原名 (yuánmíng): original name

Meanings

1 original name
2 real name (before a stage name or pen name)
3 former name (of a place)

Characters

原

Examples

鲁迅原名周树人。

Lǔ Xùn yuánmíng Zhōu Shùrén.

Lu Xun's original name was Zhou Shuren.

这家公司原名XX有限公司。

Zhè jiā gōngsī yuánmíng XX yǒuxiàn gōngsī.

This company was originally called XX Co., Ltd.

Tips

usage

原名 is used in two main contexts: (1) revealing the birth name behind a pseudonym/stage name — '鲁迅，原名周树人' (Lu Xun, originally Zhou Shuren); (2) noting a place or institution's former name. Compare 本名 (běnmíng, 'real name').