as in nickname
a descriptive or familiar name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to an individual
Thomas Edward Lawrence is better known to most people by his byname, Lawrence of Arabia
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of byname
Robert the Wise was a good teacher — and, as his byname suggests, a good role model.
—
Anne Thériault, Longreads, 3 July 2018
Anne Thériault, Longreads, 3 July 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for byname
Noun
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Too often, that nickname signifies a resistance to necessary change.—
Lou Rinaldi,
Hartford Courant,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Jon Gallagher doesn’t have a nickname.—
Colby Gordon,
Austin American Statesman,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In sports, some siblings are so accomplished that they can be recognized by only their surnames.—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
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Saint-Wulfstan is a very rare surname.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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On that day, the mob hurled racist epithets, smoke bombs, and fists at him.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
4 Feb. 2026
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Vice Mayor Darian Martin, who is Black, condemned Urbom’s use of the racial epithet.—
Theo Karantsalis,
Miami Herald,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The Disney moniker has more brand value and name recognition with consumers around the world than any other Hollywood brand.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
3 Feb. 2026
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Lamont—who has also taught at Harvard, Yale and Princeton, and blogs for Acadian under the moniker Owenomics—dialed back to some of the financial history classics to make his point.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Byname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byname. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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