as in family name
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Recent Examples of hypocorism
Someone named the fog Karl, but none of our other weather gets a hypocorism.
—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson, SFChronicle.com, 29 Sep. 2020
Kevin Fisher-Paulson, SFChronicle.com, 29 Sep. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hypocorism
Noun
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His family name, going way back to Spain, was originally Cantenys before it got shortened.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
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And Jimmy Carter’s brother Billy cashed in on the family name by selling beer.—
Bernard Condon,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Serafino — which is Cross’s mom’s maiden name — will open on the ground floor of a four-story residential building at the southwest corner of Washington and Albatross streets in Mission Hills.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Apr. 2026
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His middle name, Rosebanks, is in honor of Hathaway's grandmother, Roseline, as well as Shulman's mother's maiden name.—
Emily St. Martin,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Spenuzza, who was born in Quito, Ecuador, has written 15 books under her pen name Cecilia Velástegui, ranging from historical and cultural fiction to bilingual children’s books.—
Charlie Vargas,
Oc Register,
30 Mar. 2026
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The book chronicles the relationship between the Huckleberry Finn author (whose real name was Samuel Clemens) and his famed pen name.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Wishing you all a weekend of sweet sobriquets, unlikely party venues, and careful character development.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
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This was the achievement that earned him the sobriquet the All-Crushing Kant, leaving no traditional dogma standing.—
Adam Kirsch,
New Yorker,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Ryder’s middle name is Russell, in honor of Goldie Hawn’s partner of more than 40 years and Hudson’s father figure, Kurt Russell.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
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The profile used his middle name, Jacob.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In person, the author Freida McFadden (her nom de plume) has a sweet, shy demeanor—but don’t be fooled.—
E.L. James,
Time,
15 Apr. 2026
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Published under the nom de plume Jonathan Gash, Lovejoy is a set of 24 books from Dr John Grant.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Never underestimate the power of a cute nickname to change hearts and minds.—
Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Apr. 2026
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But my favorite Commanders selection was Allen, a durable and powerful runner with good vision and one of the finest nicknames in sports.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The more common nickname, El Mencho, is said to be a diminutive of his first name, Nemesio.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
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Another gender-neutral name that had a burst of popularity in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Jamie was a go-to for girls or a diminutive of James for boys.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hypocorism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hypocorism. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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