10 Notable Differences Between First Name and Last Name

Filed in Articles by on April 21, 2021

The notable difference between First Name and Last Name is that the first name refers to the name given to an individual at birth or during baptism so that they can easily be identified among their family members. The Last name is simply the name of the family and provides information about ancestry.

10 Notable Differences Between First Name and Last Name

First Name and Last Name

One of the primary differences between the first name and last name arises in the definition of the two names. The first name is the name given to a child upon birth and upon baptism as a Christian name. In addition, the first name appears first when writing the name of a person.

In western culture, the first name is the individual’s given name and appears first in western cultures and in other communities that have been assimilated into western cultures. While in Asian communities, the first name comes later in the arrangement of names.

The first name is usually the Christian name. The name is used in a friendly but informal situation while the last name, which is the family name, is mostly used in formal and official circumstances.

First Name

Oxford Dictionary defines the first name as ‘a personal name given to someone at birth or baptism and used before a family name’. The first name refers to the name given to an individual at birth or during baptism so that they can easily be identified among their family members.

The first name is personal and isn’t shared by members of your tribe, clan, or family. It is exclusive to the bearer. In other cultures, the first name doesn’t necessarily come first. The positioning differs from culture to culture.

Last Name

The last name provides a lot of information about the ancestors and can be helpful in defining one’s origin roots. A lot of studies have been conducted in order to find out the history behind various surnames.

Last Name

The last name is common to all family members and is commonly referred to as the surname. It’s the name you share with your family, identifying all of you as kin to one another. The last name appears after the first name in western cultures and before the first name in Chinese cultures.

Notable Distinctions Between First Name and Last Name

1. The first name is the name given to individuals upon birth and baptism and is mostly used for identification while the last name represents the family and is common to other members of the family.

2. In western cultures, the given name appears first followed by the family name while in the Chines and Japanese cultures, the family name appears first followed by the given name.

3. Other differences between the first name and last name are their application and formality in the daily activities of an individual.

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CSN Team.

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