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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For some, the preferred nickname might be City of the Big Shoulders and Hog Butcher for the World, courtesy of poet Carl Sandburg.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2025
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During a March 2023 appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, McEntire shared that her fondness for tots earned her a new nickname — and kicked off her relationship with the CSI: Miami alum.—
Sabienna Bowman,
People.com,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The perfumer, whose moniker is the Master of Disorder, has previously dreamed up scents for labels including Amouage, Comme des Garçons and Penhaligon’s.—
Lily Templeton,
WWD,
4 Mar. 2025
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Turner, who goes by them/they pronouns, took the opportunity to differentiate the new moniker from their previous one.—
Zoey Lyttle,
People.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Some took that remark as an innocent allusion to her job promoting fresh produce; others saw it as a longtime epithet for gay men.—
Anita Gates,
Orlando Sentinel,
10 Jan. 2025
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There have been racial epithets included in some of those.—
Ryan Morik,
Fox News,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The cast features many bold-faced names like Simon Helberg, Ken Marino, Missi Pyle, Kiersey Clemons, Angelique Cabral and Paul Adelstein.—
Chris Gardner,
The Hollywood Reporter,
6 Mar. 2025
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Ice Spice’s varsity jacket featured the label’s name in block letters across the chest, as well as padded shoulders.—
Hannah Malach,
WWD,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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As reported by the Daily Mail and by People, the official surname for the British royal family, including for Meghan and Harry, is Mountbatten-Windsor.—
Martha Ross,
The Mercury News,
7 Mar. 2025
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Instead of using titles like Mountbatten-Windsor, royal children typically adopt their parents' titles as their surname.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The title of the song also appears to be a nod to Alabama Barker's first name, which was inspired by Alabama Whitman from the 1993 film True Romance.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
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The title of most No. 1 albums of all time is still held by the Beatles, with 19.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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As that lengthy nomenclature suggests, this is a powerful, capable, well-rounded UTV.—
Tim Stevens,
Ars Technica,
11 Feb. 2025
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Layering these clothes, regardless of tonal nomenclature, allows for striking sartorial statements with minimal effort.—
Tom Stubbs,
Robb Report,
23 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cognomen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cognomen. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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