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Nickname Names

  1. Dolly

    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Dorothy

    • Meaning:

      "gift of God"

    • Description:

      Sweet and cosy with a touch of sass, this nickname-y choice was a familiar option up until the sixties in the US. Then, for a while, it was a bit of a one-person name, associated with singer Dolly Parton, but more recently, it's been singing a fashionable note again along with sisters Dottie and Millie.
  2. Sol

    • Origin:

      Spanish

    • Meaning:

      "sun"

    • Description:

      Although pinochle-playing partner Sam came out of retirement, we don't see it happening to Sol. Near soundalike Saul has more of a shot.

  3. Josh

    • Description:

      Josh is a friendly, approachable masculine name that originated as a shortened form of Joshua, which comes from Hebrew meaning 'God is salvation.' While Joshua has biblical significance as the successor to Moses, Josh emerged as a standalone name in the 20th century, embodying a casual, down-to-earth quality. It gained significant popularity in the 1970s through the 1990s in the United States, ranking consistently in the top 100 names. Josh conveys an accessible, unpretentious character with its brief, one-syllable structure. The name suggests a straightforward, trustworthy personality and has maintained steady usage without seeming dated or trendy. Josh represents a perfect balance of familiarity and timelessness in contemporary naming practices.

  4. Teddy

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Theodora, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "gift of God"

    • Description:

      Cute boyish short forms like Teddy and Frankie and Billie are in some ways a relic of the past, of the days before unisex names, when girls were given feminized versions of their father's names, but they are starting to come into their own again.
  5. Lina

    • Origin:

      Arabic; Latin diminutive

    • Meaning:

      "tender"

    • Description:

      This pretty, succinct Arabic name is also commonly used as a nickname for names like Carolina.
  6. Trixie

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Beatrix, Latin

    • Meaning:

      "she who brings happiness"

    • Description:

      A sassy, spunky name for the bold parent who doesn't remember Mrs. Ed Norton on The Honeymooners or who's into the nicknames-as-given-names trend sweeping the UK and returning to the US.
  7. Ned

    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Edward

    • Meaning:

      "wealthy guardian"

    • Description:

      Ned is a gently old-fashioned Nancy Drew-Bobbsey Twins-era short form for Edward that sounds cooler than Ed and is enjoying a small style renaissance.
  8. Bastian

    • Origin:

      Diminutive or variant of Sebastian, Latin, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "man of Sebastia"

    • Description:

      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 appears in the German fantasy children's book, The Neverending Story , which features a young boy character called Bastian Balthlazar Bux.
  9. Sam

    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Samuel

    • Meaning:

      "told by God"

    • Description:

      Sam has long been used on its own for boys, as accepted standing by itself as it is as a short form of Samuel. Straightforward and down-to-earth, Sam is the name of the son of the co-stars of The Americans, Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys. Sam is one of the most popular names that start with S in the Western world, ranking higher in several European countries than it does in the US, where it's trended downward since the 19th century, though it's always been in the Top 1000.
  10. Lisa

    • Origin:

      English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian

    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"

    • Description:

      Elvis naming his daughter Lisa Marie and Nat King Cole's hit song "Mona Lisa" conspired to catapult one of Elizabeth's many offshoots to a high of #4 in 1970.
  11. Gracie

    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Grace

    • Description:

      Cute Gracie is one of the more recently revived nickname names by parents who chose it over the more formal Grace--or variations like Graziella or Grania. Country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw cut straight to the nickname when they called one of their daughters Gracie, and actors Ron Livingston and Rosemarie DeWitt named their newborn daughter Gracie James. Gracie Gold is a popular young figure skater.
  12. Rusty

    • Origin:

      Short form of Russell

    • Description:

      Though as a formal name Rusty is a little, well, rusty, it spent half a century among the Top 1000, departing only in 1995. Only 45 baby boys received the name in the US in one recent year and it's difficult to imagine it as the winning choice of many modern parents. Whether you want an informal name or a spin on a traditional name or even a word name or a name that means red, there are simply too many better options.
  13. Demi

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Demetria or Greek

    • Meaning:

      "half"

    • Description:

      Demi appeared in the US as a baby name thanks to a single celebrity, actress Demi Moore, who put it on the Top 1000 throughout the 1990s. As her star faded, so did the visibility of the name, though now it is rising again on its own steam. It's popular in Europe, too, especially in The Netherlands. Demi may be that unusual name that's launched by a celebrity and then maintains its visibility all by itself.
  14. Frankie

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Frank, Francis, or Franklin, Latin

    • Meaning:

      "from France or free man"

    • Description:

      Frankie used to be a name used for near-equal numbers of girls and boys. In 2015, it ranked Number 992 for both genders in the US.
  15. Ted

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Theodore or Edward, Greek or English

    • Meaning:

      "gift of god; rich guard"

    • Description:

      Like Ed, Eddie and Teddy, Ted is rarely used as an independent name – in the US, at least. In the UK, Eddie ranks just outside the Top 200, Teddy ranks just outside the Top 30, and Ted is a Top 200 pick.
  16. Mimi

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Mary, Miriam, and others

    • Description:

      Sweet, nicknamey name belonging to the tragic heroines of both La Bohème and Rent. Mimi might feel too slight for many parents to use on the birth certificate, but as a short form, it's one of the cutest of the cute baby names.
  17. Libby

    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Elizabeth

    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"

    • Description:

      Through all the years when Betty, Betsy, Beth, Liz, and Lizzie were the Elizabethan nicknames of choice, the bubblier Libby was set aside, but today it may be the most modern of all—it has already made a strong comeback in England and Wales, where it ranks Number 139.
  18. Nate

    • Origin:

      English diminutive of Nathan or Nathaniel, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "given"

    • Description:

      Very much in style, especially after its starring role in Six Feet Under, Nate is one of a new generation of nicknames that go directly on the birth certificate. Other similar names: Sam, Jack, Mack. But Nate is arguably fresher and cooler than many nickname-names.
  19. Ash

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Asher, English

    • Meaning:

      "ash tree"

    • Description:

      Ash has Southern charm plus the arboreal-nature appeal. Plus your little boy will prize Ash as the name of the hero of the Pokemon cartoons. Ash can also be a dashing short form of Asher, Ashton, or any other "Ash" name.
  20. Tripp

    • Origin:

      Word name

    • Description:

      The extra p makes Tripp more of a name and less of a Trip. Usually a nickname of a boy who's a third, but Tripp is sure to get more attention in its own right now as the name of Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol and Levi Johnston's son.