Middle Names, Surnames, and Nicknames
Nickname Names
Across 44 pages
of 44
Candy
English word name or diminutive of Candace, Latin
"white, pure, sincere"
Too sugary sweet and inconsequential for a modern girl.
Caro
Diminuitve of Carol or Caroline, English, French ,"free man"
"free man"
Upper-crusty nickname occasionally used in Britain, particularly in 1930s novels featuring significant garden party scenes, but eclipsed here by Carrie et al.
Carrie
Diminutive of Carol, English, or Caroline, French"free man"
"free man"
Carrie lives on mainly on the screen, as the new/old antiheroine of Stephen King's classic Carrie , as turn-of-the-21st-century diva Carrie Bradshaw of Sex & The City , and as Claire Danes'…
Cash
English word name; diminutive of Cassandra
"shining, excelling man"
Rising fast for boys both as a stand-alone name and as a nickname to Cassius or Cassian, Cash also has potential to cross over to the girls' side — either as an edgy word name, or as a diminutive of…
Cass
English diminutive of Cassandra or Cassia, Greek
"shining or excelling man; cinnamon"
Ties to the unfortunate Mama are now unraveling, leaving Cass or Cassie to stand on its own as a fresher sounding Cathy or Kate. With gender-neutral names abound and the growing trend of boyish…
Cassie
Diminutive of Cassandra, Greek
"prophetess"
Though not much in use, still retains a cozy Little House on the Prairie-type pioneer feel.
Cat
Diminutive of Catherine, Greek
"pure"
May be the most modern, stylish Catherine nickname: more unusual than Kate or Cate, with an animal and word name edge. Cat Power is a trendy folksinger.
Cathy
English diminutive of Catherine, Greek
"pure"
One of the most popular nicknames of the fifties and sixties — and who could forget the romantic heroine of "Wuthering Heights"? — now largely ignored in favor of Cate or Kate.
Cece
Short form of Cecelia, Latin
"blind"
Cece, all by itself, gained notice as the nickname of Jim and Pam's baby on television's The Office . On the show as in real life, Cece is often short for Cecelia or even Cecilia, but it can also be…
Celie
French variation of Cecilia
"blind"
Attractive, underused name made famous by the heroine of The Color Purple. Still, if you're going to go to Celie, why not go all the way to Celia or Cecelia? You can always use Celie for short.
Chad
English
"battle warrior"
Despite all the "hanging," "dangling," and "pregnant" chad jokes of the 2000 election, this saint's name and remnant of the Brad-Tad era didn't get a boost in popularity. But Chad still holds some…
Brad
Diminutive of Bradley
Pitt is the prototypical blond Brad.
Keedie
Invented name, Scottish surname, diminutive of Katherine
"of the red earth; pure"
Like a blend of vintage-style Edie and popular Katie, Keedie is either an invented name, a variant of the Scottish surname Keddy, or possibly a short form of Katherine. In the case of Soprano singer…
Bobo
Diminutive of Robert
Bobo was the name of one of the most famous clowns in American circus history, who performed from the 1920s until the 1970s. But that's not the only reason this makes a less-than-optimal nickname.
Chet
Diminutive of Chester, English
"fortress, walled town"
Chet is an old-fashioned short form of Chester, that like Ned, Mac, Ted, and Wes, it has the potential to sound cool again. Country singer Luke Combs and his wife Nicole, certainly thought so as they…
Chip
Pet name for Charles
Only if you're madly nostalgic for sixties TV.
Zuzu
Czech diminutive of Susan
"lily"
This sizzling nickname Zuzu is heard every Christmas as the name of Jimmy Stewart's little girl in "It's a Wonderful Life," but we love it all year round as a lively alternative to double names like…
Vin
Diminutive of Vincent, Latin
"conquering"
Minimalist nickname via XXX star Diesel (born Mark Vincent).
Tory
Diminutive of Victor, Latin
"victory"
Tory (and more commonly, Tori) is most often seen as a feminine nickname for Victoria. However, in terms of putting Tory — just Tory — on the birth certificate, boys have the leg up.
Bobby
Diminutive of Robert
"bright fame"
Bobby is the quintessential mid-century nickname, the name of the son on Mad Men and overused to the point of cliche. Though Robert is still a highly popular choice, most Roberts today are called by…