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

Did you know?

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 of nickname

Noun

• moniker
• epithet
• 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

The scandal rocked the Cry Babies, prompting some to give the singer a new nickname, Felony Martinez, while inciting the majority to pile in against Timothy and dismiss her story as contemptible lies. — Matt Thompson, SPIN, 13 July 2026

His nickname is the Problema, and that’s proving to be accurate. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

Verb

Two corpse flowers nicknamed Odora and Odorysseus have bloomed at the San Marino conservatory, drawing thousands for the rare occasion and quickly surpassing last year’s numbers. — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026

The skeleton, which is about 67 million years old, is nicknamed Gus after the late Gary ‘Gus’ Licking, a cattle rancher from Harding County, South Dakota, who owned the land where the specimen was found. — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 14 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English neke name "added name, nickname," alteration (resulting from misdivision of an ekename) of ekename, from eke "increase, addition" (going back to Old English ēaca, going back to dialectal Germanic *auka(n)- —whence also Old Frisian āka "addition, supplement," OIcel auki— derivative from the base of *aukan- "to increase") + name name entry 1 — more at eke entry 2

Verb

derivative of nickname entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1536, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for nickname

• acclaim
• aflame
• airframe
• ballgame
• became
• declaim
• defame
• disclaim
• doorframe
• exclaim
• inflame
• mainframe

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.