cognomen
noun
cog·no·men käg-ˈnō-mən 
ˈkäg-nə-
ˈkäg-nə-
plural cognomens or cognomina käg-ˈnä-mə-nə
-ˈnō-
1
2
: name
especially : a distinguishing nickname or epithet
Synonyms of cognomen
Examples of cognomen in a Sentence
richly deserved the cognomen of “Butterfingers” “Christopher Columbus” is the Latinized cognomen of the navigator who was known to his Spanish crewmates as Cristóbal Colón
Recent Examples on the Web
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Cite this Entry
“Cognomen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/cognomen. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cognomen
noun
cog·no·men käg-ˈnō-mən ˈkäg-nə-mən
ˈkäg-nə-mən
plural cognomens or cognomina -ˈnäm-ə-nə
-ˈnō-mə-
1
: a person's last name : surname
2
: name entry 1 sense 1
especially : nickname entry 1
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