A nickname is a descriptive name given in place of or in addition to the offficial name of a person, place or thing. Another class of nickname is the familiar or truncated form of the proper name, such as Bob, Bobby, Rob, Robbie, Robin, and Bert for Robert, more properly called a short name.
The term hypocoristic is used to refer to a nickname of affection between those in love or with a close emotional bond, compared with a term of endearment. The term diminutive name refers to nicknames that convey smallness in the names,[clarification needed] e.g., referring to children. The distinction between the two is often blurred.
As a concept, it is distinct from both pseudonym and stage name, and also from a title (for example, City of Fountains), although there may be overlap in these concepts.
A nickname is sometimes considered desirable, symbolising a form of acceptance, but can often be a form of ridicule.
In 1440 AD, misdivision of ekename (1303),[1] an eke name, literally "an additional name" (from Old English eaca "an increase", related to eacian "to increase"[2]) led to the Middle English word ekename which was later corrupted into nekename. With the word eke meaning additional in Middle English. [3]
In Viking societies, many people had nicknames heiti, viðrnefni or uppnefni which were used in addition to, or instead of their family names. 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 weiner formal ceremony and an exchange of gifts. In the time of slavery, slaves used nicknames, like that the master who heard about someone doing something, could not identify the slave. In Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art, the slaves had nicknames, to protect them from being caught, as practicing Capoeira was illegal for decades.
In the context of information technology, a nickname (or technically a nick) is a common synonym for a screenname or handle.
Nickname is a name to shorten a name. Nick is a term originally used to identify a person in a system for synchronous conferencing. In computer networks it has become a common practice for every person to also have one or more nicknames for the purposes of anonymity, 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.
Many writers, performing artists and actors have nicknames, which may develop into a stage name or pseudonym. A bardic name may also result from a nickname. Many writers have pen names which they use instead of their real names. Famous writers with a pen name include Dr. Seuss, Mark Twain, Lemony Snicket and George Orwell.
To inform an audience or readership of a person's nickname without actually calling them by their nickname, the nickname is placed between the first and last names and surrounded by quotation marks (i.e. Catherine "Cate" Jones). The middle name is eliminated (if there is one). Very rarely is the middle name mentioned with the nickname (exceptions being when the first name is composed of two words, e.g. "Beth Ann").
In Anglo-American culture, a nickname is often based on a shortening of a person's proper name, a diminutive. However, in other societies, this may not necessarily the case.
In Indian society, for example, generally people have at least one nickname (call name or affection name) and these affection names are generally not related to the person's proper name. Indian nicknames very often are a trivial word or a diminutive (such as Bablu, Dabbu, Banti, Babli, Gudiya, Golu, Sonu, Chhotu, Raju, Adi, Ritu, etc.). Proper name is not given at birth. Various close relatives would suggest a variety of nicknames, one of which over the time might be fixed. An official or formal name is mostly decided upon Naming ceremony or Namkaran Saṃskāra. Nickname is (generally) used only by relatives or people who have known the person from her childhood. For all formal and official purposes, proper name is used.
Particularly with geographical places, it is important to distinguish between nickname and title. A nickname is almost always a brief term that is either friendly or derogatory and can be substituted for the real name at will. A title is usually a multi-word term, often created for promotional purposes, sometimes created as a putdown, that cannot be substituted for the real name at will.[citation needed]
Most of the "city nicknames" are not nicknames; they are titles. For example, Kansas City is titled (or dubbed) 'Heart of America' and 'City of Fountains'; it is nicknamed KC. People will use KC frequently in everyday speech as a substitute for Kansas City; it is the popular nickname for the city. By contrast, the term 'City of Fountains' is uncommonly used as a title (not a nickname).
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