In a Word: Sobriquet

Wikipedia says, "A sobriquet is a nickname or a fancy name, usually a familiar name given by others as distinct from a pseudonym assumed as a disguise, but a nickname which is familiar enough such that it can be used in place of a real name without the need of explanation. This salient characteristic, that is, of sufficient familiarity, is most easily noted in cases where the sobriquet becomes more familiar than the original name for which it was formed as an alternative. For example, Genghis Khan, who is rarely recognized now by his original name "Temüjin"; and the British Whig party, which acquired its sobriquet from the British Tory Party as an insult."

How is this different from a nickname?

Again, Wikipedia: "A nickname is a short, clever, cute, derogatory, or otherwise substitute name for a person or thing's real name (for example, Bob, Rob, Robby, Robbie, Robi, Bobby, Rab, Bert, Bertie, Butch, Bobbers, Bobert, Beto, Bobadito, and Robban (in Sweden), are all short for Robert). As a concept, it is distinct from both pseudonym and stage name, and also from title (for example, City of Fountains), although there may be overlap in these concepts."

I don't get it. If Bob is a nickname for Robert, then it sounds to me like Bob could also be a sobriquet. Maybe nickname is the genus, and all of the others -- pseudonyms, stage names, sobriquets, etc. -- are all types of nicknames. Except I always thought that nicknames were given to people and not just assumed by them, as in that cliché found in hardboiled fiction of the fat guy named Tiny or the tall guy named Shorty.

Any ideas? Anyone have the OED?

Language can be so messy.

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