Jazzy Nicknames

Sonny

English

"son"

Sonny is one of the generic boy nickname names making a surprise reappearance, and it was recently used by actor Jason Lee. Another surprise: It's been on the US Top 1000 list every year since 1927,…

King

English

"monarch"

King is a name that sends a mixed message. While some might think of it as more fitting for a canine, others see it as a strong name with offbeat style and a full court of rich associations, from Dr.…

Duke

English rank of nobility

While John Wayne and Duke Ellington are worthy role models, the reason Duke is currently enjoying a revival and returned to the Top 1000 in 2013 as one of the year's fastest-rising boys’ names is…

Junior

Latin

"young"

The line should end with Junior Soprano. While most would expect this to be a nickname rather than an actual given name, Junior has always ranked in the US Top 1000, hitting its peak in 1925 at…

Bud

English nickname

"friend"

An upbeat and friendly nickname, Bud is more often reserved as a term of endearment, though it was once a Top 500 choice in the US and remained in the charts right up until the 60s. While long-form…

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…

Nat

English, diminutive of Nathan or Nathaniel

Just the kind of old-fashioned nickname coming back into style.

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…

Baby

Word name

Usually reserved as a term of endearment, Baby is likely used as a name when parents have yet to choose an official one but need to register their baby. For a girl, it can be considered a nickname…

Lucky

English word name

"having good fortune"

Recently chosen by singer Elle King for her son. Lucky is a name that could see a considerable rise in the near future, as word names continue to heat up.

Thad

Short form of Thaddeus or variation of Tad

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.

Chet

Diminutive of Chester, English

"fortress, walled town"

Chet is an old-fashioned short form of Chester, that like Ned, Mac, Ted, and Wes, it has the potential to sound cool again. Country singer Luke Combs and his wife Nicole, certainly thought so as they…

Red

Color name

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

Tad

Diminutive of Thaddeus, Aramaic

"gift of God"

An approachable mini name that could go on the birth certificate, but may work best as a nickname. Full name options include Thaddeus, Theodore, and Thomas, which was the given name of Abe's son Tad…

Bunk

Bunk is an uncommon masculine name that likely originated as a nickname before occasionally being adopted as a given name. It may derive from the German 'bunke' meaning 'bone' or could be a short…

Gus

Diminutive of Augustus, Angus, Gustave, Augustin, Augusten, Augustine, August

Gus is a homey grandpa nickname name that can work as a short form for any of the above or stand on its own as a cutting-edge replacement for Max and Jake--though it was off the Top 1000 from 1978…

Bix

Modern nickname

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…

Blue

Color name

Among the coolest of the cool color names, particularly popular with celebs as a unisex middle name. While most famous as the name of Beyonce and Jay-Z's daughter Blue Ivy, more than 60 percent of…