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 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

Tate, also known as Beverly Broadus-Green, was a church choir director who had a massive impact on her son Calvin Broadus, including giving him the inspiration for the nickname Snoop. — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026

Voting is underway for the Official State Dish Registry, which aims to be a permanent record of the foods that help define each state's identity, much like state birds and nicknames. — James Powel, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026

Verb

Messages recovered from his phone showed that an anonymous handler, nicknamed Em, had directed him to the address. — Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026

While these specialties are found across Niigata, the industrial river port city of Nagaoka (nicknamed Fermentation Town) has the ideal climate for culturing. — Adam H. Graham, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 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 1

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.