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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She’s guarded, gives her co-workers obnoxious nicknames, and is always ready with a snarky comment.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
19 Apr. 2026
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The French newspaper has given him various nicknames during the past four decades, tracing the arc of his public reputation.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Roboz was a Hungarianized version of her surname, though still considered Jewish in origin.—
Marcy Thompson,
Scientific American,
16 Apr. 2026
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The top five American surnames — Smith, Johnson, Williams, Brown and Jones — remained unchanged from 2010 to 2020, but Asian surnames surged to become the fastest-growing in the decade.—
Mike Schneider,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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White supremacist Nick Fuentes, in a video, praised the post while using a racist epithet in his commentary.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
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Tensions rose, neighbors said, to the point that King was heard at times swearing at Kirsten Wells as well as others using vulgar epithets.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Jaquan Wright is known as Two Skin, a moniker that nods to his vitiligo skin disorder.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2026
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Boise State University students will have to get used to calling one building on campus by a new moniker.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Byname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byname. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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