Cute Boy Names

Lenny

Diminutive of Leonard, German

"brave lion"

A nickname of yesteryear that like alongside Reggie, Alby, Archie, and Bertie, is back in consideration. Already in the UK Top 200, a high-ranking choice in Switzerland and a familiar option in The…

Ozzie

Diminutive of Osmond, Oswald, or Oscar

"divine; deer"

Ozzy has been on the rise in recent years and currently sits in the Top 1000 in the UK and the US. The Ozzie spelling has yet to catch up, but has nevertheless gained more attention thanks to its…

Ziggy

German, diminutive of Siegfried and Sigmund

"victorious peace; victorious protection; victory"

Perhaps the ultimate nicknamey name, Ziggy manages to sound cool, cutesy, spiky, and energetic all at once. It brings to mind the glam-rock of Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and the cool vibes of reggae…

Freddie

Dininutive of Frederick, German

"peaceful ruler"

Just the kind of casual, flippant nickname that upscale Brits are putting on their sons' birth certificates, but few U.S. parents are.

Monty

Diminutive of Montague or Montgomery, variation of Monte, English, Spanish

"mountain"

Monty, a name with a World War II feel, is rarely used on its own in the US. But we're hearing rumblings of a comeback and think that Monty, whatever it's short for, is an adorable vintage nickname…

Reggie

Diminutive of Reginald

"counsel power"

Old time nickname that's starting to sound fresh again, à la Alfie and Freddie.

Richie

Short form of Richard, English, German

"dominant ruler"

Richie was once a popular enough nickname for Richard that it made the Top 1000 all by itself, blending in with Ronnie, Reggie, Robbie, and Randy. In the US, it last appeared in the charts back in…

Sammy

Hebrew

"god has heard"

Short for Samuel or long for Sam, Sammy is a sweet midcentury nickname name that we can see coming back.

Coby

English, diminutive of Coburn or Jacob or Jacoby

Actor Coby Bell gives this short but sweet name a hefty amount of street cred. Can also be spelled Koby or Kobe, as in Kobe Bryant.

Huck

Diminutive of Huckleberry, word name

Though forever tied to Huck, short for Huckleberry, Finn, this is an undeniably cute short form that may have some life as part of the hipster taste for names like Duke and Bix.

Shay

Anglicized spelling of Shea or Shai, Irish, Hebrew

"dauntless, fine, hawk; gift"

Gentle yet rugged, cool but well established, Shay is straightforward and memorable. An anglicized spelling of the Irish Shea ("dauntless, fine, good" "hawk") and the Hebrew Shai ("gift"), Shay…

Alfie

Diminutive of Alfred, English

"wise counselor"

Alfie is a Top 20 name throughout the British Isles, where retro nickname names are mega-popular, but it hasn't really been picked up in the US yet, given to around 70 boys in a recent year.…

Roscoe

English, Norse

"deer forest"

Fairly popular a hundred years ago but out of the US charts since 1978, the quirky yet edgy Roscoe feels very much in step with the trending o-ending boy names popular now, such as Milo, Hugo, and…

Pete

Diminutive of Peter

"rock"

Sixties-style short form that sounds cool again -- though the unscrupulous Pete on "Mad Men" is not a character to emulate.

Rusty

Short form of Russell

Though as a formal name Rusty is a little, well, rusty, it spent half a century among the Top 1000, departing only in 1995. Only 45 baby boys received the name in the US in one recent year and it's…

Bram

Dutch variation of Abraham, Hebrew

"father of multitudes"

Bram has an unusual measure of character and charm for a one-syllable name; it started as a hipper-than-Abe diminutive of the biblical Abraham, but is also an independent Irish and Dutch name, made…

Ike

Diminutive of Isaac, Hebrew

"laughter"

Ike, once the quirky one-person nickname of President Dwight Eisenhower, has morphed into a cool kid nickname of the early 21st century. The rise of Isaac and the stylishness of short down-to-earth…

Cy

Diminutive of Cyrus, Persian

"sun"

This evocative short name is suddenly chic — it was recently chosen by Jennifer Lawrence for her baby boy. JLaw's son's name honors Cy Twombly, the influential mid-century American artist. Born Edwin…

Huey

Variation of Hugh, English

"mind, intellect"

Once upon a time, in the 1930s, Huey was a Top 250 name, given to nearly 500 babies in a singer year. Traditionally a nickname for Hugo, Hugh, or Hubert, Huey has been notably borne by actor and…

Hal

Diminutive of Harold or Henry, English, Scandinavian, German

"army ruler or estate ruler"

Could Hal be the Jack, Max, or Gus of the future? It just might happen in the new nickname environment, especially with Cal and Cy feeling cool, and with the interest in vintage, cowboy-esque…