A person’s complete name can consist of multiple names or parts, including name prefixes, given and middle names, surnames, maiden names, and name suffixes.
At FamilySearch, here’s how we define each of those names:
Name Title
- This is a title used before a person’s name.
- In the complete name Mrs. Bernice Elizabeth Lamb Shurts, the word “Mrs.” is a name title.
Given Names
- These names are often referred to as a person’s “first name” and “middle name.” They precede the surname and are the names that identify the person rather than the family.
- In the complete name Mrs. Bernice Elizabeth Lamb Shurts, the names Bernice Elizabeth are the given names.
Surname
- This is the person’s last name. In most cases, it is a hereditary name that is common to all members of the family.
- In the complete name Mrs. Bernice Elizabeth Lamb Shurts, the surname is Shurts.
- Depending on the culture, some records list both the mother's family name and the father's family name as surnames. In the complete name Santiago Juan Torres Rojas, both Torres and Rojas are surnames.
Maiden Name
- This is a woman’s surname before marriage.
- In the complete name Mrs. Bernice Elizabeth Lamb Shurts, the name Lamb is likely a maiden name, because it appears before Shurts.
Name Suffix
- This is anything that comes after the surname and that leads to more information about that person.
- In the complete name Sean Melbornito Yergensen, Jr., the abbreviation “Jr.”—short for Junior—is the name suffix.
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