Tom, Dick or Harry

• The 'John' of 'John Smith'
• First part of a signature
• The name that precedes the surname
• Handle warning about receding hair
• Peter, Paul or Mary

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary Word definitions in Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
1530s, from fore- + name (n.). The equivalent of Latin praenomen . Old English had forenama . Middle English had fore-named in the sense "mentioned before" (c.1200).

Wiktionary Word definitions in Wiktionary
n. A name that precedes the surname.

The Collaborative International Dictionary Word definitions in The Collaborative International Dictionary
Forename \Fore"name`\, n. A name that precedes the family name or surname; a first name. --Selden.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Word definitions in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
noun EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS ▪ Only the main forename you declare will be printed on the licence.