Middle Names, Surnames, and Nicknames
Nickname Names
Across 44 pages
of 44
Zack
Short form of Zachary or Zachariah
As the common short form of Zachary or, more unusually, Zachariah, Zack is less intuitive than Zach or Zac in terms of spelling but clearer in terms of pronunciations. Maybe because it rhymes with…
Vanna
Italian
"god is gracious"
Diminutive of the Italian Giovanna, or sometimes Vanessa or Ivanna. Wheel of Fortune's Vanna White — who pronounces her name like the end of Savannah — got her name from her grandmother's next-door…
Benji
Diminutive of Benjamin
Benji is undeniably cute, much in the way of a — yes, an adorable movie mutt. Ben is the handsome traditional short form of Benjamin, but Benji makes a more unexpected nickname
Zach
See Zac.
Belle
Short form of Isabelle or French
"beautiful"
Belle has nothing but positive associations, from "belle of the ball" to "Southern belle" to the heroine of Disney's Beauty and the Beast . As if this weren't enough good things, Belle is also one of…
Yovi
Diminutive of Yoav, Hebrew
"praise Jehovah"
Cute nickname with multicultural appeal — in addition to Yoav, Yovi could be short for names such as Yovan and Yovani.
Topher
Diminutive of Christopher
The new kid on the block in terms of Christopher short forms, it was introduced into the mix by actor Topher Grace, who didn't like Chris.
Bee
Animal name or English diminutive of Beatrice, Latin
"she who brings happiness"
We've seen Beatrice and Beatrix climb in popularity, along with traditional nickname Bea. And now there's Bee, giving it a buzzy nature world spin, plus a tie to popular late night TV''s Samantha…
Becky
English diminutive of Rebecca, Hebrew
"servant of God"
Down to earth and versatile, Becky is a popular diminutive of the classic Biblical name, Rebecca. In the US, it was most popular as a stand alone name back in the 60s, while in the UK, it remained in…
Yoli
Diminutive of Yolanda, Spanish
"violet flower"
This perky Spanish nickname deserves to be more popular. Singer Michael Bublé recently used it as one of the middle names for his daughter Cielo, which may give Yoli a boost.
Becca
English diminutive of Rebecca
"servant of God"
The currently preferred replacement for Becky, sometimes used on its own.
Xavi
Catalan diminutive of Xavier, Basque or Arabic
"new house or bright"
This nickname was given often enough as a standalone to land it in the Top 1000 from 2010—2013.
Vallie
Diminutive of Valentina or Valerie or word name, English, Latin
"strength, health; valley"
Vallie is one of those names that doubles up as a sweet, stylish nickname for several well-established choices and as a modern, nature-connected word name. A Top 1000 choice in the late 19th- and…
Bebe
English diminutive of Beatrice or any other B name
High-kicking cohort of Coco, Gigi, Fifi, Kiki, et al.
Bea
English diminutive of Beatrice, Latin
"she who brings happiness"
Bea is a former old lady name that's cute again as a short form — and is now beginning to stand on its own. Bee is a variation that, like Bea, can work as a diminutive for any name that starts with…
Baz
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…
Bastian
Diminutive or variant of Sebastian, Latin, Greek
"man of Sebastia"
A name that sounds both arty and rough-and-tumble, Bastian can be used as either a short form or a stand-alone variant of elegant Sebastian. Also spelled as Bastien, Bastiaan, and Bastían, it notably…
Xan
Diminutive of Alexander
"defending men"
With the plethora of Alexes around, Xan (and Xander) have emerged as hot new nicknames for Alexander. Xan also stands well on its own. It can be found--not surprisingly--in several computer games.
Valley
English word name
"low area of land between hills and mountains"
An evocative word name, conjuring up images of the beautiful low land between hills and mountains, and the streams and rivers that often run through them, Valley has the advantage of also sounding…
Timmy
Timmy is a warm, friendly masculine name that originated as a diminutive form of Timothy. The root name Timothy comes from the Greek "Timotheos," meaning "honoring God" or "honored by God," and…