Vintage Nicknames for Boys

Mose is the German variation of Moses, a widely familiar name thanks to the character in the Old Testament. Mose is also used a nickname for Moses.

Once a birth order name, now might work as a cool x-ending nickname. But be warned that it sounds very close to an unfortunate slang term.

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

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.

Soft and mellifluous nature-surname name, situated miles away from the dated Marshall.

These days Finney is most likely a pet form of Finn, but it was once a standard nickname for the biblical Phineas.

Whether it's an Asian surname-name or short for Channing, has a sound and feel that's both simple and stand-out.

Adds some dash and substance to Lon.

The Biblical Abijah might be temporarily lost to time, but this antiquated short form could move with it into the modern era.

Surname from a landscape feature, associated with author Gore Vidal and Bill Clinton's Vice President Al Gore. Its alternative meaning - as in gory - may explain why it's never made it into the charts.

Many emotional, virtuous word names are coming back into style, but Happy feels unlikely to be revived. This could be because it doesn't have a solid history of being popularly used (in comparison to Joy) and because it's such a familiarly used word in day to day life (unlike Valor).

Simple short form of Tobias that feels more distinctly masculine than Toby.

In the 18th century, Tiah was seen as a nickname for the biblical name Azariah. Nowadays it's used a variation of the feminine names Thea and Tia.

The old-school cool nickname Hap is a (mostly) bygone short form of classic H names for boys like Henry, Harold, and Harrison. Several notable Haps — including former New Jersey senator Hap Farley — were first nicknamed Happy, later shortened to Hap.

Hoke is a surname name with a Southern feel, thanks to Morgan Freeman's character in the Oscar-winning movie Driving Miss Daisy. Parents may have passed this name by because of the similarity to hokey and hokum, slang for exaggerated or contrived. But there's at least one distinguished bearer: Chicago journalist Hoke Norris, famous for his coverage of the Civil Rights movement.

As its parent name Roland comes back into style (yep, it’s happening), could there be an uptick in baby Rollies? Certainly as a pet form.

Ancient nickname that sounds cuter than its modern alternatives -- but be aware that in the days of the horse and buggy, it was most often used for the horse.

Sounds a bit like a nickname in a Dickens novel, but this short form was used in New England a few centuries ago, back when names like Micajah were popular. Both short and long forms are now ripe for revival.

The Biblical Simon has been rediscovered and this appealing short form, an alternative to Sam, might be a way to make your Simon even more special.