'Nickname' names

Dottie and Dot are old Dorothy nicknames that some cutting-edge Brits are bringing back to fashion. It's been half a century since Dottie ranked on its own in this country, one of those nickname names that flourished in the 1890's.

This endearing nickname name is one Katherine pet form that predates all the Kathys and Katies, having been fairly common in the eighteenth century. With the current mini-craze for animal-related names, Kitty is sounding cute and cuddly again—she's already jumped back onto the U.K. list, at number 199.

Any number of Fitz names -- Fitzgerald, Fitzpatrick, Fitzroy, Fitzwilliam -- have been used as Christian names, in fact Fitzwilliam was the given name of the dashing Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. Fitz can be a short form of any of them and is often, like Mac, a nickname drawn from a surname.

Posey is fashionable in England, a country of gardeners, but this pretty bouquet-of-flowers name is only starting to be heard here.

A surprise recent hit revival with cutting-edge British, Tribeca and Malibu parents; Tillie, also spelled Tilly, is cute, frilly, and sassy all at once. Tilly is currently Number 90 on the England-Wales popularity list, joining such other Top 100 nickname names as Milly, Maisie, Kitty and Lottie. Tillie along with these other short forms transform proper names rooted in other cultures into true English names for girls.

Introduced by model Emme (born Melissa) and now a legitimate member of the Em-starting girls' name group, especially since it was chosen by Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony for their twin daughter.

Wheezy short form of lovely name, featured in the movie "Steel Magnolias", spelled as Ouiser. Similar, literary Ouida is less breathy, while Lou, Lulu, Lula, Lissy or Whizz might appeal instead.

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