front name

front name (plural front names)

1. (archaic) A person's given name.
   • 1897 March, Montague Stevens, “‘Front Name’ Dick”, in The Cosmopolitan, Volume XXII, Number 5, The Cosmopolitan Press (1897), page 553:

     “Well, the front name I goes by nowadays is Dick,” said he, “and as I ain’t got no partic’ler use for no more name, jes’ call me Dick. […] ”

   • 1905–6, Margaret Wade Campbell Deland, The Awakening of Helena Richie, Harper & Brothers (1906), page 97:

     “Because, yesterday everybody said ‘Dr. Lavendar.’ I didn’t think Doctor could be your front name. All the other people had front names.”

   • 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 185:

     "Alfred. Too much ceremony about surnames. Between friends like us, surnames are all wrong. As a friend... purely as a friend, I ask you...what's your front name?"

   • 1981 January 27, Alicia Velasquez Angelo, “Careless Bilingual Student May Tell It Like It Isn't”, in Modesto Bee‎:

     I remember one super-cool Chicano in high school who was forever trying to make movidas (time) with every female he saw. His opening line inevitably was 'girl what's your front name'.

   • 2003, Mickey Spillane, Something's Down There: A Novel - Page 11

     “Mr. Hooker, sa... Mr. Hooker, I...” “And forget the Mr., too. We're friends.” “That would not be polite. And I do not know your front name.”