Crazy Nicknames for Boys

Sure, and we hope he has a good time playing with Buster and Buddy.

Flip is a cute, attitude-filled nickname for the very proper Philip and variations. A perfect choice if you're looking for a buttoned-up proper name with an informal short form.

A boy with this name is certain to be bombarded with "What's up, doc?" every day of his life. Even Doctor would be preferable.

When Kate Hudson named her second son Bingham and announced that she would be calling him Bing, it put this zingy nickname name out on the table. Before that, there was only one, further nicknamed Der Bingle -- and he was really Harry Lillis Crosby.

One of the magical words of childhood (and beyond), and associated with actor Treat (born Richard) Williams, whose nickname came from ancestor Robert Treat Williams, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Traditional African name made cartoonish by the Disney character in The Lion King. In Shona it means "strength".

Tolly is an antique short form that is not only jolly but makes Bartholomew usable in the modern world, when Bart is too Simpsonesque. For the adventurous nicknamer, Tolly might even be a novel short form of Oliver.

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.

Kitto updates Dad Name Christopher with a trendy o-ending short form. Use it as an honor name or an original nickname.

This is a name you get stuck with, not (we hope) one your parents choose for you.

A popular choice for black cats, Jinx was also given to 5 boys in 2023. Previously, it had been largely given to a small number of girls each year and appeared in the James Bond movie "Die Another Day" on a character played by Halle Berry.

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.

A forgotten nickname for Columbus, which itself is becoming ever rarer. Radio comedy program Lum and Abner, which ran for over two decades beginning in 1931, featured a character named Columbus "Lum" Edwards.

Short form of Alfred that had fallen out of favor, but could come back alongside Alfie and other clunky old-style nicknames like Gus and Ike.

Flash Gordon makes this a superhero name, but Flash might just appeal to modern parents looking for one of the new active boys' names, ala Ace and Breaker and Ranger. We'd recommend something more pulled-together as a proper name with Flash as a nickname or middle name.

Mingo is a cute nickname of the Spanish version of Dominic. It's not to be confused with Mungo, the name of the patron saint of Glasgow.

The original southern Good Ol' Boy.

This is a Scottish pet form of John, the equivalent of Jack in England. Has long been used as a generic name for a Scotsman, here it's a generic name for a--well--jock.