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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Example Sentences
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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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The longtime chef at Miami’s Best Pizza recently opened his own joint called Thad’s Pizza, after his nickname.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
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Bella’s — after Veliu’s grandmother’s nickname given by her husband — hopes to start serving customers sometime in November.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And many share the last name Patel, a common surname in the region.—
Catherine E. Shoichet,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
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Finlay was her mother's maiden name, and the surname for her famous grandmother, Marjorie Finlay.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Use chapter titles or epithets to set up what’s coming.—
JD Barker,
Rolling Stone,
25 Sep. 2025
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On his next broadcast, Maher convened guests like Ice Cube and Michael Eric Dyson to call him to task for using the epithet and to explore the issues about its us.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Byname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byname. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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