Mother’s Maiden Name
“Mother’s maiden name” refers to the family name a woman had before marriage when she later uses a different family name. The phrase should not be treated as a universal fact about married women, because many people keep, combine, or otherwise use names differently.
A mother’s maiden name is the family name she had before marriage, if she later adopted a different family name. Not every married woman changes her name.
Key details
Further guidance
History Boundary
This guide publishes the supported current meaning and usage boundary without making an unsupported absolute first-use or coinage claim.
Meaning
A mother’s maiden name refers to the family name she had before marriage, in contexts where she later uses a different family name.
Usage Boundary
Do not assume every married woman changes her family name. The phrase describes a naming history only when that history actually applies.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- maiden name — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press & Assessment · Current meaning of maiden name as a woman’s family name before marriage