cognomen

American  

[kog-noh-muhn] / kɒgˈnoʊ mən /

noun

plural

cognomens, cognomina

1. a surname.

2. any name, especially a nickname.

3. the third and commonly the last name of a citizen of ancient Rome, indicating the person's house or family, as “Caesar” in “Gaius Julius Caesar.”

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cognomen British  

/ kɒɡˈnəʊmɛn, -ˈnəʊ-, kɒɡˈnɒmɪnəl /

noun

1. (originally) an ancient Roman's third name or nickname, which later became his family name See also agnomen nomen praenomen

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Other Word Forms

• cognominal adjective
• cognominally adverb

Etymology

Origin of cognomen

1800–10; < Latin, equivalent to co- co- + nōmen name, with -g- on model of nōscī: cognōscī; cognition

Example Sentences

And people have continued to find it risibly apposite ever since - especially in conjunction with the equally commonplace cognomen, Will.

From BBC • Oct. 3, 2015

Retief Goosen - “Goose” Our second cognomen derived from a last name, which should rank it lower on the list.

From Golf Digest • Oct. 16, 2013

Its most evocative cognomen is The Porchcrawler—one unhyphenated word, with the crunch of consonants enhancing its cinematic imagery.

From Slate • Jul. 6, 2012

The English version is that I am one Sam Ogden, a great musician, Yorkshire man, emigrated to America, luggage marked S. O., U. S. A., hence the cognomen.

From Time Magazine Archive

And I'll also tell your friend—I suppose he has some familiar cognomen, such as Slippery Dick—to meet Henry Gramont at Houma early in the morning.

From The Mardi Gras Mystery by Bedford-Jones, H. (Henry)