Stephen King Character Names

Tony, as in classy. Or To-nyyy, as yelled out a tenement window.

Richie was once a popular enough nickname for Richard that it made the Top 1000 all by itself, blending in with Ronnie, Reggie, Robbie, and Randy. In the US, it last appeared in the charts back in the 70s, but its still in style in the UK where a recent year saw it rank at the latter end of the charts, alongside Drew, Wilf, and Bobbie.

More commonly spelled JUDD, this is a strong but sensitive short form that can easily stand on its own.

A diminutive of Daniel that's been immortalized in odes ranging from 'Danny Boy' to 'Danny's Song.'

Fiery but slight middle name choice; much more apt to be a redhead's nickname.

Dick was a once-common short form of Richard; replaced by Rick or Richie, and finally by the full name itself. Rude meaning -- make that two rude meanings -- pretty much knocks this one out of consideration.

Chris is one of the longest-running and still most appealing unisex short forms, still used nearly equally for boys and girls. Though no longer fashionable, Chris still feels crisp and appropriate for both sexes.

This spelling adds a little more femininity to the neutral Lee. Leigh and sister Lee were quite popular in the 1960s and 1970s among the first cool wave of unisex names for girls, but now have vanished from the Top 1000. The Biblical Leah is preferred.

Unlike Jake or Sam, few parents put Mike on the birth certificate.

Most Bills today are dads...or grandpas. The younger Williams are usually nicknamed Will, or called by their full names.

Medieval name without much of a future.

One of the old-school nicknames -- think Ray, Vince, Frank -- that's on the brink of coming back into style. Name him Stanislav or Constantine and he'll have a groovier long form to fall back on.

Arnie is a nerdy-tipping-into-cute nickname that may rise again, if not for this generation of babies then for their babies. Look for it in the nurseries of 2050.

Much-used midcentury diminutive, now fallen far from favor even as a middle name.

A warm and cuddly nickname name, although he famously "kissed the girls and made them cry" in the old nursery rhyme.

Ralphie is one of those short forms that have been out of style for so long it just might have a chance of coming back in, if you can get past seeing it as a desperate attempt to cute-ify a stodgy old man's name.

Thad is a tad too slight to stand alone as a name, though as a short form of the imposing Thaddeus it's as serviceable as Ted or Ed.