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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Ken Takakura is usually called by his nickname, Okarun, a moniker given to him by Momo.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
19 July 2025
-
Harris was not charged with that murder, but the Law & Order writers implied he was involved with the crime and used nicknames similar to Harris’ case.—
John J. Lennon,
Rolling Stone,
19 July 2025
Noun
-
McClain's moniker is named after Bernie Madoff, the former Nasdaq chairman who masterminded the largest Ponzi scheme in U.S. history by defrauding thousands of investors.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
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Dunham’s husband and co-creator Luis Felber is a musician, who performs under the moniker Attawalpa.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
The defendants, who were white, also used racial epithets toward Majors, prosecutors said.—
Kelly Puente,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
-
Musk and Trump’s potent political alliance seemed to meet a dramatic end a month ago in an exchange of blistering epithets, with Trump threatening to go after Musk’s business interests, and Musk calling for Trump’s impeachment.—
Meg Kinnard,
Chicago Tribune,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
The Trump Administration’s executive orders on nuclear energy gut regulation in the name of efficiency and cost-cuts.—
Time,
Time,
15 July 2025
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Buckwheat 6 grams per cup cooked; gluten-free; complete protein Despite its name, buckwheat, which originated in central and western China, isn’t actually related to wheat.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
In several posts and replies, Grok was seen attaching stereotypes to users with Jewish surnames, glorifying Hitler and spreading conspiracies about the over-involvement of Jewish people in government, commerce and Hollywood.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
14 July 2025
-
Users reported receiving responses that praised Adolf Hitler, used antisemitic phrases and attacked users with traditionally Jewish surnames.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
13 July 2025
Noun
-
Want to play retro titles in the most authentic way possible?—
Matt Kamen,
Wired News,
20 July 2025
-
Cycle 14: Krista White Originally from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Krista White auditioned for ANTM 12 times before joining the cycle 14 cast and ultimately winning the title.—
Catherine Santino,
People.com,
20 July 2025
Noun
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It’s thought that this nomenclature probably resulted from the fact that the vine looks quite unkempt when left untrained, yet other scholars believe that the wild side of the name comes from the wine’s characteristic aromas.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
3 July 2025
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Well, the elegance of my nomenclature is up for debate.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cognomen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cognomen. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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