped to shield me by assigning me an Anglicized given name at birth.
    — Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2021
  • The cows are often given names and encouraged to roam and graze in a stress-free environment, with only a few kept in each pen.
    — Chelsea Davis, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
  • The twins were given names based on their personalities, according to the release.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Aware of the danger of their journey, many migrants make strenuous efforts to, in the event of their death, ensure that their bodies will be given names.
    — Matthew Wolfe, Harper's magazine, 10 Feb. 2019
  • The full name of Jack Ma, whose given name in Chinese is Yun, has only two characters.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 3 May 2022
  • The only other storm that came close was during the record-breaking 1933 season, before storms were given names.
    — Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 1 July 2024
  • Pattie Gonia, whose given name is Wyn Wiley, is a drag queen based in Bend, Oregon.
    — Brittany Peterson, Fortune, 12 June 2026
  • Many of the bears have been given names, and in October, viewers vote in the Fat Bear Week contest, to determine which bear is best prepared for winter.
    — Acacia Johnson, National Geographic, 14 Jan. 2020
  • The musician, whose given name is LaRussell Dwayne Thomas, has quickly gone from releasing his music independently to being signed to one of the biggest labels in the world.
    — Georgia Dawkins, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
  • White and Lil Baby, whose given name is Dominique Jones, got into an argument, The San Francisco Standard said.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Releasing via Reprise Records, the LP features the artwork of Strings’ mom, Debra Apostol (Strings’ given name is William Lee Apostol).
    — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2026
  • Others had greater Eastern European ancestry, consistent with historical evidence that a number of people living in Erfurt between 1350 and 1400 had surnames indicating origins in the East, as well as Slavic given names.
    — David Reich, The Conversation, 30 Nov. 2022
  • The Woodward Center named the mama dog Noel, and her puppies were given names based on the Twelve Days of Christmas – Drummer, Piper, Lord, Lady, Maid, Swan, Goose, Ring, Calling Bird, French Hen, Turtle Dove and Partridge.
    — News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Dec. 2025
  • Digital Underground originated in Oakland, California, in 1987, founded by Shock G (given name Gregory Jacobs), Chopmaster J (Jimi Dright) and Kenny-K (Kenneth Waters), and released their first album in 1990.
    — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'given name.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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