Crazy Nicknames for Girls

Ollie

Short form of Olive or Olivia, Latin

"olive tree"

Less used than Liv or Livvy, Ollie is a boyish nickname for girls, sometimes used for Olivia and Olive. Currently out of the US charts, you might be surprised to learn that Ollie actually ranked more…

Peggy

Diminutive of Margaret, Greek

"pearl"

Just when we had written off Peggy as the eternal perky, pug-nosed prom-queen she projected from the 1920s into the fifties, along came Mad Men , with intriguing mid-century characters with names…

Pepita

Spanish, diminutive feminine variation of JosÉ

Personification of pep.

Pepper

English from Latin, Sanskrit, "the pepper plant; berry"

"the pepper plant; berry"

With its bubbly sounds and stylish feel, Pepper joins a small but distinctive group of names inspired by the spice rack: Saffron, Juniper, Cassia, Sage, Ginger, and Rosemary. Enough like Pippa, Piper…

Pet

Pet is an unusual feminine name that originated as a diminutive nickname form of names like Patricia or Petra. It derives from the same Latin root 'petra' meaning 'rock' or 'stone.' While more…

Pink

Color name

The singer known as Pink (born Alecia) brought this hue onto the name-possibility palette, especially as a middle choice. Could Pink be the next Blue?

Pinkie

Diminutive of color name Pink

"pink"

Aside from the singer, there aren't many people around named Pink or Pinkie or Pinky -- zero, in fact. In its heyday in the late 19th century, Pinkie was probably used for someone with pink skin, not…

Pip

English

"lover of horses"

Cute-as-a-button nickname traditionally derived from Philip or Philippa – but could work for Piper, Juniper or Penelope as well.

Pippi

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.

Pipsa

Short form of Piritta, Finnish

"strength; exalted one"

Pipsa is a nickname for the Finnish names Piritta — or its diminutive forms, Pirkko, Priita, and Pirjo — all of which are ultimately variations of Bridget. In Finland, Peppa Pig is called Pipsa Possu.

Pixie

Swedish or Cornish

"fairy"

Pixie is a cute -- quite possibly too cute -- name that suddenly feels possible thanks to the craze for names that contain the letter x. Though its origin may be uncertain, a pixie is internationally…

Prudy

Short form of Prudence, English virtue name

"caution"

Prudy does not improve on Prudence.

Prune

Fruit name

Prune is a fruit name loved by the French, for whom it's a Plum equivalent. In the U.S., Plum works, but Prune is not a name we'd want to inflict on a child. Prunella is slightly more plausible.

Sissy

Diminutive of Cecilia; pet name for "sister"

"sister"

Old-fashioned nickname for a sister, almost never heard today.

Sister

English

"a female who has one or both parents in common with another"

Sister is an old-timey nickname-name for girls, ranking in the Top 1000 as a proper name for girls until the beginning of the 20th century. But more often, Sister was used as a nickname in the truest…

Sugar

Word name

You can call your daughter Sugar, but it's probably best to keep it as a term of endearment. For sweet names, you try Dulcie, Honey, Mitsu, Amai, Sherine, Melita, Eulalia, or Melina, but Sugar does…

Taffy

Welsh

"beloved friend"

A diminutive of the (male) name Dafydd, the Welsh form of David. In the US, it's strongly associated with the candy.

Tetty

English, diminutive of Elizabeth

Commonly heard in the eighteenth century, but could cause middle-school titters today. Consider Letty or Tessie instead.

Tiny

Tiny is an endearing feminine name that originated as a diminutive nickname before occasionally being used as a given name. It directly references small stature or youthfulness, deriving from the…

Tipper

Diminutive or variation of Irish surname Tabar

"water pourer"

A nickname with quirky, old-fashioned charm, Tipper likely comes from the Irish surname, Tabar, meaning "water pourer", though it may also just be used as a playful pet name for a girl, if it happens…