Middle Names, Surnames, and Nicknames
Nickname Names
Across 44 pages
of 44
Tori
Diminutive of Victoria, English, Japanese
"victory; bird"
A more modern nickname for Victoria than Vicky, Tori is used fairly frequently on its own, kept in the public eye by singer Tori Amos and actress Tori Spelling. Still, it's far from fashionable,…
Bia
Greek, Portuguese, Romanian
"force; blessed; white"
A bright and bouncy micro name, far rarer than Mia or Gia. In Greek mythology, Bia is the personification of force and raw energy. In Portuguese, it's a nickname for Beatriz, and in Romanian it's…
Bex
Short form of Rebecca
Modern, mini nickname for Rebecca, much fresher than Becca or Becky.
Zanna
Diminutive of Susanna; Polish variation of Jane, Hebrew
"lily or pledged to God"
A feminine multicultural nickname name perfectly able to stand on its own, Zanna might technically relate to either Susanna or Jane, making it a flexible honor name for an ancestral Susan or Jane or…
Bette
Diminutive of Elizabeth
Pronounced a la Bette (Betty) Davis or Bette (Bet) Midler, a twentieth-century relic. Though if the equally vintage Betty comes back, Bette may be close behind.
Betsy
Diminutive of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
This Elizabeth nickname has a decidedly retro feel--think Betsy Ross and the Betsy Wetsy doll-- once seen as a perkier, younger-sounding alternative to Betty. But with Betty on the brink of a…
Vern
Diminutive of Vernon, English
"place of alders"
Until recently, Vernon and its short form Vern seemed like grandpa names not ready for revival, but now we can see it happening. Never the popular, Vern works particularly well as a middle name.
Beth
English diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
The sweetest and most sensitive of the pet names for Elizabeth, now also one of the most dated.
Bessie
Diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
After a century of association with horses and cows, this name just could be ready for revival by a fearless baby namer -- after all, it did happen to Jessie and Becky. Bessie has been in use since…
Zan
Diminutive of Alexander, Greek
"defending men"
There's Zan and there's Xan--take your pick. Both of these are the latest generation of Alexander nicknames, Xan having been noticed first as a character on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (a rich source…
Bess
English diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
Although she declared her independence as far back as the reign of Elizabeth I — Good Queen Bess, Bess now sounds less passé than Beth or Betsy.
Bertie
Diminutive of Albert, Bertram etc
Long a royal nickname in England, it's coming back there along with Archie and Alfie. British singer Kate Bush calls her little boy Bertie.
Zalie
Short form of Azalea or modern invented name
Zalie -- which may be styled Zayley or Zaylee or Zaylie, among other spellings -- might be a short form of the flower name Azalea or may also be a cute modern nickname-name used on its own. You might…
Vanya
Russian, diminutive of John
This short form of Ivan just could join the other Russian nickname names coming into fashion, and it does have the Chekhov connection.
Tor
Norwegian and Swedish variation of Thor, Hebrew, English
"thunder; turtledove; victor; hill, rocky peak"
An interesting and attractive multicultural choice, Tor packs a lot in to three letters. It may be used as a modern form of Þórr (Thor) , the name of the Norse thunder god or as a short form of…
Tina
Diminutive of Christina et al
Tina, despite its petite and tinkly image, is apt these days to be replaced by the more elegant originals, Christina and Martina.It does have some strong namesakes, though, in Tina Turner (born Anna…
Bert
English, diminutive of Albert and Bertram
A once-popular nickname for Albert and Bertram now being polished up by hip Brits, but still hibernating in the Land of Nerd over here.
Bernie
Diminutive of Bernard, English
"strong; brave as a bear"
It's been shown that notable political figures often impact the use of their names, and the same can — sort of — be said about Bernie Sanders. His name increased in use by 47% between 2015 and 2016…
Zadie
English variation of Sadie, from Sarah, Hebrew
"princess"
When aspiring British writer Sadie Smith decided to change her name to the more distinctive and zippy Zadie at the age of fourteen, this attention-magnet name was born. But though it might sound like…
Benno
German
"bear"
Benno is a cool name in its own right -- there was a tenth century Saint Benno -- though it is also used as a lively nickname for Benjamin. Saint Benno of Meissen is the patron saint of anglers and…