We have all heard the Shakespearean saying "what's in a name?", but today we are asking, "what's in a nickname?"

The early 2000s and 2010s were defined by parents exploring increasingly unique full names accompanied by a popular, playground-safe nickname for everyday use. Thus was the era of Leopold "Leo", Maxfield "Max", Elowen "Ellie", and Calliope "Callie".

While this phenomenon certainly has not gone anywhere, we are seeing more and more parents in the 2020s swaying towards the opposite avenue — a classic, traditional name with a fun and unexpected nickname.

This combination of classic and quirky names creates the best of both worlds — a strong, timeless name on the birth certificate, as well as a distinct name for everyday use that promotes a sense of individuality (instead of being one of three Emmys in a classroom).

The world may know them by the ancient, whimsical, and powerful Clio – this is the first impression name that each new person they meet will associate them with, and is arguably more important than what is on the birth certificate. But it will be sturdy and steady Caroline that will go on the Kindergarten roster, future job applications, and maybe one day the Presidential ballot.

Versatile Classic Names

The most versatile of classic names have several distinct nickname options that traverse various naming styles and baby name genres.

While many parents may choose the timeless Elizabeth for their daughters, the nickname you choose to present your child to the world with can carry as strong of a message as what is officially on the birth certificate.

Elle feels sleek and sophisticated, while Betty is cozy and vintage. Zibby feels lively and playful, while Beth is sweet and demure. You may instead gravitate towards Elsie, Libby, Birdie, Lilibet, Bess, Liza, or any of the array of lovely nicknames that the name Elizabeth brings. Or you may prefer the sturdy and regal feel of the full name Elizabeth with no nickname at all.

Versatile classic names like Elizabeth have four or more distinct established nickname options with different vibes to match various personalities. These names lead to a number of nickname choices to follow the individual through every age and stage of their life.

Here are several of the most versatile classic names with a range of nickname potential. Some of these nicknames are familiar and popular, others are forgotten gems, while others still feel cool and modern.

Alexandra — Allie, Alex, Alexa, Lexi, Lexa, Sandy, Sandra, Andra, Xandra, Sasha

Beatrice — Bea, Beadie, Tris, Trixie, Birdie, Betty

Caroline — Caro, Carol, Carly, Carrie, Caz, Caddie, Callie, Lina, Liney

Dorothy — Dora, Dory, Dot, Dottie, Dolly, Dodie, Thea

Eleanor — Elle, Ella, Ellie, Leni, Lena, Nell, Nella, Nellie, Nora, Nori, Noor

Elizabeth — Elle, Ellie, Liz, Lizzie, Lissy, Liza, Lisa, Eliza, Elise, Beth, Betty, Betsy, Birdie, Billie, Elsie, Elsa, Bess, Bessie, Zibby, Libby, Lily, Lilibet, Bitsy, Buffy

Emilia — Em, Emmy, Millie, Mila, Mia, Mimi, Lia

Genevieve — Gen, Genny, Ginny, Evie, Eve, Viv, Vivi, Vee, Gigi

Isabella — Izzy, Isa, Belle, Bella, Ella, Ellie

Josephine — Jo, Jojo, Josie, Joss, Posy, Effie, Fifi, Sephie, Phina

Katherine — Kat, Kate, Katie, Kathy, Katya, Kit, Kitty, Kay

Margaret — Maggie, Greta, Daisy, Peggy, Mae, Meg, Margie, Maisie, Madge, Margot

Matilda — Mattie, Tilly, Tilda, Maude, Millie

Miriam — Mira, Miri, Mimi, Mim, Midge

Penelope — Penny, Penn, Nell, Nellie, Pippa, Lola, Poppy, Polly

Rosemary — Ro, Rose, Rosie, Rosa, Romy, Mary, May, Mamie

Susannah — Sue, Susie, Suki, Sosie, Sanna, Sunny, Suki, Anna, Annie, Zuzu

Victoria — Vicky, Vic, Tori, Tor, Ria, Vivi, Vita

Alexander — Al, Alex, Lex, Xan, Xander, Anders, Andy, Ender, Sasha, Sander

Charles — Charlie, Chuck, Chip, Chaz, Chad

Christopher — Chris, Kit, Kip, Toph, Topher, Chip

Edward — Ed, Eddie, Ted, Teddy, Ned, Ward

Frederick — Fred, Freddie, Ed, Eddie, Rick, Ricky, Fitz, Fritz, Eric

Jeremiah — Jerry, Jem, Miah, Remy

Jonathan — Jon, Jonny, Jonah, Jack, Jonty, Nat, Nate, Nathan

Laurence — Laurie, Lorry, Larry, Lonny, Lance, Law, Ren

Nathaniel — Nate, Nat, Nathan, Thane, Thaniel, Neil

Nicholas — Nick, Nicky, Nico, Nikos, Cole, Colin, Klaus, Nils

Robert — Rob, Robbie, Bob, Bobby, Robin, Bert, Bertie

Sebastian — Seb, Sebby, Bas, Baz, Bastian, Bash

Theodore — Theo, Ted, Teddy, Thor, Teo, Tor

William — Will, Willie, Bill, Billy, Liam, Wim, Wilkie, Wils

Interesting Nicknames for Classic Names

More and more parents are looking beyond the obvious and established nicknames for something fresh and fun.

A creative nickname can make a dull classic once again feel noveau and inspiring. If you love Charlotte, consider Arlo instead of Charlie. If you could like to honor grandpa William but just can't have another Bill or Will in the family, how about Wiley?

We've broken our selection of intriguing nicknames for classic names into five categories that cover a range of baby name styles, but all of these pairings of traditional full names and fun nicknames are ripe for picking in 2024.

Vintage Nicknames

Vintage nicknames are all the rage in 2024, with Millie, Elsie, Hattie, and Evie for girls and Teddy, Archie, Leo, and Sonny for boys establishing themselves both as fast-rising stand alone names and popular nicknames.

The UK in particular has taken this trend into stride, with Maisie, Lottie, and Hallie, Freddie, Alfie, and Reggie ranking within the top baby names in England.

If you love this antique nickname style but would prefer something a bit more unexpected, try Minnie instead of Millie, Aggie instead of Addie, or Hal instead of Harry.

Here are our selection of classic names with well-established history that can be elevated by an underused and playful vintage nickname.

Abigail — Aggie

Adeline — Della

Florence — Flossie

Helena — Nell

Josephine — Posy

Madeline — Minnie

Marianne — Marnie

Matilda — Maude

Susannah — Sosie

Violet — Lettie

Abraham — Bram

Albert — Bertie

Harold — Hal

Isaac — Ike

James — Jem

Jasper — Perry

Leonard — Lenny

Michael- Mac

Solomon — Moe

Walter — Wally

Gender neutral nicknames:

One of the fastest-rising trends emerging in recent years is pairing a classic and timeless name with a modern and opposite-energy nickname. At Nameberry we recently coined these "Two-in-One Names".

We see this trend particularly evident as parents gravitate towards feminine full names paired with boyish nicknames, such as Charlotte "Charlie", Aurora "Rory", and Georgia "Georgie".

On the opposite end of the spectrum, many parents today are attracted to soft, gender-neutral — or even feminine-leaning — nicknames for boys, such as Julian "Jules", Asher "Ash", or Jameson "Jamie".

As parents continue to challenge gender norms — exploring strong "masculine" girl names as well as soft "feminine" boy names — the "Two-in-One Name" route allows for the best of both worlds with a more traditionally gendered name to fall back on in the future if they so wish.

If a classic name with a gender-neutral nickname appeals to you, here are some out-of-the-box ideas to expand your horizons past Charlie.

Alexandra — Andie

Caroline — Cal

Charlotte — Arlo

Katherine — Kit

Isabella — Billie

Martha — Marty

Rebecca — Beck

Scarlett — Scottie

Theresa — Reese

Veronica — Nico

Andrew — Rue

Arthur — Ari

Charles — Harley

Edwin — Win

Gregory — Rory

Isaac — Izzy

Jeremy — Remy

Joseph — Joss

Lawrence — Wren

Victor — Tory

Cool nicknames:

Disclaimer — we think all of the categories of nicknames in this blog are cool. With that being said, these nicknames are objectively the epitome of cool in 2024.

Bold and bright, these nicknames perfectly encapsulate the trends of today while standing out in any classroom.

Neo-cowboy names like Huck, Bo, and Wiley are a great fit, as well as cool word names like Red, Mars, and Thane.

Many of the coolest nicknames today end in the letter O, such as Clio and Geo. Traveling lite names — two syllable names ending in -i — also fit the bill, such as Leni and Esti.

Caroline — Clio

Esther — Esti

Genevieve — Neve

Juliette — Jette

Lillian — Lilo

Lucinda — Indie

Margaret — Mars

Olivia — Via

Sarah — Zadie

Valentina — Leni

Frederick — Red

George — Geo

Henry — Huck

Nathaniel — Thane

Oscar — Oz

Robert — Bo

Samuel — Sully

Theodore — Thor

William — Wiley

Zachary — Ziggy

International nicknames:

If you venture outside of the English-speaking world, you will find endless nickname inspiration stemming from classic names that bridge cultures.

Try the Scandinavian Nils as a nickname for Nicholas, French Zabou for Isabella, Spanish Cisco for Francis, or Dutch Sanne for Susannah.

Here are our favorite traditional diminutives of classic names with an enticing international flair.

Adelaide — Heidi

Alexandra — Sassa

Anna — Anouk

Felicity — Zita

Isabella — Zabou

Charlotte — Lotta

Katherine — Kaja

Margaret — Marit

Susannah — Sanne

Victoria — Vita

Alexander — Ender or Sasha (we couldn't pick just one!)

Benjamin — Benno

Christopher — Kester

Francis — Cisco

Frederick — Fritz

Nicholas — Nils

Richard — Rico

Thomas — Tam

Vincent — Enzo

William — Wilkie

Eccentric nicknames:

Now for the most eccentric, spirited, and quirky of the bunch. These nicknames are not for the tame namer, nor will they be everyone's cup of tea.

And we have to admit that some of these get a bit stretchy — so amp up the imagination. Other pairings have real-world cred, such as actress Elizabeth "Beanie" Feldstein, or Nabby — the nickname used by President John Adam's daughter Abigail.

If you tend to gravitate towards the more unconventional and whimsical spectrum of baby names, these just may tickle your fancy.

Whether you use these quirky nicknames as an 'everyday name' or as an affectionate family nickname, you can't deny these pairings are full of fun. And at the end of the day, there is a safe and solid classic name to headline their future job applications.

Abigail — Nabby

Adelaide — Lady

Beatrice — Bizzy

Christina — Cricket

Clementine — Minty

Dolores — Lolly

Elizabeth — Beanie

Felicity — Flick

Penelope — Pepper

Scarlett — Scout

Dominic — Dino

Jacob — Cub

John — Jonesy

Patrick — Patch

Philip — Pip

Richard — Dickens

Sebastian — Satch

Thomas — Moss

Timothy — Moth

William — Whimsy

What are your favorite quirky and creative nickname ideas for classic baby names? Head over to the forums to share your own inspiration!