Baby Names with Repeating Sounds
Updated Wed Dec 17 2025
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We're in a nickname-friendly era, and these adorable double baby names like Coco and Lulu are in keeping with that trend.
Baby names with repeating sounds are primarily used as nicknames, and none of them independently rank within the US Top 1000. However, don’t be surprised if you hear reduplicated names such as Vivi, Gigi, Cece, and Lili called out on the playground, as all are common short forms of popular given names. If you want something stylish but more distinctive, try Zuzu, Lolo, or Mimi.
With the exception of Bobo and Nana, all baby names with repeating sounds are used for baby girls. View our full collection of double-sound baby names below.
For nicknames in all styles, you may enjoy Nicknames: The Ultimate Guide.
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- Bebe
Origin:
English diminutive of Beatrice or any other B nameDescription:
High-kicking cohort of Coco, Gigi, Fifi, Kiki, et al.
- Gigi
Origin:
French diminutiveDescription:
Joining the likes of Coco and Fifi, Gigi has a style but some may feel it lacks substance. Model and TV personality Gigi Hadid (born Jelena) has likely drawn attention to this name, while designer Cynthia Rowley may have inspired parents to use it as a given name by choosing it for her daughter.
- Mimi
Origin:
Diminutive of Mary, Miriam, and othersDescription:
Sweet, nicknamey name belonging to the tragic heroines of both La Bohème and Rent. Mimi might feel too slight for many parents to use on the birth certificate, but as a short form, it's one of the cutest of the cute baby names.
- Deedee
Origin:
English diminutive of any girl name that starts with DDescription:
In its mid-20th century heyday, Deedee — or Didi or Dede — was not infrequently used as a name in its own right. It's a cute, or maybe cutesy, short form of names like Deanne.
- Lulu
Origin:
Diminutive of Louise or Lucy, or ArabicMeaning:
"pearl"Description:
Lula has a firecracker personality, a singing and dancing extrovert. Interesting that Lulu was a Top 100 name when the Social Security list was born in 1880, but it's been sliding ever since and has not been in the Top 1000 for decades. Modern parents in love with Lulu might well reverse that trend.
- Lala
Origin:
SlavicMeaning:
"laurel"Description:
If it's possible for a name to be too musical, this one is.
- Nonie
Origin:
Diminutive of Joan, EnglishMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
A Colonial-era nickname for Joan.
- Nana
Origin:
English, Greek, Hawaiian, JapaneseMeaning:
"grace; God is gracious; spring, beauty; vegetable, greens"Description:
To most English speakers, Nana is the dog in Peter Pan, the daughter played by Emma Stone in Crazy Stupid Love, and another name for Grandma, however, it is also a diminutive of Nancy and Anna (meaning "grace"), of Ioanna or Joanna (meaning "God is gracious"), and of a whole variety of similar sounding choices, such as Diana, Oriana, Fernanda, and Inanna.
- Cece
Origin:
Short form of Cecelia, LatinMeaning:
"blind"Description:
Cece, all by itself, gained notice as the nickname of Jim and Pam's baby on television's The Office. On the show as in real life, Cece is often short for Cecelia or even Cecilia, but it can also be a short form of just about any C name. Cece -- or, less elegantly, CeCe -- can also be a stylish nickname name used all by itself, ala Coco and Lulu. If you really love girl names starting with C, this is one way to express your devotion every time you say your daughter's name!
- Bobo
Origin:
Diminutive of RobertDescription:
Bobo was the name of one of the most famous clowns in American circus history, who performed from the 1920s until the 1970s. But that's not the only reason this makes a less-than-optimal nickname.
- Bibi
Origin:
French, Persian, or diminutive of BibianaMeaning:
"toy; delight; lady of the house; life"Description:
A spunky nickname name for parents with showbiz aspirations for their daughter.
- Didi
Origin:
English diminutive of any girl name that starts with DDescription:
Not as lively or independent as Gigi, Kiki, or Coco.
- Dodie
Origin:
English diminutive of DorothyMeaning:
"gift of god"Description:
Sweet old-fashioned nickname name that could make a comeback in the wake of Sadie, Edie et al. Famous bearers include author Dodie Smith, who wrote The Hundred and One Dalmatians and I Capture the Castle.
- Dody
Origin:
English diminutive of DorothyMeaning:
"gift of god"Description:
Dodie was the more common form of this name, as in Dodie Smith, author of The Hundred and One Dalmatians.
- Deeda
Origin:
English diminutive of names that start with DDescription:
Bouncy vintage pet form of names like Dorothy and Dolores.
- Dede
Origin:
English diminutive of any girl name that starts with DDescription:
Of all the names with repeating sounds, Dede isn't the first we'd use (Lulu or Coco, maybe), but it certainly isn't the last — we much prefer it to Dodo or Fifi.
- Bobo
Origin:
Diminutive of Bo- namesDescription:
Cheeky nickname better left off the birth certificate.
- Geegee
Origin:
Diminutive of any G-starting nameDescription:
Geegee is more often styled as Gigi, though as a short form for Georgia, this spelling may make more sense
- Gugu
Origin:
Zulu, Xhosa, NdebeleMeaning:
"treasure"Description:
Gugu is derived from the word igugu, meaning "treasure." It's commonly used as a nickname for Gugulethu.
- Coco
Origin:
Spanish and French pet nameDescription:
Coco came to prominence as the nickname of the legendary French designer Chanel (born Gabrielle) and has lately become a starbaby favorite, initially chosen by Courteney Cox for her daughter Coco Riley in 2004. At first it was the kind of name that the press loves to ridicule, but we predict Coco's heading for more broad acceptance and even popularity.
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