nickname

1 of 3

noun (1)

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 3

verb

nicknamed; nicknaming; nicknames

transitive verb

1

: misname, miscall

2

: to give a nickname to

nicknamer noun

nicknamer

3 of 3

noun (2)

nick·​nam·​er

-mə(r)

: one who invents or applies a nickname

the nicknamer of genius called this brand of genius "pig philosophy"

—T. H. Huxley

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 (1)

• moniker
• epithet
• surname

Examples of nickname in a Sentence

Noun (1)

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

This beloved sweet was first introduced in the late 1890s by an Austrian immigrant, Leo Hirschfeld, and named Tootsie after his daughter’s nickname. — Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 25 June 2026

Tom Holland's nickname for Zendaya has an adorable origin. — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 24 June 2026

Verb

What The Bears Have Backwards The dominant market read since early 2026 has been that AI agents automate the seats and hollow out enterprise software, the thesis behind the software selloff some on the Street nicknamed the SaaSpocalypse. — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

Amusingly, these events were nicknamed perytons, after a fictional beast that had the hybrid body of a stag and bird but cast the shadow of a human; a nod to their imposter nature. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 26 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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 and Noun (2)

derivative of nickname entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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.