In the English-speaking world at the present time, first names are by far the most commonly used term of address. This was by no means always the case. Until the early part of the twentieth century men who had been friends or colleagues for a life-time...

(diminutive form) When speakers have agreed to use one another’s first names, there can still remain the question of which form of the name is to be used. ‘I wish to God you wouldn’t call me Wilson,’ says Edward Wilson to Louise...

A given name is a personal name which specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name (surname). A given name is a name given to a person, as opposed...