Gentle yet sassy, Fliss is a short form of Felicity that has the spark of Flick, the softness of Lissy, and the cutesiness of Fifi.

Cute and unusual as a nickname, but lacking the legs to stand on its own.

Introduced via Sopranos star Drea (born Andrea) de Matteo, and catching on with a wider audience.

If Frances and Fran are too serious for you, and Fanny too saucy, you might like Franny, still identified by some with J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey stories.

Minta is an eighteenth century short form of a literary beauty still used in England today, but yet to be discovered by American baby namers. It has a fresh and dainty feel.

Buffy was a one-time sorority girl with a roommate named Muffy, then a fearless vampire slayer, though still basically fluffy. You might think of Buffy as the feminine version of Chip or Bud -- an all-purpose nickname now buried in a mid-century time capsule.

Funky choice with za-za-zoom. Zaza could be used as a nickname for almost any name with the "za" cluster, including Elizabeth and Esperanza.

Weather inspired choices from Sunny to Stormi are currently in vogue, and Hazy could be a contender to replace 70s star Misty. Referring to fog and dry, dusty air, "haze" is an atmospheric phenomenon in which the visibility of the sky is obscured, in turn evoking imagery of hazy, summer days. Alternatively, it might be used a diminutive of popular Hazel, inspired by the likes of Daisy and Maisie.

Old-fangled nickname could make dot.com era short form or middle name.

A nickname style choice inspired by the popular boy name Sebastian, Sebbie has the zippy feel of Libby and Effie, the rugged charm of Stevie and Frankie, and the cutesy feel of Sunny and Mimi. Rarely used as a standalone name, it is borne by a (female) character in Ransom Riggs' book series, Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children.

Musical choice that may be a short form of Jasmine or Jazlyn, or might stand on its own like this or as Jaz, the spelling used by tennis duo Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi.

A sweet Bobbsey-twin era nickname, fluffy and floral.

Bobbsey Twins-era nickname name that could find new life via Nan, heroine of The Nanny Diaries. Nan was also the nickname of Annabel St George, the protagonist of Edith Wharton's novel "The Buccaneers".

Chani, which rhymes with Johnny, is famous as the name of the character played by Zendaya in the Dune books, video games, and movies. Another force driving the name's use is Canadian astrologer Chani Nicholas.

Sam as a name standing on its own was given to only 18 girls in 2021, versus over 400 boys. But as a short form it's appealing and down-to-earth for both sexes, and heard far more often: There were over 2500 baby girls named Samantha in the US in one recent year and more than 8500 boys named Samuel, so you will hear the name Sam a lot more often than you might guess judging by the numbers for this short form. Like the wildly popular Charlie, Sam is a nickname that works equally well as a girls' name as a boys'. All forms considered, Sam is still one of the most popular names that start with S.

Ties to the unfortunate Mama are now unraveling, leaving Cass or Cassie to stand on its own as a fresher sounding Cathy or Kate. With gender-neutral names abound and the growing trend of boyish nicknames for girls, Cass may be on the up and up.

With a hint of ruggedness and strength about it, but quirky, retro vibes too, Rilda is a rare nickname name. Similar to Tilda or Hilda, it comes from names ending -rild or -rilda, such as Serilda, Everild, Arilda, or Astrild, though it might also be used for the likes of Sarahild, Reinhild, or Romilda. Regardless, it comes from the Old Norse or Germanic elements hildr and hilt, both meaning "battle".

Also used as an exclusively masculine name in Japan and India, as an English name, Kota likely derives from the poplar Dakota. Similar in sound and feel to Kali, Noa, Kora, Koa, and the aforementioned Dakota, it started to be quietly given to girls in the late 2000s.

Magdi is a cute Hungarian nickname name, short for Magdolna, the Hungarian form of Magdalene. While it isn't traditionally used on its own, its cute sound similar to stand-alone Magda or the familiar Maggie makes it an attractive choice. A notable namesake is Hungarian singer Magdolna "Magdi" Rúzsa.

Yes, it's a word name, but Busy is also a rare pet form of Elizabeth. And yes, actress Busy Philipps was christened Elizabeth--she was given the nickname because she was such an active child. She must have been happy with the name, because she also gave her daughters adorable unique baby names, Birdie and Cricket.