Nickname

A **nickname** is a word used to substitute for a person's birth name. The term comes from the Middle English word _ekename,_ which means “also-name."

Nicknames are not legal names. They are often given by friends or family members.

## Types

There are many types of nicknames. Below are a few examples.

### Shortened names

Some nicknames are shortened or different versions of a birth name. For example:

- U.S. President James Earl Carter called himself Jimmy Carter, even as president
- Baseball player Alex Rodriguez is nicknamed "A-Rod," a contraction of his name
- English writer John Ronald Reuel Tolkien went by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Famous actor Alfredo James Pacino uses the name Al Pacino

### Affectionate names

Some nicknames are affectionate or given to honor a person. For example:

- _Honest Abe_ for U.S. President Abraham Lincoln

- _The Bard_ for Shakespeare
- _El Libertador_ (The Liberator) for Simon Bolivar

Affectionate nicknames are common in sports.  For example:

- Pele was nicknamed _O Rei_ (The King) because he was one of the greatest players in the history of football
- Michael Jordan was nicknamed _Air Jordan_ to point out how high he could jump
- Nolan Ryan (a baseball pitcher who threw extremely fast) was nicknamed _The Express_ to highlight his pitching speed

### Descriptive names

Some nicknames are descriptions. For example:

- _Red_ for someone who has red hair
- _Doc_ for a doctor
- _Shorty_ for a short person
Using descriptive nicknames is more accepted in some cultures than others. In Thailand, people are often given nicknames based on how they look. For example, someone can be called ผู้ชายสูง (phuchay sung), which means being tall. In some Spanish-speaking countries, calling a child or partner _Gordo/a or Gordito/a_ is an accepted way to express affection.

### Unkind names

Nicknames can be unkind, mocking, and/or bullying. For example:
- _Fatso, Loser,_ or _Four Eyes_ are common childhood insults
- Kamala Harris has been called _Comrade Kamala_ to compare her policies to communism
- President Martin van Buren's critics called him Martin van Ruin because the economy was failing

### Place names

Places can have nicknames too. For example:

- _The Windy City_ for Chicago, Illinois
- _Sin City_ for Las Vegas, Nevada
- _Southie_ for South Boston, Massachusetts
Sometimes people or groups get nicknames based on where they live. For example, people from the northern United States (or, overseas, people from anywhere in the United States) are sometimes called _Yankee<nowiki/>s_. Nicknames can also be given to tribes. For example, the Dhulbahante tribe are often called _reer Darawiish_ because the former anti-colonial Dervish state was a Dhulbahante state.

### Epithets

Epithets, also called bynames, are descriptive words added with a name.

- Ivan the Terrible
- Alexander the Great
- Bloody Mary

### Political nicknames

- Haitian dictator Francois Duvalier called himself _Papa Doc_; his son Jean-Claude, who succeeded him, was _Baby Doc_
- U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was nicknamed _The Iron Lady_ for her strong leadership
- _Uncle Sam_ is a nickname for the United States government
- Ratko Mladić, a Bosnian Serb general, was called _The Butcher of Bosnia_ because he participated in the Bosnian genocide