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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Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known by his nickname Pelé, is widely considered one of the greatest athletes of all time.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
16 Mar. 2026
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Known by its nickname Miraikan, or museum of the future, this sprawling facility on the artificial island of Odaiba is full of fun, hands-on exhibits on science and cutting-edge technology.—
Jessica Kozuka,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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On the red carpet at the 2020 Screen Actors Guild Awards, Pitt told People that DiCaprio calls him by a surprising moniker.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
15 Mar. 2026
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Curate for a Wide Range of Audience Members Despite its moniker, the festival endeavors to program for a wide array of potential movie-goers.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The person who shouted the epithet was John Davidson, an activist with Tourette syndrome, who removed himself from the room and later apologized, as did BAFTA and BBC, the show’s broadcaster, which failed to edit out the slur during the broadcast.—
G. Allen Johnson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
1 Mar. 2026
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The epithet could be heard when the BBC broadcast the ceremony about two hours after the live event.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The question box includes a space for your name, but this is optional.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
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State officials also cited a government code that protects names of superintendent applicants from public release.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The campaign between challenger Juan Beto Ruiz and incumbent Campos was one of the more unusual of the primaries in Lake County, with Ruiz ultimately removed from the ballot less than a day before the election over his missing maternal surname on nomination papers.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
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This would mean that married women who have changed their surname would have to show citizenship documents that match their current legal name.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In 10 seasons in the IHSA, Yorkville Christian has won four regional titles, two sectionals and the Class 1A state title in 2021-22.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2026
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Case, a player on KU’s 2008 NCAA title team, is in his 11th season on Bill Self’s KU coaching staff.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Until such a ruling, the debate over the nomenclature of poultry bits will beat on, wings against the current.—
EMILY HEIL THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
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Tanking is such an issue that Silver didn’t even try to find more league-friendly nomenclature like Marc Stein’s Draft Positioning Prioritization Mode.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cognomen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cognomen. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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