A nickname or short name is a substitute for the proper name of a person, place or thing. It is commonly used to express affection, amusement, a character trait or defamation of character. It is distinct from a pseudonym, stage name or title, although the concepts can overlap.
The compound word ekename, literally meaning "additional name", was attested as early as 1303.[1] This word was derived from the Old English phrase eac "also",[2] related to eacian "to increase".[3] By the 15th century, the misdivision of the syllables of the phrase "an ekename" led to its rephrasing as "a nekename".[4] Though the spelling has changed, the pronunciation and meaning of the word have remained relatively stable ever since.
Various language conventions
English nicknames are generally represented in quotes between the bearer's first and last names (e.g., Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower and Daniel Lamont "Bubba" Franks). It is also common for the nickname to be identified after a comma following the full real name or later in the body of the text, such as in an obituary (e.g., Frankie Frisch, "The Fordham Flash"). Any middle name is generally omitted, especially in speech. Like English, German uses (German-style) quotation marks between the first and last names (e.g., Andreas Nikolaus „Niki“ Lauda). Other languages may use other conventions; for example, Italian writes the nickname after the full name followed by detto "called" (e.g., Salvatore Schillaci detto Totò), in Spanish the nickname is written in formal contexts at the end in quotes following alias (e.g. Alfonso Tostado, alias «el Abulense»), in Portuguese the nickname is written after the full name followed by vulgo or between parenthesis (e.g. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, vulgo Pelé / Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pelé)) and Slovenian represents nicknames after a dash or hyphen (e.g., Franc Rozman – Stane). The latter may cause confusion because it resembles an English convention sometimes used for married and maiden names.
Various societal uses
In Viking societies, many people had heiti, viðrnefni, or kenningarnöfn (Old Norse terms for nicknames)[5] which were used in addition to, or instead of, the first name. In some circumstances, the giving of a nickname had a special status in Viking society in that it created a relationship between the name maker and the recipient of the nickname, to the extent that the creation of a nickname also often entailed a formal ceremony and an exchange of gifts known in Old Norse as nafnfestr ('fastening a name').
In Bengali society, for example, people will often have two names: a daknam (pet name) which is the name used by family and friends and a bhalonam which is their formal name.[6][7]
In England, some nicknames are traditionally associated with a person's surname. A man with the surname 'Clark' will be nicknamed 'Nobby': the surname 'Miller' will have the nickname 'Dusty' (alluding to the flour dust of a miller at work): the surname 'Adams' has the nickname 'Nabby'. There are several other nicknames linked traditionally with a person's surname, including Chalky White, Bunny Warren, Tug Wilson, and Spud Baker. Other English nicknames allude to a person's origins. A Scotsman may be nicknamed 'Jock', an Irishman 'Paddy' (alluding to Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland) or 'Mick' (alluding to the preponderance of Roman Catholicism in Ireland), and a Welshman may be nicknamed 'Taffy' (from Welsh Dafydd, David). Some nicknames referred ironically to a person's physical characteristics, such as 'Lofty' for a short person, or 'Curly' for a bald man.
In Chinese culture, nicknames are frequently used within a community among relatives, friends, and neighbours. A typical southern Chinese nickname often begins with a "阿" followed by another character, usually the last character of the person's given name.[8] For example, Taiwanese politician Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) is sometimes referred as "阿扁" (A-Bian). In many Chinese communities of Southeast Asia, nicknames may also connote one's occupation or status. For example, the landlord might be known simply as Towkay (simplified Chinese: 头家; traditional Chinese: 頭家; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thâu-ke) Hokkien for "boss") to his tenants or workers while a bread seller would be called "Mianbao Shu" 面包叔 (literally, Uncle Bread).
In the context of information technology, a nickname is a common synonym for the screen name or handle of a user. In computer networks it has become a common practice for every person to also have one or more nicknames for pseudonymity, to avoid ambiguity, or simply because the natural name or technical address would be too long to type or take too much space on the screen.
People
"I, Jimmy Carter...": James Earl Carter is sworn in as President of the United States using his nickname "Jimmy" in January 1977.
Nicknames are usually applied to a person and they are not always chosen by the recipient themselves. Some nicknames are derogatory name calls.
Abbreviation or modification
A nickname can be a shortened or modified variation on a person's real name.
Initials: using the first letters of a person's first, middle and/or last name, e.g. "DJ" for Daniel James.
Dropping letters: with many nicknames, one or more letters, often R, are dropped: Fanny from Frances, Walt from Walter.
Phonetic spelling: sometimes a nickname is created through the phonetic spelling of a name: Len from Leonard.
Letter swapping: during the middle ages, the letter R would often be swapped for either L or D: Hal from Harry (which in turn comes from Henry); Molly from Mary; Sadie from Sarah; Hob, Dob, Rob, Bob, and Nob from Robert; Rick, Dick, and Hick from Richard; Bill from Will (which in turn comes from William); and Peg and Meg from Margaret. In 19th-century frontier United States, Mary and Molly were often given the nickname Polly.
Name portions
Front of a name. Sometimes a nickname can come from the beginning of a given name: Chris from Christopher/Christina; Ed from Edward, Edmond, Edgar or Edwin, Iz or Izzy from Isaac, Isaiah, Isidore, Isabel, or Isabella; Joe or Jo from Joseph, Josephine, or Joanna.
End of name: Drew from Andrew; Xander from Alexander; Enzo or Renzo from Lorenzo; Beth from Elizabeth; Bel, Bell, Bella or Belle from Isabelle/Isabella.
Middle of name: Liz from Elizabeth; Tori from Victoria; Del or Della from Adelaide.
Addition of diminutives: before the 17th century, most nicknames had the diminutive ending "-in" or "-kin", where the ending was attached to the first syllable: Watkin for Walter via Wat-kin; Hobkin from Robert via Hob-kin; or Thompkin from Thomas via Thom-Kin. While most of these have died away, a few remain, such as Robin (Rob-in, from Robert), Hank (Hen-Kin from Henry), Jack (Jan-kin from John), and Colin (Col-in from Nicolas).
Many nicknames drop the final one or two letters and add ether ie/ee/y as a diminutive ending: Davy from David, Charlie from Charles, Mikey from Michael, Jimmy from James, and Marty from Martin.
Initialization, which forms a nickname from a person's initials: A.C. Slater from Albert Clifford Slater, or Dubya for George W. Bush, a Texan pronunciation of the name of the letter 'W', President Bush's middle initial. Brazilian striker Ronaldo was given the nickname R9 (initial and shirt number).[9]
Nicknames are sometimes based on a person's last name ("Tommo" for Bill Thompson, "Campo" for David Campese) or a combination of first and last name such as "A-Rod" for Alex Rodriguez).
Loose ties to a person's name with an attached suffix: Gazza for English footballer Paul Gascoigne (though used more widely in Australia for Gary) and similar "zza" forms (Hezza, Prezza, etc.) for other prominent personalities whose activities are frequently reported in the British press (see also Oxford "-er" for a similar but wider phenomenon).
Use of the generational suffix, like "Junior," or nicknames associated with a particular generational suffix, like Trey or Tripp for III.
Combination of the first and middle name, or variations of a person's first and middle name. For example, a person may have the name Mary Elizabeth but has the nickname "Maz" or "Miz" by combining Mary and Liz.
Doubling of part of a first name. For example, forming "NatNat" from Nathan/Natasha or "JamJam" from James.
Relationship
A nickname may refer to the relationship with the person. This is a term of endearment.
In Japanese culture, Japanese honorifics are designed so that a term of endearment conveys the exact status of the relationship between two people. Recipients are allowed to restrict use to a certain person.
Geography
Placenames
Nicknames of U.S. states, 1884
Many geographical places have titles, or alternative names, which have positive implications. Paris, for example, is the "City of Light", Rome is the "Eternal City", Venice is "La Serenissima", and New Jersey is the "Garden State". These alternative names are often used to boost the status of such places, contrary to the usual role of a nickname. Many places or communities, particularly in the US, adopt titles because they can help in establishing a civic identity, help outsiders recognize a community or attract people to a community, promote civic pride, and build community unity.[10] Titles and slogans that successfully create a new community "ideology or myth"[11] are also believed to have economic value.[10] Their economic value is difficult to measure,[10] but there are anecdotal reports of cities that have achieved substantial economic benefits by "branding" themselves by adopting new slogans.[11]
By contrast, older city nicknames may be critical: London is still occasionally referred to as "The Smoke" in memory of its notorious "pea-souper" smogs (smoke-filled fogs) of the 19th and early 20th centuries, and Edinburgh was "Auld Reekie" for the same reason, as countless coal fires polluted its atmosphere.
Residents
Besides or replacing the demonym, some places have collective nicknames for their inhabitants. Many examples of this practice are found in Wallonia and in Belgium in general, where such a nickname is referred to in French as "blason populaire".
^"nickname". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
^Willson, Kendra Jean (2007). "Icelandic Nicknames".
^Lahiri, Jhumpa (2003-06-09). ""Gogol"". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2021-12-24.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^Singh, Amardeep (2007). ""Names Can Wait": the Misnaming of the South Asian Diaspora in Theory and Practice". South Asian Review. 28 (1): 21–36. doi:10.1080/02759527.2007.11932500. ISSN 0275-9527. S2CID 166091604.
^Liwei, Jiao (12 November 2019). A Cultural Dictionary of The Chinese Language: 500 Proverbs, Idioms and Maxims. ISBN9781000713022.
^"Ronaldo Nazario – "O Fenômeno"". Ronaldo.com. Retrieved 2 July 2021. Nickname: R9
^ abAndia, Alfredo (September 10, 2007) "Branding the Generic City" 2008-05-21 at the Wayback Machine, MU.DOT magazine
External links
The dictionary definition of nickname at Wiktionary
Media related to Nicknames at Wikimedia Commons
April 21, 2023
nickname, short, name, redirects, here, term, applies, legislation, short, title, moniker, redirects, here, hobo, graffiti, moniker, graffiti, board, game, celebrity, game, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, p. Short name redirects here For the term as it applies to legislation see Short title Moniker redirects here For the hobo graffiti see Moniker graffiti For the board game see Celebrity game This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Nickname news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article gives self sourcing popular culture examples without describing their significance in the context of the article Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources that describe the examples significance and by removing less pertinent examples Unsourced or poorly sourced material may be challenged or removed June 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message A nickname or short name is a substitute for the proper name of a person place or thing It is commonly used to express affection amusement a character trait or defamation of character It is distinct from a pseudonym stage name or title although the concepts can overlap Contents 1 Etymology 2 Various language conventions 3 Various societal uses 4 Computing 5 People 5 1 Abbreviation or modification 5 2 Name portions 5 3 Relationship 6 Geography 6 1 Placenames 6 2 Residents 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksEtymology EditThe compound word ekename literally meaning additional name was attested as early as 1303 1 This word was derived from the Old English phrase eac also 2 related to eacian to increase 3 By the 15th century the misdivision of the syllables of the phrase an ekename led to its rephrasing as a nekename 4 Though the spelling has changed the pronunciation and meaning of the word have remained relatively stable ever since Various language conventions EditEnglish nicknames are generally represented in quotes between the bearer s first and last names e g Dwight David Ike Eisenhower and Daniel Lamont Bubba Franks It is also common for the nickname to be identified after a comma following the full real name or later in the body of the text such as in an obituary e g Frankie Frisch The Fordham Flash Any middle name is generally omitted especially in speech Like English German uses German style quotation marks between the first and last names e g Andreas Nikolaus Niki Lauda Other languages may use other conventions for example Italian writes the nickname after the full name followed by detto called e g Salvatore Schillaci detto Toto in Spanish the nickname is written in formal contexts at the end in quotes following alias e g Alfonso Tostado alias el Abulense in Portuguese the nickname is written after the full name followed by vulgo or between parenthesis e g Edson Arantes do Nascimento vulgo Pele Edson Arantes do Nascimento Pele and Slovenian represents nicknames after a dash or hyphen e g Franc Rozman Stane The latter may cause confusion because it resembles an English convention sometimes used for married and maiden names Various societal uses EditIn Viking societies many people had heiti vidrnefni or kenningarnofn Old Norse terms for nicknames 5 which were used in addition to or instead of the first name In some circumstances the giving of a nickname had a special status in Viking society in that it created a relationship between the name maker and the recipient of the nickname to the extent that the creation of a nickname also often entailed a formal ceremony and an exchange of gifts known in Old Norse as nafnfestr fastening a name In Bengali society for example people will often have two names a daknam pet name which is the name used by family and friends and a bhalonam which is their formal name 6 7 In England some nicknames are traditionally associated with a person s surname A man with the surname Clark will be nicknamed Nobby the surname Miller will have the nickname Dusty alluding to the flour dust of a miller at work the surname Adams has the nickname Nabby There are several other nicknames linked traditionally with a person s surname including Chalky White Bunny Warren Tug Wilson and Spud Baker Other English nicknames allude to a person s origins A Scotsman may be nicknamed Jock an Irishman Paddy alluding to Saint Patrick the patron saint of Ireland or Mick alluding to the preponderance of Roman Catholicism in Ireland and a Welshman may be nicknamed Taffy from Welsh Dafydd David Some nicknames referred ironically to a person s physical characteristics such as Lofty for a short person or Curly for a bald man In Chinese culture nicknames are frequently used within a community among relatives friends and neighbours A typical southern Chinese nickname often begins with a 阿 followed by another character usually the last character of the person s given name 8 For example Taiwanese politician Chen Shui bian 陳水扁 is sometimes referred as 阿扁 A Bian In many Chinese communities of Southeast Asia nicknames may also connote one s occupation or status For example the landlord might be known simply as Towkay simplified Chinese 头家 traditional Chinese 頭家 Pe h ōe ji thau ke Hokkien for boss to his tenants or workers while a bread seller would be called Mianbao Shu 面包叔 literally Uncle Bread Computing EditSee also User computing In the context of information technology a nickname is a common synonym for the screen name or handle of a user In computer networks it has become a common practice for every person to also have one or more nicknames for pseudonymity to avoid ambiguity or simply because the natural name or technical address would be too long to type or take too much space on the screen People Edit I Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter is sworn in as President of the United States using his nickname Jimmy in January 1977 Nicknames are usually applied to a person and they are not always chosen by the recipient themselves Some nicknames are derogatory name calls Abbreviation or modification Edit A nickname can be a shortened or modified variation on a person s real name Contractions of longer names Margaret to Greta Initials using the first letters of a person s first middle and or last name e g DJ for Daniel James Dropping letters with many nicknames one or more letters often R are dropped Fanny from Frances Walt from Walter Phonetic spelling sometimes a nickname is created through the phonetic spelling of a name Len from Leonard Letter swapping during the middle ages the letter R would often be swapped for either L or D Hal from Harry which in turn comes from Henry Molly from Mary Sadie from Sarah Hob Dob Rob Bob and Nob from Robert Rick Dick and Hick from Richard Bill from Will which in turn comes from William and Peg and Meg from Margaret In 19th century frontier United States Mary and Molly were often given the nickname Polly Name portions Edit Front of a name Sometimes a nickname can come from the beginning of a given name Chris from Christopher Christina Ed from Edward Edmond Edgar or Edwin Iz or Izzy from Isaac Isaiah Isidore Isabel or Isabella Joe or Jo from Joseph Josephine or Joanna End of name Drew from Andrew Xander from Alexander Enzo or Renzo from Lorenzo Beth from Elizabeth Bel Bell Bella or Belle from Isabelle Isabella Middle of name Liz from Elizabeth Tori from Victoria Del or Della from Adelaide Addition of diminutives before the 17th century most nicknames had the diminutive ending in or kin where the ending was attached to the first syllable Watkin for Walter via Wat kin Hobkin from Robert via Hob kin or Thompkin from Thomas via Thom Kin While most of these have died away a few remain such as Robin Rob in from Robert Hank Hen Kin from Henry Jack Jan kin from John and Colin Col in from Nicolas Many nicknames drop the final one or two letters and add ether ie ee y as a diminutive ending Davy from David Charlie from Charles Mikey from Michael Jimmy from James and Marty from Martin Initialization which forms a nickname from a person s initials A C Slater from Albert Clifford Slater or Dubya for George W Bush a Texan pronunciation of the name of the letter W President Bush s middle initial Brazilian striker Ronaldo was given the nickname R9 initial and shirt number 9 Nicknames are sometimes based on a person s last name Tommo for Bill Thompson Campo for David Campese or a combination of first and last name such as A Rod for Alex Rodriguez Loose ties to a person s name with an attached suffix Gazza for English footballer Paul Gascoigne though used more widely in Australia for Gary and similar zza forms Hezza Prezza etc for other prominent personalities whose activities are frequently reported in the British press see also Oxford er for a similar but wider phenomenon Use of the second name Use of the generational suffix like Junior or nicknames associated with a particular generational suffix like Trey or Tripp for III Combination of the first and middle name or variations of a person s first and middle name For example a person may have the name Mary Elizabeth but has the nickname Maz or Miz by combining Mary and Liz Doubling of part of a first name For example forming NatNat from Nathan Natasha or JamJam from James Relationship Edit A nickname may refer to the relationship with the person This is a term of endearment In Japanese culture Japanese honorifics are designed so that a term of endearment conveys the exact status of the relationship between two people Recipients are allowed to restrict use to a certain person Geography EditPlacenames Edit Nicknames of U S states 1884 Many geographical places have titles or alternative names which have positive implications Paris for example is the City of Light Rome is the Eternal City Venice is La Serenissima and New Jersey is the Garden State These alternative names are often used to boost the status of such places contrary to the usual role of a nickname Many places or communities particularly in the US adopt titles because they can help in establishing a civic identity help outsiders recognize a community or attract people to a community promote civic pride and build community unity 10 Titles and slogans that successfully create a new community ideology or myth 11 are also believed to have economic value 10 Their economic value is difficult to measure 10 but there are anecdotal reports of cities that have achieved substantial economic benefits by branding themselves by adopting new slogans 11 By contrast older city nicknames may be critical London is still occasionally referred to as The Smoke in memory of its notorious pea souper smogs smoke filled fogs of the 19th and early 20th centuries and Edinburgh was Auld Reekie for the same reason as countless coal fires polluted its atmosphere Residents Edit Besides or replacing the demonym some places have collective nicknames for their inhabitants Many examples of this practice are found in Wallonia and in Belgium in general where such a nickname is referred to in French as blason populaire See also EditAntonomasia Athletic nickname Australian national sports team nicknames Calling name Category Nicknames Epithet Honorific nicknames in popular music Legal name List of baseball nicknames List of basketball nicknames List of nicknames used in cricket List of ethnic slurs by ethnicity List of monarchs by nickname List of nicknames of jazz musicians Category Lists of people by nickname List of nicknames of United States presidents List of North American football nicknames List of sportspeople by nickname Lists of nicknames Pet name Pseudonym Regimental nicknames of the Canadian Forces Category Regional nicknames Sobriquet Stage name Synecdoche Terms of endearment Victory titlesReferences Edit eke name n OED Online Oxford University Press June 2017 retrieved 1 September 2017 nickname Merriam Webster Online retrieved 2020 06 05 nickname Online Etymology Dictionary retrieved 2007 08 31 nickname Dictionary com Retrieved 10 June 2020 Willson Kendra Jean 2007 Icelandic Nicknames Lahiri Jhumpa 2003 06 09 Gogol The New Yorker Retrieved 2021 12 24 a href Template Cite magazine html title Template Cite magazine cite magazine a CS1 maint url status link Singh Amardeep 2007 Names Can Wait the Misnaming of the South Asian Diaspora in Theory and Practice South Asian Review 28 1 21 36 doi 10 1080 02759527 2007 11932500 ISSN 0275 9527 S2CID 166091604 Liwei Jiao 12 November 2019 A Cultural Dictionary of The Chinese Language 500 Proverbs Idioms and Maxims ISBN 9781000713022 Ronaldo Nazario O Fenomeno Ronaldo com Retrieved 2 July 2021 Nickname R9 a b c Muench David December 1993 Wisconsin Community Slogans Their Use and Local Impacts Archived 2013 03 09 at the Wayback Machine University of Wisconsin Extension Retrieved April 10 2007 a b Andia Alfredo September 10 2007 Branding the Generic City Archived 2008 05 21 at the Wayback Machine MU DOT magazineExternal links Edit The dictionary definition of nickname at Wiktionary Media related to Nicknames at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nickname amp oldid 1148900873, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
