Boyish Nicknames for Girls
- Artie
Origin:
CelticMeaning:
"bear"Description:
Artie is usually short for Arthur, but with boyish nicknames like Billie and Frankie rising it may be time to consider Artie for a girl too. Artie works as a sweet retro tomboy name, a possible nickname for Artemis or Arlette, and a way to honor Grandpa Arthur.
- Perrie
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"dweller near a pear tree"Description:
Perrie, a soft and playful twist on Perry, gained attention through Perrie Edwards, singer of the British girl group Little Mix. With its sleek -ie ending, Perrie fits right in with rising unisex names and stylish picks like Frankie and Stevie.
- Johnny
Origin:
Diminutive of JohnMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
A unisex nickname style name, similar in sound and feel to Andie, Candy, Indy, or Danny. For boys, it's the ultimate midcentury nickname. But with boyish names for girls like Scottie and Charlie trending, more parents may branch out to Johnny.
- Ozzie
Origin:
English, GermanMeaning:
"divine; deer"Description:
This zippy diminutive name has been rising up the charts in recent years as a cool unisex choice. The Ozzy spelling is currently more popular all round, however for girls the Ozzie spelling isn't too far behind. It was given to around 50 American girls in 2023, while Ozzy was chosen for 70.
- Robbie
Origin:
Diminutive of Roberta, English from GermanMeaning:
"bright fame"Description:
Roberta and Robert may be so far out they're...still out, but Robbie might make one of the trendy new boyish nicknames for girls a la Scottie and Charlie. Actress Margot Robbie gave it a surname spin.
- Niko
Origin:
Finnish variation of Nichoals; diminutive of Nikolaos, GreekMeaning:
"victory of the people"Description:
Niko was used for 14 baby girls in the US last year, and twin sister Nico for another 30 -- though that's still far fewer than the 1500 baby boys who were given one of those two names.
- Gus
Origin:
Short form of AugustaMeaning:
"great, magnificient"Description:
Boyish nicknames for girls are trending! Gus - short for the proper Augusta - fits alongside casual cool girls Jo and Lou. With August and Gus rising for boys, maybe Gus will be next to cross over.
- Rafa
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"happiness, prosperity"Description:
Sounds a bit like a shortening of Rafael or a condensation of Rafaela, but Rafa is a name in its own right. Whether you use it as a full name or a nickname, Rafa's casual coolness could allow it to follow in the footsteps of other tomboy names for girls, like Billie and Scout.
- Gussie
Origin:
Diminutive of Augusta, LatinMeaning:
"great, magnificent"Description:
Gussie fits the growing trend of boyish nicknames for girls - alongside Charlie and Frankie. But Gussie is a bit fussy — try Gus.
- Archie
Origin:
Diminutive of Archibald, TeutonicMeaning:
"truly brave"Description:
Cosy but cool, Archie has been a favorite nickname for boys in the UK since the 2000s. More recently, it re-entered the US Top 1000 after a 30 year absence and saw a big rise after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose it for their son in 2019. As a girl name, it has been occasionally used, albeit rarely.
- Mel
Origin:
Diminutive of MelanieMeaning:
"black, dark"Description:
Not one but two Spice Girls are named Mel, which led to it briefly being more popular for girls than boys in the 90s and early 00s, but it has now fallen out of favor for both sexes.
- 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.
- Teri
Origin:
English, diminutive of TheresaMeaning:
"to harvest"Description:
One of the original cool, sleek gender neutral names, but it's since lost that edge to hits like Leni and Teddy. Today's Teri would probably be Tess or Tessa.
- Cass
Origin:
Diminutive of Cassandra or Cassia, GreekMeaning:
"shining or excelling man; cinnamon"Description:
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 nicknames for girls, Cass may be on the up and up.
- Belles
Origin:
English, Scottish, French, SpanishMeaning:
"bell ringer; handsome, beautiful; beauties"Description:
Belles may look like a playful nickname to any of the stylish belle related names — and it could easily be used as such — however, it is also an occupational English surname, originally given to bell ringers, a Scottish surname meaning "handsome" or a French or Spanish word name meaning "beauties". It is currently rarely used as a given name.
- Teddi
Origin:
Short form of Theodora, GreekMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Now that Theodora (and Dorothea) are back, the adorable Teddi might work again for a baby girl. Teddi fits the rising trend of boyish nicknames for girls - alongside picks like Leni and Charlie.
- Albie
Origin:
Diminutive of Alba, Alberta or Albertine, feminine forms of Albert, GermanMeaning:
"noble and bright"Description:
Sweet old-school nickname name currently trending for boys in the UK, but could also be short for Alba, Alberta or Albertine. Part of a growing trend of using boyish nicknames for girls, Albie could be the next tomboy name to hit the playgrounds.
- Bernie
Origin:
Short form of Bernadette, Bernadine, or Bernice, GermanMeaning:
"brave as a bear"Description:
Bernie is an old school unisex nickname name, on the order of Bobbie or Willie. But with Billie and her tomboyish crew coming back, it's time to get Bernie on your radar! Bernie has a certain vintage charm and is boosted by the funky clunky Bernadette long form.
- Tommie
- Reggie
Origin:
Diminutive of Regina, LatinMeaning:
"queen"Description:
Boyish short form of Regina, which is so clunky it's cool. Reggie has a retro charm that feels fresh again. Female Reggies include Reggie Rocket from Rocket Power, adding a sporty, spunky vibe to this quirky name.