Name Spellings, Initials and Sounds
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 3 pages
of 3
Diminutive of names beginning with Ju-
An informal nickname for names such as Julia, Juliette, and June.
English variation of Kiki, Finnish diminutive of Gertrud, or Hawaiian variation of Kate
"double happiness; strength of a spear; pure"
Keke is a multicultural double-punch nickname, notably borne by actress Keke Palmer. Palmer was born Lauren Keyana, yet her nickname does not derive from her middle name — her older sister had an…
English diminutive of any girl name that starts with D
Not as lively or independent as Gigi, Kiki, or Coco.
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.
Short form of Liliane
"lily"
Actress Leelee Sobieski's real name is Liliane, after her French grandmother -- a better choice for any baby-namer.
English diminutive of names that start with D
Bouncy vintage pet form of names like Dorothy and Dolores.
Diminutive of Caroline
"free man"
A peppy nickname name associated with Lolo (born Lori) Jones, American track and field champ.
Diminutive of Louise or Louisa
Loulou is more likely to be fashioned as Lulu today, but as a short form for any of the Louise names, Loulou is the more logical if more cumbersome spelling. Adorable, in either version.
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.
Japanese
"butterfly"
Repetitive Japanese name with a flittering meaning.
"peach"
Sweet Japanese choice.
Diminutive of Robert
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.
Diminutive of Bo- names
Cheeky nickname better left off the birth certificate.
Diminutive of names beginning with Ni-
A nickname for names such as Nina, Nicole, and any others containing the "ni" element. Olivia Rodrigo's character Nina "Nini" Salazar-Roberts in the High School Musical series has made it fresh for a…
Diminutive of Joan, English
"God is gracious"
A Colonial-era nickname for Joan.
Georgian
"wine; primeval water; Nineveh"
A sweet sounding but distinctive Georgian name, Nunu has a number of possible origins. It could be related to the Egyptian God, Nu, whose name means "primeval water", or it could derive from the…
Albanian
"nightingale"
An Albanian word name with spiky yet playful sounds, Bilbil ultimately derives from the Arabic bulbul , meaning "nightingale". It is used as a masculine name in Albania, however in the Philippines,…
Norse variation of Philippa
"lover of horses"
Pippi may be cute but isn't very practical. In addition to being forever Pippi Longstocking, there is that variant pee-pee spelling to consider. Try Pippa instead.
Diminutive of Cecilia; pet name for "sister"
"sister"
Old-fashioned nickname for a sister, almost never heard today.
Diminutive of any T-starting name
Some sources connect Tata to. variety of origins and meanings, most often "father", but as a name in English-speaking countries it might be a nickname for Tatiana or something similar.
