Boy Names Lists · Middle Names, Surnames, and Nicknames
Crazy Nicknames for Boys
Across 7 pages
of 7
Doc
English word name
A boy with this name is certain to be bombarded with "What's up, doc?" every day of his life. Even Doctor would be preferable.
Doll
German or English surname
"foolish, mad, strong, ditch"
Briefly used as a male name in the early 20th century. Doll is a surname with a variety of origins and meanings, some more desirable than others.
Bud
English nickname
"friend"
An upbeat and friendly nickname, Bud is more often reserved as a term of endearment, though it was once a Top 500 choice in the US and remained in the charts right up until the 60s. While long-form…
Dooley
Irish
"dark hero"
A common Irish surname that's seldom heard as a first name, but has an appealing meaning.
Biff
American nickname
The quintessential midcentury nickname, famously found in Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman." Biff is late 19th century slang meaning to "hit", so Biff may have originated as a nickname for a…
Flash
Word and comic book name
Flash Gordon makes this a superhero name, but Flash might just appeal to modern parents looking for one of the new active boys' names, ala Ace and Breaker and Ranger. We'd recommend something more…
Flip
Nickname for Philip, Phillip, or Felipe
"lover of horses"
Flip is a cute, attitude-filled nickname for the very proper Philip and variations. A perfect choice if you're looking for a buttoned-up proper name with an informal short form.
Frisco
Diminutive of Francisco
"free man"
Frisco is a frisky, roguish semi-place-name (San Francisco natives never call it that) that could make a lively, unusual o-ending choice. Frisco is the kind of nickname name sometimes used for cowboy…
Fritz
German, diminutive of Friedrich or Frederick
"peaceful ruler"
Since female cousins Mitzi and Fritzi have entered the realm of possibilities, there's a chance that Cousin Fritz could as well. Fritz is the name of several notables, from early German-born film…
Gibbs
English diminutive of Gilbert or Gibson
"shining pledge; son of Gilbert"
Upper crust pet form still used in some old money families.
Gig
English slang word
In addition to being the term for a job performing music, Gig has been used as a name, as in onetime actor Gig Young--who was born Byron but took his stage name from a character he played.
Handy
English
"useful"
Handy was once an English nickname, given to someone who was useful and skilled. It has a similar vibe to Curley, Doc, Dusty, and Muley, wordy nicknames that you might find in a John Steinbeck novel.
Hap
English diminutive of Henry or Harold
"estate ruler; army ruler"
The old-school cool nickname Hap is a (mostly) bygone short form of classic H names for boys like Henry, Harold, and Harrison. Several notable Haps — including former New Jersey senator Hap Farley —…
Happy
English word name
"joyful"
Many emotional, virtuous word names are coming back into style, but Happy feels unlikely to be revived. This could be because it doesn't have a solid history of being popularly used (in comparison to…
Baz
Diminutive of Sebastian or Basil; Kurdish
"regal; falcon"
As Bas, it's a popular name in The Netherlands, but Baz, as in director Luhrmann, has potential for independent life too. Curiously, Australian-born Moulin Rouge director Luhrmann was born neither…
Hob
English, diminutive of Robert
"bright fame"
A Robert nickname out of use for hundreds of years, but now sounds cooler than Bob or Rob for a modern boy.
Iggy
Latin, diminutive of Ignatius
"fiery"
Iggy is the quintessential pop star name, though it's the nickname Cate Blanchett uses for son Ignatius. Iggy does bring any grander-sounding name down to earth.
Iolo
Welsh
"weathy lord"
Rhythmic Welsh nickname name, derived from the Welsh royal name Iorwerth, which has sometimes been anglicized as Edward.
Japhy
Diminutive of Japheth
"he expands"
Japhy Ryder was a hero of Jack Kerouac's Dharma Bums . Compared with Moses and Noah, Japhy sounds downright adorable and eminently baby-worthy.
Algie
Algie is a vintage masculine name that originated as a diminutive of names beginning with 'Alg-' such as Algernon or Albert. With Old French and Germanic roots, it gained modest popularity in the…