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French form names: nom de naissance, nom d’usage and prénom

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Distinguish family name, name used in daily life and given names on French forms, then place supplied identity details in the matching fields.

In short

Prénom is a given name; nom de naissance identifies the family name requested in the birth-name field; nom d’usage is a name used in daily life, such as a spouse’s surname. Read each field separately and copy the requested identity details carefully.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A visitor hands a form to a clerk at a French administrative counter.
Forms distinguish prénom, nom de naissance and nom d’usage. Illustration: Atelier

Les champs du nom

1 · Nom de famille or nom de naissance

A form may pair these labels as Nom de famille (nom de naissance). Match this field to the family-name detail on the identity record requested by the form.

Nom de naissance : MARTINBirth surname: MARTIN

2 · Nom d’usage: a separate field

A usage name is distinct from the family name in civil-status records. Using a spouse’s surname in daily life does not replace the birth-name entry on this form.

Nom d’usage : BERNARDName used in daily life: BERNARD

3 · Prénom: a given name

English ‘first name’ maps to prénom. English ‘surname’ maps to nom de famille. In a sequence such as Nom, prénom, the surname comes first.

Prénom : ÉlodieGiven name: Élodie

4 · Prénoms: watch the plural

When asked for all given names in civil-status order, copy the full sequence supplied. Several given names are different from one hyphenated compound given name.

Prénoms, dans l’ordre de l’état civil : Élodie, ClaireGiven names, in civil-status order: Élodie, Claire

5 · Prénom usuel: the given name used daily

A form that asks for a prénom usuel is asking about the given name used in daily life. Keep this separate from nom d’usage, which concerns the surname.

Mon prénom usuel est Claire.The given name I use daily is Claire.

6 · Keep accents, spaces and hyphens

Preserve the supplied spelling, including in block capitals. Élodie becomes ÉLODIE. Copy Jean-Luc as a single hyphenated given name when that is what the record shows.

Écrivez votre nom en lettres capitales.Write your surname in block capitals.

7 · Follow the form’s instruction for an unused field

Le cas échéant means ‘where applicable’. If no usage name is supplied, follow the form’s instructions for leaving that field blank. Nom de jeune fille is an older label you may still encounter.

Nom d’usage, le cas échéant : ______Usage name, where applicable: ______

Identity details to use in the exercise
Information suppliedDetail
Family name in the birth-name recordMARTIN
Surname used in daily lifeBERNARD
All given names, in civil-status orderÉlodie, Claire
Given name used dailyClaire
Question 1No account needed
Fill Nom de naissance using the supplied details.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

MARTIN. The supplied birth-name record gives MARTIN; BERNARD is the usage surname.

Question 2No account needed
Fill Nom d’usage.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

BERNARD. BERNARD is explicitly supplied as the surname used in daily life.

Question 3No account needed
The form asks for all Prénoms, dans l’ordre de l’état civil. What goes here?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Élodie, Claire. Copy both given names in the supplied order: Élodie followed by Claire.

Question 4No account needed
Fill Prénom usuel.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Claire. Claire is the given name used daily; this field asks for a given name.

Sources and further reading

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