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"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
Aside from being a fruit and a nickname for New Zealanders, Kiwi is also a brand name of New Zealand-style bacon that's also popular in Australia.—
Keith Pandolfi,
The Enquirer,
12 Aug. 2025
-
His nickname for me, sometimes, is Ice Queen, which is vaguely offensive.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
And should Cal Raleigh, the breakout MLB star with a nickname beloved by baseball fans, be profiting off his Big Dumper moniker?—
Scott Soshnick,
Sportico.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
It's also eliminated seven street names, either for new monikers or because the streets themselves no longer exist.—
Chris Foran,
jsonline.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Tackett shouted racial epithets against Latinos at the driver before hurling a cup of hot coffee into their car, splashing the victim’s face, hands and the inside of his car, Oldoerp said.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
25 July 2025
-
The two welders who had been spewing racist epithets at Pierre, the lawsuit said, began retaliating.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
This year, however, festival director Paul Ridd, in his sophomore year at the helm, has compiled, along with his growing team, an intriguing lineup packed with high-profile names from across the industry, many of whom rarely speak or appear publicly.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
7 Aug. 2025
-
From the school’s name to Wednesday’s raven-style psychometry, Burton and company tapped into the dreary lore with delight.—
Daron James,
IndieWire,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
This unusual celebrity baby name is technically a Japanese surname, but that didn’t stop Skai Jackson from bestowing it upon her baby girl.—
Marilyn La Jeunesse,
Parents,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Cruise for years has reportedly been estranged from their 19-year-old daughter, Suri, who dropped her father’s surname last year.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
29 July 2025
Noun
-
Over the last couple of seasons, Arsenal have been closer to winning their first Premier League title since 2003-04, and there is every chance Gyokeres’ goals can finally get them over the line.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Despite the bitter ending, the Ascent led the league in goals scored (45), and won the regular-season title.—
Emma Moon,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Those familiar with the nomenclature of meteorites will already be aware from the NWA prefix that it was found in North West Africa, but to be more specific, it was found in Niger’s remote Agadez region of the Sahara desert by a professional meteorite hunter.—
Mike Hanlon
July 03,
New Atlas,
3 July 2025
-
Surgeons employ a precise classification and nomenclature system to characterize scoliosis, tailoring their approach based on the patient’s age, the type of scoliosis and the underlying cause driving its development.—
Richard Menger MD MPA,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cognomen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cognomen. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share