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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The giant rock formation that stretches out into the water resembles a dinosaur, which has earned it the nickname T. Rex Bay.—
Brittany Anas,
Forbes,
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
-
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
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When experts in your field recognize your name, their followers notice you too.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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There is a momentary collective crisis of conscience when Frieda points out that nobody knew her surname, but those spillages aren’t going to disappear on their own.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2025
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According to the New York Times, the list contained the first names and the initials of the surnames of the CIA's new hires who are still on probation and thus easy to dismiss.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
6 Feb. 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 became a bestseller and an incredibly successful streamer once more following the rapper’s headlining performance during the Super Bowl Halftime Show just days prior.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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And that’s not the only bit of preferred nomenclature.—
Mark Critchley,
The Athletic,
23 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 9 Mar. 2025.
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