Vintage Nicknames for Girls

This rarely used Old Testament name will inevitably set off a connection to thirst. Thirza was historically used as both an independent name and as a nickname for Theresa.

Rilla dropped out of the US Top 1000 in 1915, but it's starting to feel like an intriguing possibility again in this age of short, sweet, a-ending names for girls. It is traditionally a short form for names ending in -rilla, like Marilla from the Anne of Green Gables books (Anne's youngest daughter is Bertha Marilla, called Rilla for short). Rilla may also derive from the German word Rille, meaning "brook; stream".

Tallie is a seldom-heard nickname name that, with the ascendance of Hallie and Callie, we might just be hearing more of.

Doe is a soft and gentle-eyed middle name possibility and, like Fawn, one of the few animal names open to girls.

One of the few Lu- names that you've probably never heard of, Lulie could prove a good alternative for Luna, Lucy, and Lula.

Jeanie is a midcentury bobby soxer kind of nickname that might almost be so old it's new again.

Cute nickname of Angela and other angelic names, Angie is now being used on its own, although its popularity has fallen in recent years. That said, Angie is one of those surprising classics, hanging on in the girls' Top 1000 continuously since its inception in 1880.

Now that Theodora (and Dorothea) are back, the adorable Teddi might work again for a baby girl.

Diminutive of Imogen, rarely given as a standalone even in the UK, where Imogen is a Top 50 pick.

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 into the sunset (so long, Melody!), others like Amelia are rising through the ranks and may give Mellie a new chance to shine as a cute girls' nickname. Just be prepared for endless confusion.

A Colonial-era nickname for Joan.

This geographic name has lots of Gallic elan. France Nuyen is a French-Vietnamese actress who starred in the Broadway hit The World of Suzie Wong.

Gussie is fussy — try Gus.

So many short forms of Margaret, from Peggy all the way through Maggie and Megan, are outdated now that Mago has value simply by being undiscovered. But still, not very appealing.

A sweet (literally) and rare nickname for Charlotte. Lollie would also work as a short form of other names with a strong L sound, such as Elizabeth, Lauren, Lola, Lorelei, and Louisa.

Tib and Tibb originated in the 13th century as nicknames for Theobald (for boys) and Isabel and Isabella (for girls). As Isabel grew in popularity, Tib(b) was used more often on girls. By the 16th century, Tib was a term for a young girl, much like Tom was for young boys.

Prime pert-teenager name in midcentury TV shows, replaced by Maggie.

Winnet is a long-forgotten nickname for Winifred that was used in the US in the 18th and 19th centuries. These days, it's more often found in South Africa.