What does "nickname" mean?

1. (a familiar name) an informal name for a person or thing, often based on their character or a shorter version of their real name.

nickname

US //ˈnɪkˌneɪm// UK //nˈɪkneɪm// nick·name

1 a familiar name (n.)
A2 Elementary

an informal name for a person or thing, often based on their character or a shorter version of their real name.

an informal, often descriptive or diminutive name used as a substitute for a proper name.

Example

His real name is Richard, but everyone calls him by his nickname, 'Richie'.

Example

The city earned the nickname 'The Big Apple' in the 1920s, and the moniker has remained popular with tourists ever since.
- sobriquet
- moniker
- pet name

Origin

From Middle English neke name, alteration (due to a rebracketing of an ekename as a nekename) of earlier ekename (“nickname”), from eke (“additional”) + name. Compare Old Norse aukanafn, auknafn, auknefni, Faroese eyknevni, Danish øgenavn, Norwegian Nynorsk aukenamn, Swedish öknamn, and German Low German Ökelname. For other similar cases of incorrect division, see also apron, daffodil, newt, orange, umpire.