Nickname Names

Al is a masculine name that primarily functions as a shortened form of names beginning with 'Al,' such as Albert (meaning 'noble and bright'), Alfred ('wise counselor'), Alexander ('defender of the people'), or Alvin ('noble friend'). With its single syllable and straightforward pronunciation, Al projects a friendly, approachable quality that has made it enduringly popular as a nickname throughout the 20th century. The name peaked in popularity during the mid-1900s and carries associations with a generation of reliable, hardworking men. Al's simplicity gives it a timeless quality, though in recent decades it has become less common as a standalone given name, with parents more likely to use it as a familiar nickname for longer Al- names.

An upbeat and friendly nickname, Bud is more often reserved as a term of endearment, though it was once a Top 500 choice in the US and remained in the charts right up until the 60s. While long-form Buddy may feel more wearable, it does have the vintage yet energetic feel of Teddy, Kit, or Scout.
 
Now meaning "friend" or "companion", the terms "Bud" and "Buddy" likely emerged from children's mispronunciation of the word "brother". This form also coincides with the botanical word, used to the growths on plants that turn into a leaves or flowers, and as such, it is connected wit growth and promise too. 
 
While short form Buddy made the England and Wales Top 7000 in a recent year, Bud has yet to appear in the stats as a stand-alone name, while in the US, nearly 30 boys were called Buddy and 13 were called Bud.

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 name of Timothy.

Buster

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 the seventeenth century and is found as characters in Jane Eyre and in Sean O'Casey's play The Plough and the Stars. More recently, she was an animated automotive character in the movie Cars.
 On the popularity lists until 1975, Bessie was a Top 25 name from 1880 to 1906, reaching Number 9 in 1889. Notable namesakes include the great blues singer Bessie Smith, and Bessie Coleman, the first African-American female aviator.
 And if you want to go more refined, you could simplify to Bess.

Bessie

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 short for Bianca.

Not one but two Spice Girls are named Mel, which led to it briefly being more popular for girls than boys in the 90s and early 00s, but it has now fallen out of favor for both sexes.

A sweet Scottish short form of Alexander which is feeling newly appealing now the era of Sandra is far behind us. Sandy would also work well as a nickname for a child with pale red or dark blond hair.

Sandy

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 Victor/Viktor and Hector, giving it the meaning "conqueror, victor" or "holding fast".
 
As a Hebrew name, it means "turtle-dove" and is a favorite choice for babies born in spring, when turtledoves arrive, especially as a middle, while as an English word name, it may refer to a rocky peak or hill, as in the Glastonbury Tor.
 
Pronunciation varies depending on language and region, but in Scandinavia, it is typically TOOR, while in English and Hebrew, it would be TAWR.

Short and to-the-point, it turns an ancient biblical name into a friendly cowboy. 

Elzie was given to 16 baby girls in the US last year, almost certainly as a spelling variation of the increasingly popular sweet nickname Elsie, a diminutive of Elizabeth.

Elzie

Sweet, enchanting Lilou is considered both a pet name from the Occitan language (spoken in Provence in the south of France), and a compound name, blending floral Lili with classic Louise. It peaked in France back in 2009 when it reached #12, and while it has now fallen in popularity, it remains in the Top 200.
 
The name first began to catch on back in the late 1990s, following the release of the 1997 film The Fifth Element, featuring a character called Leeloominaï (meaning "precious stones" in film's fictional language). Known by Leeloo, the character pushed alternative spelling Lilou into the Top 500 the year after the film was released.
 
Also appearing as Lylou, and more rarely as Liloo and Leelou (both of which did rank in the French charts when Lilou was at its peak), the name is currently in the Top 500 in the Netherlands and the Top 200 in Belgium, while in the US, just 12 girls recieved the name in a recent year.

Lilou

Though most Mels are playing pinochle with Murray and Morris, there was a notable Saint Mel. He is one of the earliest Irish saints, a nephew of St. Patrick.  He became a  priest, then built a great monastery where he served as abbot.

Brought into the American consciousness as the nickname of ballet great Mikhail Baryshnikov, it more recently took on a unisex air via TV and screen actress Mischa Barton. Could become the next Sasha. 

Misha

Best known as a feminine diminutive, Romy is used now for boys too, as a short form of Roman or Romeo or a name in its own right.  Remy and Romi are other related choices, or you might want to go all the way to Romulus.

Romy

One of the coolest girls in the class of '73, still cute but not quite as youthful.

Christie

Introduced via Sopranos star Drea (born Andrea) de Matteo, and catching on with a wider audience. 

Drea

Este -- think Esme with a t -- comes to us via one of the rocking sisters in the musical group Haim.  For long best known as the Esther diminutive used by cosmetics queen Estee Lauder, Este is a slimmed-down version that feels chicer for our star-struck times.

While mother name Esther has Persian origins and impressive Biblical roots, it's a name used in a wide range of cultures.

Este

An approachable mini name that could go on the birth certificate, but may work best as a nickname. Full name options include Thaddeus, Theodore, and Thomas, which was the given name of Abe's son Tad Lincoln. Taddy is a rare alternative to Teddy.

Artie is a cute short form rarely given on its own, unlike the more grownup Art. But for a young Arthur, it's adorable.

Artie

Twenty-first century favorite Maeve, with a nickname-y twist, Maevie is reminiscent of Maisie, Evie, Ivy, and Navy.  It first appeared in the US stats in 2023, and a recent year saw it given to 12 girls. In England and Wales, the name has also risen, quietly but significantly, and in the latest count, it was given to 17 girls, placing it within the Top 2000 

Maevie

 — directly on the birth certificate these days. Sometimes they like the nickname better than the formal name, sometimes they want more control over what their child is actually called, and sometimes they simply see the short form as cuter, more modern, and more stylish than its proper equivalent.

, other nickname names in the US Top 1000 include 

. Rare nickname names with the potential to be future hits include 

, are full names in their own right, they make the list because they can be short forms of longer names, such as 

, have been used as full names for so long that they're more widely used than their proper forms.

And then there are the nicknames that have more recently found their footing as proper names. We'd count 

Some nickname names you might want to consider for your own baby include the following.

Nicknames that are used as proper names, for baby girls and baby boys, with meanings, origins, and popularity, including Alfie, Rory, Maisie, and Coco (Page 27)