Middle Names, Surnames, and Nicknames · Name Image
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 7 pages
of 7
Variation of Kaylee, English
"laurel, crown"
With its C spelling, Cayley is softer than its more popular counterpart, Kayley. It's never ranked in the US Top 1000 and at this point probably never will, now that the -aylee, -ayley, and -aylie…
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…
English
"a bunch of flowers"
A sweet, nostalgic nosegay kind of name, Posy has been long fashionable in England, a country of gardeners, but this pretty bouquet-of-flowers name is still rarely heard in the US, though it could be…
French diminutive of Josephine, Hebrew
"Jehovah increases"
Fifi is a perfect name -- for a French poodle. But Fifi may seem more child-friendly as names like Coco and Lulu rise. Fifi in its fluffiness also balances the seriousness of such full names as…
Animal name
"bamboo eater"
With Bear and Fox becoming hot baby names, why not Panda? Why not indeed. Both the name and its animal namesake are adorable. And Pan is a nickname right in line with the mythological name trend. The…
Diminutive of Fletcher, English
"arrow maker"
This snappy nickname may remind some of the 1985 Chevy Chase movie of the same name. Writer and actress Jill Kargman has a son called Fletch.
Latin, diminutive of Frances
"from France or free man"
If Frances and Fran are too serious for you, and Fanny too saucy, you might like Franny, still identified by some with J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey stories.
Diminutive of Miriam
A hum of a name occasionally heard. Madame Mim was a villain in Disney's "The Sword in the Stone."
Modern invented name
Gidget was the surfer girl who started it all. She was the subject of six novels by Frederick Kohner, and the 1959 film in which she made her theatrical debut, starring Sandra Dee, helped make…
Variation of Roger, German
"famous warrior"
Hodge is a medieval English nickname for Roger, which was brought to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Roger isn't ready for a comeback yet, but we'd love to see the resurgence of Hodge,…
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…
Diminutive of Elizabeth
Zibby is the adorable, zippy nickname for Elizabeth used for the lead female character in the film "Liberal Arts." Zibby can make a Libby for the 21st century.
Diminutive of James or Jeremiah
This name of the ten-year-old boy in the much loved and acclaimed modern classic To Kill a Mockingbird could find favor along with that of the character's sister, Scout.
Diminutive of Susan
This centuries-old nickname feels fresher and more modern today than Susie or Sue. A good short form if you're tempted by Susan, Susanna, or Susannah; another spelling is Sukey.
