Learn English – Does a woman who has never been married have a maiden name

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I watched a movie recently in which one of the characters states that his mother doesn't have a maiden name. It really struck me as something odd (I am not a native English speaker), I would have thought the answer would be that his mother's maiden name is the one she's bearing.
However my Irish boyfriend claims one only "obtains" a maiden name once she gets married.
In other words, is maiden name an equivalent of birth name for women?

*EDIT: I think what I'd really like to know is how you answer the question from the movie – what is her maiden name, knowing she's not married?

Best Answer

The original surname of a married woman who uses her husband’s surname after marriage - Oxford Dictionary

This definition backs up your boyfriend’s claim.

However, other dictionaries are a little looser:

The surname that a girl is given at birth and that some women change when they marry.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/maiden+name

I won’t list all dictionaries I checked, but most imply it's the name 'before marriage'.

I think for all practical purposes, there is no point in using maiden name in reference to the surname of a woman who has never changed her name after marriage.

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