User-created list
By classifiedcosmos · Updated June 2026
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Short form of Melissa, Amelia, Melanie and related names
Mellie is not Millie and it's not Nellie, though it will forever be confused with those too more familiar nicknames. It's cute, too, and while some of the names it's usually short for may be sailing…
Diminutive of Esther, Persian
"star"
Este -- think Esme with a t -- comes to us via one of the rocking sisters in the musical group Haim. For long best known as the Esther diminutive used by cosmetics queen Estee Lauder, Este is a…
Diminutive of Mary, Miriam, and others
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…
Dollie is a feminine name that originated as a diminutive form of Dorothy (meaning 'gift of God') or Dolores (meaning 'sorrows'). Popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Dollie has a…
French nickname and Japanese
"double happiness"
Kiki is one of the Coco-Gigi-Fifi-Lulu bohemian-type French nickname names from the turn of the last century, which have endless energy and sparkle. Artist Kiki Smith is its most well-known…
Word name
"tea"
Most people are likely to associate the name Chai with tea, but it's also a Chinese surname and Hebrew masculine name. The video game series Soulcalibur features a female character named Chai.
Fruit name
Peach is one of those names that, a generation ago, would have been placed in the wacky celebrity baby name category. But now with the proliferation of word, nature, and yes, food names, Peach sounds…
English word name
"a fabric characterized by a short soft dense warp pile"
Velvet is a name that couldn't possibly be softer or more luxuriant. Many people have fond memories of it via the character of Velvet Brown, played by the young Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet ,…
Latin
"one, unity"
Ace is a retro nickname most often used for boys, as in Ace Ventura. While some celebrities have adopted it for their sons, there's nothing that makes this name exclusively male.
Variation of Sosi, Armenian, or diminutive of Susan or Sophie, Hebrew, Greek
"palm tree; lily; wisdom"
Sweet and cosy but with substance too, Sosie is a rare, multicultural name. Used as a short form of Susan, Sosan, Sophie and Sophia, it could make a fresh alternative to Suzy, Izzy, or Josie;…
Czech diminutive of Susan
"lily"
This sizzling nickname Zuzu is heard every Christmas as the name of Jimmy Stewart's little girl in "It's a Wonderful Life," but we love it all year round as a lively alternative to double names like…
English word name, diminutive of Barbara, Latin
"foreign woman"
Baby is rarely seen as a given name — or even nickname — these days, although it did rank in the Top 1000 from 1989 to 2003. These instances can be accounted for in two ways. Firstly, infants whose…
"clove"
Clove is a spice name that is a tad more piquant than Saffron or Cinnamon. It might get more attention now as a member of The Hunger Games family of names.
"mist"
Could be the next Nova, now that celestial baby names are in the ascendent.
"spell, curse, bringer of bad luck"
Jinx, a James Bond heroine name has an ominous meaning but kinetic energy. In the film "Die Another Day," the actual first name of the character played by Halle Berry is Giacinta. It could therefore…
"high quality"
Lux means light, but add an E and you get a modern word name that speaks of couture, quality and, well, luxury. Luxe has been in the baby name charts since 2010, and although still rare, was more…
English
"queen"
Wisecracking waitress name stuck in the luncheonette. Started as nickname for girls named Regina -- queen in Latin -- now mostly a canine choice.
Diminutive of Dorothy, Greek
"gift of God"
Dotty has a cheerful, playful quality that embodies vintage charm. It gained modest popularity in the mid-20th century, particularly during the 1930s-1950s when nickname-style given names were…
English, diminutive of Agatha and Agnes
Mauve-tinted nickname with vintage charm that could just follow in the footsteps of ABBIE. More prominent now as the nickname for the Texas A&M sports teams.
