User-created list
Retro Nicknames
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Rillie
Rillie is an uncommon masculine name that may have originated as a diminutive form of names like Riley or as a surname that transitioned to first-name use. Despite being listed as masculine, it has a…
Sudie
Variation of Susanna, Hebrew
"lily"
Tempie
Diminutive of Temperance, English
"abstinence"
The natural short form of Temperance, which surprisingly was more common in the 2010s than any past decade. Temperance ranked in the Top 1000 from 2011-2014.
Vallie
Diminutive of Valentina or Valerie or word name, English, Latin
"strength, health; valley"
Vallie is one of those names that doubles up as a sweet, stylish nickname for several well-established choices and as a modern, nature-connected word name. A Top 1000 choice in the late 19th- and…
Verdie
Verdie is a feminine name with nature-inspired origins, derived from the French word 'vert' meaning 'green.' It emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when color names and nature themes…
Bea
English diminutive of Beatrice, Latin
"she who brings happiness"
Bea is a former old lady name that's cute again as a short form — and is now beginning to stand on its own. Bee is a variation that, like Bea, can work as a diminutive for any name that starts with…
Bessie
Diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
After a century of association with horses and cows, this name just could be ready for revival by a fearless baby namer -- after all, it did happen to Jessie and Becky. Bessie has been in use since…
Beth
English diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
The sweetest and most sensitive of the pet names for Elizabeth, now also one of the most dated.
Betsy
Diminutive of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
This Elizabeth nickname has a decidedly retro feel--think Betsy Ross and the Betsy Wetsy doll-- once seen as a perkier, younger-sounding alternative to Betty. But with Betty on the brink of a…
Bette
Diminutive of Elizabeth
Pronounced a la Bette (Betty) Davis or Bette (Bet) Midler, a twentieth-century relic. Though if the equally vintage Betty comes back, Bette may be close behind.
Betty
Diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
Combine the popularity of Betty White and Mad Men 's glamorous Betty Draper Francis, with the residual sweetness of Ugly Betty 's Betty Suarez, and the result is an impending return of the name. It's…
Buddy
English, nickname name
Until recently it was rarely used as a proper name; Buddy Holly, for example, was christened Charles, and Salinger's Buddy Glass was born Webb. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver did name his fourth child…
BUGSY
Buster
Modern nickname
An old-fashioned nickname in the Bud/Buzz/Biff mold; this one's kind of belligerent. Michelle Hicks and Jonny Lee Miller moved outside the box when they used it for their son--given the safer middle…
Butch
Nickname name
Old-school nickname ala Spike and Babe that's favored by some hipster parents.
Buzz
Modern nickname
Brother for Biff and Bud. McFly rocker Tom Fletcher transformed this from midcentury short form to modern cool name when he used it for his newborn son.
Cat
Diminutive of Catherine, Greek
"pure"
May be the most modern, stylish Catherine nickname: more unusual than Kate or Cate, with an animal and word name edge. Cat Power is a trendy folksinger.
Chip
Pet name for Charles
Only if you're madly nostalgic for sixties TV.
CURLY
Davey
Short form of David, Hebrew
"beloved"
Davey and Davy are frequently used for little boys but rarely appear on the birth certificate, Davy Crockett exempted.