Editing Name (section)

== Personal name ==
{{main|Personal name}}
[[File:A History of Barrington, Rhode Island - Autographs.jpg|thumb|A [[signature]] is a person's own handwritten name]]
A [[personal name]] is an identifying word or words by which an individual is intimately known or designated.<ref>{{cite web |title=personal name |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personal%20name |website=Merriam-Webster.com |publisher=Merriam-Webster |access-date=18 June 2018 |archive-date=19 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180619085844/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personal%20name |url-status=live }}</ref> In many countries, it is traditional for individuals to have a personal name (also called a [[given name]] or first name) and a [[surname]] (also called a last name or [[family name]] because it is shared by members of the same family).<ref name="general">{{cite web |title=General words for names, and types of name |url=https://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/general-words-for-names-and-types-of-name |website=macmillandictionary.com |publisher=Macmillan Dictionary |access-date=18 June 2018 |archive-date=19 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180619063647/https://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/general-words-for-names-and-types-of-name |url-status=live }}</ref> Some people have two surnames, one inherited from each parent. In most of Europe and the Americas, the given name typically comes before the surname, whereas in parts of Asia and [[Hungary]] the surname comes before the given name ([[Eastern name order]]). In some cultures it is traditional for a woman to take her husband's surname when she gets married.

A common practice in many countries is [[patronym]] which means that a component of a personal name is based on the given name of one's father. A less common practice in countries is [[matronym]] which means that a component of a personal name is based on the given name of one's mother. In some [[East Asian culture]]s, it is traditional for given names to include a [[generation name]], a syllable shared between siblings and cousins of the same generation.

[[Middle names]] are also used by many people as a third identifier, and can be chosen for personal reasons including signifying relationships, preserving pre-marital/maiden names (a popular practice in the United States), and to perpetuate family names. The practice of using [[middle name]]s dates back to ancient Rome, where it was common for members of the elite to have a ''[[praenomen]]'' (a personal name), a ''[[Roman naming conventions|nomen]]'' (a family name, not exactly used the way middle names are used today), and a ''[[cognomen]]'' (a name representing an individual attribute or the specific branch of a person's family).<ref name="middle">{{cite web |last1=Fabry |first1=Merrill |title=Now You Know: Why Do We Have Middle Names? |url=https://time.com/4451977/history-of-middle-names/ |website=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |publisher=Time |access-date=18 June 2018 |language=en |format=web article |date=August 16, 2016 |archive-date=8 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180608010751/http://time.com/4451977/history-of-middle-names/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Middle names eventually fell out of use, but regained popularity in Europe during the nineteenth century.<ref name="middle" />

Besides first, middle, and last names, individuals may also have [[nicknames]], [[aliases]], or [[titles]]. Nicknames are informal names used by friends or family to refer to a person ("Chris" may be used as a short form of the personal name "Christopher"). A person may choose to use an alias, or a fake name, instead of their real name, possibly to protect or obscure their identity. People may also have titles designating their role in an institution or profession (members of royal families may use various terms such as [[king]], [[queen regnant|Queen]], [[duke]], or [[duchess]] to signify their positions of authority or their relation to the throne).<ref name="general" />