as in family name
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Recent Examples of hypocorism
Someone named the fog Karl, but none of our other weather gets a hypocorism.
—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson, SFChronicle.com, 29 Sep. 2020
Kevin Fisher-Paulson, SFChronicle.com, 29 Sep. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hypocorism
Noun
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And Jimmy Carter’s brother Billy cashed in on the family name by selling beer.—
Bernard Condon,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
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His family name is a recognizable one Magyar comes from a family of prominent conservatives in Hungary, according to EuroNews.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Sarah, 45, even opted to keep her maiden name for business and branding after marrying her dentist husband, Patrick Kennedy, in 2009.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
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Prince Harry reportedly had a conversation with his uncle Charles Spencer—the younger brother of Princess Diana—about changing his and Meghan Markle’s surname to Spencer, which is Diana’s maiden name.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Spenuzza, who was born in Quito, Ecuador, has written 15 books under her pen name Cecilia Velástegui, ranging from historical and cultural fiction to bilingual children’s books.—
Charlie Vargas,
Oc Register,
30 Mar. 2026
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The book chronicles the relationship between the Huckleberry Finn author (whose real name was Samuel Clemens) and his famed pen name.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Wishing you all a weekend of sweet sobriquets, unlikely party venues, and careful character development.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
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This was the achievement that earned him the sobriquet the All-Crushing Kant, leaving no traditional dogma standing.—
Adam Kirsch,
New Yorker,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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His middle name, Rosebanks, is in honor of Hathaway's grandmother, Roseline, as well as Shulman's mother's maiden name.—
Emily St. Martin,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
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Kate — who asked to be identified by her middle name — only found out the extent of her husband’s online sports betting addiction last month.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In person, the author Freida McFadden (her nom de plume) has a sweet, shy demeanor—but don’t be fooled.—
E.L. James,
Time,
15 Apr. 2026
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Published under the nom de plume Jonathan Gash, Lovejoy is a set of 24 books from Dr John Grant.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
4 Mar. 2026
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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The more common nickname, El Mencho, is said to be a diminutive of his first name, Nemesio.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
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Another gender-neutral name that had a burst of popularity in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Jamie was a go-to for girls or a diminutive of James for boys.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hypocorism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hypocorism. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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