AKA is one of the oldest abbreviations on the internet and predates social media by decades. It is used to introduce a nickname, alternative spelling, alias or descriptor for someone or something. On social media it almost always replaces the longer phrase “who is also known as” in a caption or bio.
AKA is written in all-caps far more often than not, though the lowercase “aka” is just as correct. There is no period between the letters in modern usage. In the UK and Australia you will sometimes see “a.k.a.” with periods, but the unpunctuated form has won out online.
On Instagram, TikTok and X you will most commonly see AKA introducing someone’s stage name (“Doja Cat aka Amala Dlamini”), a small-business owner’s persona (“Sarah aka the cake lady on King St”), or a self-aware nickname in a caption (“me aka the worst at Mondays”).
Examples
How AKA reads in the wild.
- “meet our head baker, jess — aka the woman behind every croissant on this counter”
- “back at the gym at 5am aka chasing the version of me from january”
Where you’ll see it
Common questions
What does AKA mean?
AKA stands for "Also Known As". Short for “Also Known As” — used to introduce an alternative name, nickname or alias.
How is AKA used?
AKA is one of the oldest abbreviations on the internet and predates social media by decades. It is used to introduce a nickname, alternative spelling, alias or descriptor for someone or something. On social media it almost always replaces the longer phrase “who is also known as” in a caption or bio. AKA is written in all-caps far more often than not, though the lowercase “aka” is just as correct. There is no period between the letters in modern usage. In the UK and Australia you will sometimes see “a.k.a.” with periods, but the unpunctuated form has won out online. On Instagram, TikTok and X you will most commonly see AKA introducing someone’s stage name (“Doja Cat aka Amala Dlamini”), a small-business owner’s persona (“Sarah aka the cake lady on King St”), or a self-aware nickname in a caption (“me aka the worst at Mondays”).
Where will I see AKA?
AKA is commonly used on Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook.