nom de jeune fille
/nɔ̃ d(ə) ʒœn fij/masculine
In French, the English phrase 'maiden name' is expressed as nom de jeune fille. Wiktionary also lists nom de demoiselle.
Meaning: married person's original last name (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| nom de jeune fille | /nɔ̃ d(ə) ʒœn fij/ | masculine |
| nom de demoiselle | masculine |
This term refers to the original last name of a person who has since been married.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase nom de jeune fille literally translates to 'name of young girl'.
Which one should you use?
Nom de jeune fille is the standard term used in modern French. In contrast, nom de demoiselle is a less common and slightly more old-fashioned variation.
How does it change in a sentence?
This is a masculine noun phrase, meaning the articles used with it will be masculine, such as le nom.
Did you know?
- In modern French administration, you will often see the term nom de naissance used instead of nom de jeune fille to be more gender-neutral.
- The word fille can be used as a slang term for a prostitute, often as a shorthand for fille de joie or 'girl of joy'.
- While nom de jeune fille is the standard term, French law now allows women to choose to use their husband's name or both names as a nom d'usage for daily life.
Examples in context
- Quel est ton nom de jeune fille ?What's your maiden name?This sentence is useful for asking someone for their maiden name using the form nom de jeune fille.Tatoeba #4705456 by Cupie, translation #4704221 by CK
- Brown est son nom de jeune fille.Brown is her maiden name.This sentence is useful for stating what a person's maiden name is using the form nom de jeune fille.Tatoeba #12421215 by zogwarg, translation #12421218 by zogwarg
- Quel est le nom de jeune fille de ta mère ?What's your mother's maiden name?This sentence is useful for asking about a mother's maiden name using the form nom de jeune fille.Tatoeba #6972558 by Yemana, translation #2540743 by CK
- Lorsque vous remplissez ce formulaire, veuillez indiquer votre nom de jeune fille à la place de votre nom marital.When filling out this form, please indicate your maiden name instead of your married name.
- Je ne me souviens plus de mon nom de jeune fille.I can't remember my maiden name.
- Dans le cadre de ce formulaire, veuillez indiquer votre nom de naissance.As part of this form, please indicate your maiden name.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma is filling out a government form and needs help.
- EmmaJe ne sais pas quoi mettre comme nom de jeune fille.I don't know what to put for maiden name.
- HugoC'est ton nom de famille avant le mariage, Emma.It is your family name before marriage, Emma.
- EmmaAh oui, je vais écrire Martin alors.Oh yes, I will write Martin then.
- HugoC'est exact, c'est bien ton nom de jeune fille.That's right, that is indeed your maiden name.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “maiden name” translations and entries nom de jeune fille, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, demoiselle, fille, jeune, nom, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
