Given Name

A given name, also called a birth name or legal name, is the name a person's parents assigned them at birth. For most people it stays in everyday use, but for many transgender and nonbinary people a given name does not match their gender identity. When such a name is used after someone has adopted a different name, it is often called a deadname, and hearing or seeing it can be painful or unsafe. The respectful practice is to use the name a person actually goes by, sometimes called their chosen or affirmed name, without asking what their given name was. Using someone's correct name is a basic form of dignity and support.