Names to Substitute for Will

Jack

English, diminutive of John

"God is gracious"

Jack may have fallen from its Number 1 place in England, but in the US it's as popular as it was at its height in the 1920s and 1930s. A durable, cheery, everyman form of John, Jack ranks as one of…

John

Hebrew

"God is gracious"

John reigned as the most popular of all boys' Christian names for 400 years, from the time the first Crusaders carried it back to Britain until the 1950s. Then American baby namers finally seemed to…

Hank

Diminutive of Henry, German

"estate ruler"

Hank is a midcentury guy nickname (which actually dates back to the seventeenth century) of the Al/Hal/Dick school, which has been on recess from the playground for decades. Now it's just beginning…

Mack

Scottish or Irish

"son of"

Mack, when "formalized" with the final k, makes an engagingly amiable choice, a far more uncommon alternative to the ubiquitous Max and Jack, with a nice, every-guy feel. Mack entered the popularity…

Cal

Diminutive of names including Cal

"dog; the whole of; dove; bald; war-strife; beautiful"

Cal is a nickname style name that feels as friendly and calm as it does cool and breezy. While its longer forms have proved more popular over the years, Cal as a stand alone has dropped on and off of…

Harry

Diminutive of Henry, English, German

"estate ruler"

Harry is the medieval English form of Henry, which derived from the Germanic name Heimrich, meaning "estate ruler." Harry was the nickname of all eight King Henrys; it is also a diminutive of Harold…

Joe

Diminutive of Joseph

"Jehovah increases"

Joe is still the ultimate good-guy name, not at all diminished by its longevity or popularity or its everyman rep as Regular Joe, Cowboy Joe, G.I. Joe, Joe Exotic, Joe Blow, Joe Millionaire, Average…

Will

Diminutive of William

"resolute protector"

Will has definitely replaced Bill, not only as a nickname for William but as a stand-alone name as well, partly thanks to England's Prince William, also known as Wills. Currently outside the Top 1000…

Gus

Diminutive of Augustus, Angus, Gustave, Augustin, Augusten, Augustine, August

Gus is a homey grandpa nickname name that can work as a short form for any of the above or stand on its own as a cutting-edge replacement for Max and Jake--though it was off the Top 1000 from 1978…

Tom

Diminutive of Thomas

"twin"

Just like Sam and Ben, Tom could be revived as a simple, well liked name on its own. Tom, just Tom, is one of the Top 100 Boy Names in France

Pete

Diminutive of Peter

"rock"

Sixties-style short form that sounds cool again -- though the unscrupulous Pete on "Mad Men" is not a character to emulate.

Ike

Diminutive of Isaac, Hebrew

"laughter"

Ike, once the quirky one-person nickname of President Dwight Eisenhower, has morphed into a cool kid nickname of the early 21st century. The rise of Isaac and the stylishness of short down-to-earth…

Hal

Diminutive of Harold or Henry, English, Scandinavian, German

"army ruler or estate ruler"

Could Hal be the Jack, Max, or Gus of the future? It just might happen in the new nickname environment, especially with Cal and Cy feeling cool, and with the interest in vintage, cowboy-esque…

Walt

German, diminutive of Walter

A straightforward, down-to-earth nickname many Walters, from Whitman to Disney, have chosen to go by.

Ned

English, diminutive of Edward

"wealthy guardian"

Ned is a gently old-fashioned Nancy Drew-Bobbsey Twins-era short form for Edward that sounds cooler than Ed and is enjoying a small style renaissance. Usage of Ned in literature goes back to a Ben…

Seb

Egyptian

"God of the earth"

This name, more recognized as a short form of Sebastian, is perfectly usable a cool full name, and, in fact, ranks on the UK popularity list. Seb is getting lot of attention as the nickname name of…