Short and cool with rugged charm, Wes is a rising star in the US, climbing the charts along side Wesley and Weston and joining other one syllable options such as Mack, Jett, Tate, and Brooks. Filmmakers Wes Anderson and Wes Craven lend the name a stylish and creative air, but it also has Old Western undertones thanks to its literal meaning, "west".

With its cool -X ending, Jax is an update on the classic nickname Jack, likely inspired by the rise of Jackson. It garnered attention in the US thanks to the game, Mortal Kombat II back in the '90s, and was pushed up the charts when it was used in the show Sons of Anarchy, in which Jackson "Jax" Teller is the central character.

Lou is usually a short form of Louise, Louisa, or Lucy in English-speaking countries, when Lou is used for girls at all. But in France and Germany, it's a fashionable choice all on its own, sure to gain even more widespread style credibility since Heidi Klum and Seal chose it for their daughter.

Fox is one animal name backed by a longish tradition, and then popularized via the lead character Fox Mulder on X Files. Fox is simple, sleek, and a little bit wild, and could make an interesting middle name.

Joy is from an older generation of word names, which also included Merry, Bliss, and Glory -- all of which exert a certain amount of personality pressure on a child. However, Joy, like Grace, Hope, and Rose, has crossed more into name-territory than other word choices, which lightens some of that pressure.

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.

Mia, Gia, and now Sia!

Though short and brisk, no nickname name could have a more creative image. Comic actor Chris O'Dowd named his son Art, as in his native Ireland it's used as a name on its own, separate from Arthur., coming from an ancient word for ""a bear,"" and used in the sense of ""outstanding warrior"" or ""champion."" A pagan High King of Ireland, Art’s rule was so honest that two angels hovered over him in battle.

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.

Sky is an ambigender nature name that was first legitimized as the character of Sky Masterson in the 1950 musical Guys and Dolls, played in the film version by Marlon Brando. It's a name we appreciate for its clear, wide-open feel, less hippyish than others like Rainbow and Starlight, and makes an appealing middle name possibility.

Khloe : Chloe :: Kleo : Cleo

A bright and optimistic middle name choice.

Loy is a short, distinctive masculine name with multiple origins. In English contexts, it often serves as a diminutive of Eloy or Loyal, carrying meanings of 'elegance' or 'faithfulness.' With Spanish and French roots, it can derive from Eligius, meaning 'chosen one.' This succinct name has medieval connections and historical usage across Europe. While never reaching widespread popularity in modern times, Loy maintains a steady if uncommon presence. Its brevity gives it a contemporary feel despite its historical roots. The name also appears in Irish contexts, possibly as an anglicized form of various Gaelic names. Its simplicity and cross-cultural character make it adaptable to various linguistic traditions.

Kids love Bob the Builder, but do they want to be Bob the Builder? Bob and Bobby have been out of style since the 1960s, but as vintage nickname-names -- Fred, Archie -- come back into vogue, Bob may tag along. Charlie Sheen used it for one of his twin sons.

In the well-known Dutch children's book series Jip and Janneke, Jip is a boy, but this cutesy nickname name can traditionally be used on both girls and boys.

A simple and appealing unisex Korean name with many possible meanings, depending on the hanja characters used. Coincides with the English word "sun", which is a nice bonus.

An interesting and attractive bicultural choice--the Hebrew version is used for babies born in spring, when turtledoves arrive--especially as a middle.

Bix is a cool and jazzy nickname name, thanks to that final x. It's largely associated with the legendary and influential cornet player (and inspiration for the novel Young Man With a Horn), Bix Beiderbecke. He was born Leon Bismark Beiderbecke and his nickname derived from his middle name.

There are a lot of little girls called Em today, but not that many named Em, just Em. As a first name, it's a bit reductive, especially with all the children named Emma, Emily, Emilia, Emeline, and onward. But we can see it working as a creative middle name, perhaps a clever way to honor Grandpa Mike?

As a nickname for one of the longer Z-starting choices, maybe, but not as a name unto itself.