Girls' Nickname Names

Cassie

Diminutive of Cassandra, Greek

"prophetess"

Though not much in use, still retains a cozy Little House on the Prairie-type pioneer feel.

Cass

English diminutive of Cassandra or Cassia, Greek

"shining or excelling man; cinnamon"

Ties to the unfortunate Mama are now unraveling, leaving Cass or Cassie to stand on its own as a fresher sounding Cathy or Kate. With gender-neutral names abound and the growing trend of boyish…

Mellie

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…

Miri

Miri is a charming feminine name with diverse cultural roots. In Hebrew, it means 'bitter' or 'rebellion,' though it's often associated with Miriam. In Swahili, Miri suggests 'mystery,' while in…

Roxy

Diminutive of Roxanne, Persian

"dawn"

Roxy, also spelled Roxie, is one of those high-stepping showgal names with plenty of moxie, among the many sassy nickname names on the U.K. popularity list--currently Number 398. The fictional…

Christie

English diminutive of Christina, Greek

"a Christian"

One of the coolest girls in the class of '73, still cute but not quite as youthful.

Chrissie

Chrissie is a feminine name that functions as a diminutive of Christina or Christine, both derived from the Greek 'Christos' meaning 'anointed one.' Popular throughout the 20th century, particularly…

Kim

English diminutive of Kimberly; Vietnamese; Scandinavian diminutive of Joachima; Soviet name

Kim was the coolest name... of the 1960s. Kim was popularized by actress Kim Novak, and its energy is still maintained by rapper Lil' Kim, but it holds lil' or no appeal for new babies. Parents who…

Debbie

English diminutive of Deborah, Hebrew

"bee"

The quintessential friendly fifties name, nearly epidemic in its day. Now many grownup Debbies have reverted to the full and lovely form of their name, which modern parents often avoid because of the…

Meg

Diminutive of Margaret, Greek

"pearl"

Meg, perennially one of the Little Women, is a Margaret short form that manages to be neither quite in nor quite out of style. Meg is sleeker and more sophisticated than Maggie, more contemporary…

Peggy

Diminutive of Margaret, Greek

"pearl"

Just when we had written off Peggy as the eternal perky, pug-nosed prom-queen she projected from the 1920s into the fifties, along came Mad Men , with intriguing mid-century characters with names…

Mandy

Diminutive of Amanda, Latin

"she must be loved"

A seventies favorite, Mandy once appeared in the US Top 100, joined by the likes of Brandi, Kristy, Nancy, Lori, and Misty. By the mid-2000s, it had fallen out of favor, and while long form Amanda…

Cammie

Cammie is a feminine name that typically functions as a diminutive form of names like Camilla, Cameron, or Campbell. With Scottish and Latin origins, its ultimate meaning relates to 'one who assists…

Cindy

English diminutive of Cynthia, Greek, or Lucinda, Spanish and Portuguese

"moon goddess, woman from Kynthos; "

Cindy as a name in its own right made it into the Top 20 in 1957 and remained a Top 200 girls' name until the end of the 20th century. Although it's fallen precipitously since then and left the Top…