Boyish Nicknames for Girls
- Drew
Origin:
Diminutive of AndrewMeaning:
"strong and manly"Description:
Drew is an elegant formerly male-only alternative to Andy that joined the stylishly upscale Paige-Brooke-Blair sorority, thanks largely to Drew Barrymore. Barrymore comes by her first name legitimately: it was the maiden name of her paternal great-grandmother, Georgiana 'Georgie' Drew Barrymore, one of many esteemed actors in her family history.
- Jamie
Origin:
Diminutive of JamesMeaning:
"supplanter"Description:
Jamie is typical of the relaxed unisex names starting with J that seemed so cool in the sixties after decades of Jeans and Joans, though now pretty tepid. Jaime and even Jamey and Jayme are alternate spellings.
- Carly
Origin:
Feminine diminutive of CarlMeaning:
"free man"Description:
Though a couple of its more "creative" spellings—Carli and Karlee, for example—are still on the rise, this feminine form of Carl, popularized by singer Carly Simon in the 1970s, could by no stretch be considered fashionable. Despite its decline, the name has still seen some use in the entertainment industry, from Nickelodeon's iCarly to Canadian pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen.
- Casey
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"brave in battle"Description:
One of the original unisex Irish surname names, energetic Casey bounced onto the scene in the 1960s, then peaked in the 1980s for both boys and girls. Today Casey is having a resurgence for both girls and boys and re-entered the charts on the girls' side, likely due to the character Kayce Dutton (pronounced like Casey) on the hit show Yellowstone.
- Stevie
Origin:
Short form of Stephanie, GreekMeaning:
"garland, crown"Description:
Stevie survives as a short form of Stephanie thanks to the immortal Ms. Nicks. After a little more than a decade out of the limelight, she rejoined the US Top 1000 in 2014. It is now leading the trend of boyish nicknames for girls - standing alongside picks like Charlie and Scottie.
- Bo
Origin:
Norse nicknameMeaning:
"to live"Description:
This tiny but punchy name has multiple origins. It stands strong alone, but could be short for numerous names including Bonnie and Bodhi. In Mandarin Chinese, Bo means "wave".
- Andie
Origin:
Diminutive of Andrea, GreekMeaning:
"strong and manly"Description:
Boyish nicknames for girls are all the rage — just look at the success of Charlie, Frankie, Stevie, Billie, and Scottie in recent years. Andie has history as a nickname for Andrea, popularized by actress Andie Macdowell. This name has major cool girl appeal through Kate Hudson's portrayal of Andie Anderson in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Molly Ringwald's of Andie Walsh in Pretty in Pink.
- Ziggy
Origin:
German, diminutive of names beginning Sig/ZigMeaning:
"victory"Description:
Fitting in with Scottie, Stevie, Frankie, and Birdie, Ziggy is a nickname-y choice that feels energetic, cutesy, and cool. Borrowing star quality from Ziggy Stardust and Ziggy Marley, Ziggy is predominantly used on boys, however, since the death of David Bowie in 2016, it has been quietly gathering attention as a girls name, with 43 babies given the name in a recent year.
- Percy
Origin:
French surname from place name Perci-en-AugeDescription:
Percy is a traditional boys' name that could be cute and unexpected for a girl – perhaps as a short form for Persephone or Persis. Adventurous and literary Percy could follow in the footsteps of other boyish nicknames for girls, like Frankie and Charlie.
- Indy
Origin:
Short form of IndianaDescription:
Indie — as in indie films — is the more girlish version of the name, but earthy, gender-neutral Indy is catching up slowly and steadily. Indy entered the Top 1000 for girls for the first time in 2023 after rising over 100 places. For a longer full name, vibrant Indigo remains more and more stylish each year.
- Ettie
Origin:
French diminutiveMeaning:
"little"Description:
Ettie or Etty works as a nickname for any name with a prominent "et" sound, usually at the end: think Henrietta, Juliette or Colette. The -ette ending is a French diminutive suffix.
- Allie
Origin:
Variation or diminutive of Alexandra, Alice or Allison; Greek, German or ScottishMeaning:
"defending men or noble"Description:
Allie is one short form that's gotten so popular it's often used as a name on its own. Cute, friendly, yet we'd recommend using one of the proper names such as Alice to give your daughter an option.
- Ray
Origin:
Diminutive of Rachel or Raymond; word nameDescription:
Most female Rays used to spell their names Rae, but now the Ray Charles, ray-of-sunshine way is cool for both genders.
- Georgie
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"farmer"Description:
A spunky boyish diminutive in the vein of Frankie, Billie and Charlie, but far less popular in the US. Georgie could be a nickname for Georgia, Georgette, Georgina or Georgiana – or just use it as it is, as over 90 sets of American parents did in 2021.
- Lee
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"pasture, meadow"Description:
The original brief, breezy name is somewhat out of favor now even as a middle name. The Leigh spelling has more substance and is more identifiable as female.
- Benny
Origin:
Diminutive of Benjamina, Benedicte, or BernadetteMeaning:
"son of the right hand; blessed; brave bear"Description:
With Scottie, Stevie, Billie, and Frankie all on trend for girls, Benny could be another unisex nickname that catches on in the coming years. Influencer Jaci Marie Smith named her baby Benny Marie in 2024 and author Charmaine Wilkerson used the name on a female character in her popular novel Black Cake, as a nickname for Bernadetta. Beyond pop culture, 9 baby girls were called Benny in recent years.
- Eddie
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"prosperity"Description:
In the age of Billie and Charlie, Eddie seems like a plausible option for a girl – short for Edwina, Edith, Eluned or any girl name containing the letters E and D.
- Ollie
Origin:
Short form of Olive or Olivia, LatinMeaning:
"olive tree"Description:
Ollie is used less often as a nickname for the mega-popular Olivia or the stylish Olive than Ellie is for Eleanor or Allie for Allison. That may be because Ollie has a much longer use as a nickname for boys.
- Max
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"greatest"Description:
If Sam can make it as a girl's name, why not Max? Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's eldest daughter Maxima goes by Max, but you could also use it as a short form for Maxine, Maximilienne or even Margaux.
- Jules
Origin:
Latin; GreekMeaning:
"youthful; soft, downy"Description:
Jules is one of the adorable boyish nicknames newly fashionable for girls. It's rarer than Billie, with a cool and casual feel. It's use in the popular TV series Euphoria - where the character of Jules Vaughn was portrayed by Hunter Schafer - brought this name into the spotlight.