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 Yankees. 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.Duplantis, Andie. "Shared Perspectives of Divided Space: Perceptions of the Urban Environment among Jerusalemites." (2016).

 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

References

Category:Names