1
as in nickname
a descriptive or familiar name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to an individual
richly deserved the cognomen of "Butterfingers"
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2
as in moniker
a word or combination of words by which a person or thing is regularly known
"Christopher Columbus" is the Latinized cognomen of the navigator who was known to his Spanish crewmates as Cristóbal Colón
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Recent Examples of cognomen
Part of the Tuscia — cognomen of lush forested Viterbo, crossed by the ancient Roman Francigena road and land of the Etruscans before that — Gradoli is also volcanic.
—
Susan H. Gordon, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2021
The cognomen, or surname, of the Oba is Ekpen-owa, or home leopard.
—NOLA.com, 1 Feb. 2021
Moore submitted dozens of wonderful, wondrous cognomens, including Mongoose Civique, Regina-rex, Aeroterre, Dearborn Diamanté and the deathless Utopian Turtletop.
—Dan Neil, WSJ, 20 Mar. 2020
Denmark, Iceland, Hungary and Saudi Arabia also enforce specific naming conventions where common American cognomens might not make the cut.
—Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 26 Sep. 2017
Susan H. Gordon, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2021
The cognomen, or surname, of the Oba is Ekpen-owa, or home leopard.
—NOLA.com, 1 Feb. 2021
Moore submitted dozens of wonderful, wondrous cognomens, including Mongoose Civique, Regina-rex, Aeroterre, Dearborn Diamanté and the deathless Utopian Turtletop.
—Dan Neil, WSJ, 20 Mar. 2020
Denmark, Iceland, Hungary and Saudi Arabia also enforce specific naming conventions where common American cognomens might not make the cut.
—Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 26 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cognomen
Noun
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Others go by the nickname Chris, including actors Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, and Chris Evans, as well as comedian Chris Rock.—
Anna Halkidis,
Parents,
29 Oct. 2025
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When Jack kidnaps him in Christmas Town and takes him to Halloween Town, he is given a nickname that doesn't fit his true nature.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The protagonist tacks between monikers, dissatisfied by what each represents.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
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Celine’s signature gold metal triomphe motif was festooned on the ankle strap, while the bottom of the sole was engraved with the luxury label’s moniker in gold letters.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Footwear News,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In fact, the term itself was an epithet throughout the founding era, a way to describe ignorant and easily deceived popular majorities, perpetually vulnerable to demagogues.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
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According to research from Copyleaks, an AI analysis firm that helps businesses and institutions navigate the shifting landscape of this emergent technology, a new trend has produced Sora videos of celebrities appearing to spew hateful racist epithets.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Here she is being woke in the name of destroying her enemies, most of whom the show has given us very little reason to root for.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
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What if that once-in-a-lifetime work of investigative journalism, the one sure to bring glory upon the writer’s name, will also have dire consequences for someone who could otherwise do a lot of good?—
Judy Berman,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Andrew will now go by Mountbatten Windsor, the royal family's surname for direct descendants of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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Baptista is Portuguese, and the baby’s name is a nod to her roots and her family surname.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Dodgers are looking to become baseball's first back-to-back champions in a quarter-century, as the Blue Jays hope to win their first World Series title since 1993.—
Gabe Smallson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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After his 21 goals had helped steer John Mousinho’s side to the League One title the previous season, Bishop reported for pre-season in high spirits and in peak physical shape ahead of his first campaign in the Championship.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Loomis categorized the different types of brain waves into what became known as sleep states, and created a nomenclature to describe the phases of unconsciousness.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Quanta Magazine,
17 Oct. 2025
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No last-minute deal being reached, the spending law funding the U.S. government lapsed at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1 and the federal government, in the common nomenclature, is shutting down.—
Todd Spangler,
Freep.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cognomen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cognomen. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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