Boy Names Lists · Middle Names, Surnames, and Nicknames
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 3 pages
of 3
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…
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…
Medieval short form of Jordan
"flowing down"
Judd is a strong but sensitive short form that can easily stand on its own, the second 'd' giving it a lot more substance, and it would also be a good middle name choice. Two recent actors have given…
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.
Diminutive of Alexander
"defending men"
Cool short form of Alexander, fresher than Alex and less trendy than Xander... for now.
The heroic movie figure Indiana Jones was often called Indy, as in the equally testosterone-laden Indy 500 car race. It could also be short for Indigo or Indio, or just use it as is.
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…
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…
English occupational name
"guard, watchman"
Until recently Ward was, like Wally, a Cleaver name, but today's parents are seeing it as a cooler nickname for Edward than Eddie, and are also beginning to use it on its own.
Scottish
"son of"
Any number of Fitz names -- Fitzgerald, Fitzpatrick, Fitzroy, Fitzwilliam -- have been used as Christian names, in fact Fitzwilliam was the given name of the dashing Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice…
Hebrew, English, Irish
"strength, powerful, courageous; god's warrior; deer friend"
While some may think of ruby slippers and a yellow brick road, Oz is a legitimate Hebrew name denoting power. An element in a number of names including Ozni, Oziel, and Ozias, it may also be used as…
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.
Diminutive of Dexter
"dyer; right-handed"
Dex, the nickname for Dexter that is sometimes used on its own, has lots of energy and dynamism. It was chosen by comedian Dana Carvey for his now grown son. With the growing popularity of Dexter, we…
Short form of Huxley, English
"inhospitable place"
As Huxley and Huck become more popular and accepted, so does Hux, either as a full name or a diminutive.
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…
Modern nickname
An old-fashioned nickname in the Bud/Buzz/Biff mold; this one's kind of belligerent. Michelle Hicks and Jonny Lee Miller moved outside the box when they used it for their son--given the safer middle…
Diminutive of Zebediah or Zebulon, Hebrew
"gift of God, exaltation, or little dwelling"
Short and to-the-point, it turns an ancient biblical name into a friendly cowboy.
English, diminutive of Moses
"delivered"
If Gus and Max have made it, why not Moe? Can it be the lingering Three Stooges effect? We think that Moe, like Joe, is one of the friendliest and most open of regular guy nickname names and should…
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.
