What personal name did Siddhartha Gautama traditionally have before becoming known as the Buddha?

Before becoming known as the Buddha, the historical figure was traditionally called Siddhartha Gautama.

Siddhartha is the personal name commonly used in Buddhist biographies, while Gautama identifies his family or clan lineage. In Sanskrit, the name is Siddhārtha Gautama; in Pali, the corresponding form is Siddhattha Gotama. After awakening, he acquired titles such as Buddha, meaning “Awakened One,” and Shakyamuni, meaning “Sage of the Shakya clan.”

The title Buddha is not generally treated as a personal name. It describes someone who has awakened to the nature of reality and attained liberation. Tathagata is another title used in Buddhist scriptures, often translated in several different ways, including “Thus-Gone” or “Thus-Come.”

Maitreya is not another name for Siddhartha Gautama. In Buddhist tradition, Maitreya is the future Buddha who will appear after the teachings of the current Buddha have disappeared. The variety of titles surrounding Gautama can therefore cause confusion between names, honorifics, and figures from Buddhist cosmology.