Though it looks, to the untrained American eye, like a yoonek spelling of Jordy, Geordie actually refers to people from Tyneside in Northeast England and the local dialect there. To give you a sense of what it implies to Brits, Geordie Shore is British MTV's long-running answer to Jersey Shore.

Flo is an antiquated nickname not often used these days, possibly because "Aunt Flo" is a euphemism for a period.

This short form of Jesse has an androgynous, cowperson feel. It's Jess rather than Jesse or Jessie that can be considered among the truly androgynous baby names

Drawn from old record books, Kiah is an antiquated nickname that feels perfectly appropriate for modern times -- maybe more so than father name Hezekiah.

Quintessentially sweet and innocent unisex name of the 1960s and 70s, now gone the way of hot pants and disco balls.

Cute, distinctive diminutive for this regal-sounding name.

One of the sweet simple unisex names balanced enough to stand on its own.

This somewhat boisterous Celtic name would be at home in a noisy pub or out walking on the moors. In Scotland, it was originally a nickname for someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion.

Could be a short form of Sylvia, Olivia, or any other similar name. Or a vivid Italian word name.

Forever Lucy's.

Ash is a gender-neutral choice that calls to mind the '80s favorite: Ashley. But view it as a nature name -- as in the tree, not the charred bit of soot in the fireplace -- and it makes a cool choice that fits with today's trends.

Shortening Francisco somehow makes it sound even cooler. Cisco is also the name of a digital security company.

An energetic, charmingly retro nickname, Suzy and all her sisters are off their fashion peak but will rise again around the middle of this century.

Despite the voluptuous doll's various career choices, from astronaut to doctor, her name still remains a euphemism for "bimbo".

Joss is more fashionable than Jocelyn or Josslyn. This is a short form that could be used independently, a la the singer Joss Stone. One of a troupe of adorable boyish nicknames newly fashionable for girls a la Lou and Charlie.

This grandpa-esque nickname, traditionally short for masculine names like Osmond, Oscar, or Oswald, is starting to get traction on its own, thanks to its cool, zippy sound. In the Top 1000 for boys in the UK and the US, it given to almost 550 American babies in 2024, 60 of them girl. And Jack Osbourne gave it celebrity cred when he named his newborn daughter Ozzy after his late dad.

Pronounced like Tom, but not everyone will know that.

Might suggest speed, excitement, even danger, were it not for its best-known bearer, conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh.

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 of names), and soon phoneticized into Zan.

Diminutive of the Italian Giovanna, or sometimes Vanessa or Ivanna.