Personal name
A personal name is a word or set of words used to identify an individual. It may include given names, family names, and other name elements.
Given name: A personal name assigned to an individual, often at birth or during a naming ceremony. It is the name element commonly used to address someone individually.
Legal name: The name under which a person is recognized in official legal records. It is the form used when personal identification has legal consequences.
Naming convention: A customary system governing how names are formed, ordered, and used. It explains why personal names follow different rules across communities.
Nickname: An informal name used in place of, or alongside, a person's ordinary name. It may identify someone socially without serving as their standard personal name.
Surname: A hereditary or socially shared name that commonly identifies family membership. It often distinguishes family affiliation within a full personal name.
Preferred name: The name a person asks others to use, whether or not it is legally recorded. It separates respectful everyday address from a person's official name.
Naming ceremony: A cultural or religious rite in which a person receives or publicly adopts a name. It is one setting in which a personal name is formally bestowed.
Title: A word or designation indicating rank, office, honor, or form of address. Titles can accompany a name but describe status rather than identify the person by name.
Middle name: A name placed between a given name and a surname in some naming systems. It is one possible additional element in a multi-part personal name.
Pseudonym: A name adopted by someone instead of, or alongside, their ordinary name. It lets a person publish or act under a chosen identity.