nickname

1 of 2

noun

nick·​name ˈnik-ˌnām 

1

: a usually descriptive name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to a person, place, or thing

2

: a familiar form of a proper name (as of a person or a city)

nickname

2 of 2

verb

nicknamed; nicknaming; nicknames

transitive verb

1

: misname, miscall

2

: to give a nickname to

nicknamer noun

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History of Nickname

It might look like nickname is a compound noun formed by adding nick and name together, but the actual history of this word is a bit more complicated. It was formed by metanalysis, or the changing of the division of words based upon how they sound together. In this case, the Middle English word eke, meaning “also” or “in addition,” was joined with name to form ekename—literally, “also-name,” used for a secondary or unofficial name in the late Middle Ages. Over time, an ekename became a nickname presumably because eke had become less familiar as a word. Needless to say, nick in this case doesn’t mean “also” or anything else, it just represents a comfortable and familiar alternative to the word’s original spelling.

Synonyms

Noun

• alias
• byname
• cognomen
• epithet
• handle
• moniker
• monicker
• sobriquet
• soubriquet
• surname

Examples of nickname in a Sentence

Noun

His mother gave him the nickname “Winky” when he was a baby.

Earvin “Magic” Johnson got his nickname from the way he handled a basketball.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Because all the elders refer to him by his youthful nickname of Chebon, none of the Rez Dogs realize that this is the same man Bear encountered earlier in the season. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2023

Minors who want to use nicknames must get their parents permission first. —Laura Johnston, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2023

Fish was the childhood nickname for Dwayne Williams, who was an avid swimmer. —Joseph D. Bryant | [e-mail], al, 11 Sep. 2023

South Oldham decided to have a little fun with the nickname when Ethan Arnold intercepted a pass and ran it back roughly 24 yards for a touchdown to give the Dragons a 37-14 lead with 6:11 to play in the fourth quarter. —The Courier-Journal, 9 Sep. 2023

Before Kevin Sumlin took Texas A&M on a field trip to the capital of college football late in the fall of 2012, Johnny Manziel was a fun freshman quarterback with a cool nickname. —Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 7 Sep. 2023

The nickname is a simple but poignant joke on the part of the villagers. —V.m. Braganza, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Sep. 2023

Get tips for landing a great nickname, plus a few fun ideas. —Lisa Milbrand, Parents, 6 Sep. 2023

In 1996, as part of a change in ownership, former manager turned owner Gary R. Johnson changed the name to G-Daddy's BBC (G-Daddy was Johnson’s nickname in college, according to a story in the UWM Post). —Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2023

Verb

Princess Eugenie Steps Out for the First Time Since Giving Birth on the Red Carpet with Sister Princess Beatrice Sienna's birth made Edo's son from a previous relationship, Christopher Woolf (who is affectionately nicknamed Wolfie), a big brother. —Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 18 Sep. 2023

Number 10: Female remains from a victim cops nicknamed Peaches because of a tattoo on her torso. —Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2023

Her belongings — clothes, succulent plants, boxes of Cheez-Its — rattled around the back of her 1999 Infinity SUV, which topped out at 65 mph on the highway and was nicknamed the Mom-Mobile by classmates. —Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2023

Enter Email Sign Up While these oddly graceful animals are closely related to elephants, manatees are often nicknamed sea cows and are known for a diet of seagrasses and marine plants. —Alexa Gagosz, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023

One, nicknamed El Jefe (The Boss) by Tucson schoolchildren, famously roamed just north of Patagonia in the Santa Ritas for several years before turning south toward Sonora, Mexico, where he was photographed last year. —Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 8 Sep. 2023

Collé Ardo’s bravery, sealed by a shocking act of violence, is abetted by an itinerant merchant nicknamed Mercenaire (Dominique Zeïda), whose status as a déclassé outsider, the result of a backstory of persecution, sharpens his observations and emboldens his actions. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2023

The experiment behind the Devil Ray and the Triton, nicknamed Task Force 59, has become a fulcrum for the debate over whether the military is moving fast enough to embrace new and more flexible ways of adapting to a changing threat environment. —Eric Lipton, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2023

The two later built a digital maze (McGibbon was nicknamed the maze master) that outlined each outcome. —Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English nekename additional name, alteration (resulting from misdivision of an ekename) of ekename, from eke eke, also + name name

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1536, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

nickname

1 of 2 noun

nick·​name ˈnik-ˌnām 

1

: an often descriptive name (as "Shorty" or "Tex") given in addition to the one belonging to an individual

2

: a form of a proper name (as "Billy" for "William") used by family or friends

nickname

2 of 2 verb

: to give a nickname to

Etymology

Noun

Middle English nekename "an additional name," from the phrase an ekename (misunderstood as being a nekename), from eke "something added on" and name "name"

Word Origin

The Middle English word eke meant "something added on." An ekename was therefore an added name given to a person or place. Many people who heard the phrase "an ekename," however, thought they were hearing "a nekename." Because of that confusion over the course of many years, the word ekename became nekename. Later changes in spelling have given us the modern word nickname.