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Crazy Nicknames for Girls

  1. Taffy
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "beloved friend"
    • Description:

      A diminutive of the (male) name Dafydd, the Welsh form of David. In the US, it's strongly associated with the candy.
  2. Babe
    • Origin:

      Word name or diminutive of Barbara
    • Description:

      You can call your baby "babe," but don't name her that.
  3. Juul
    • Origin:

      Dutch diminutive of Julia, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "youthful"
    • Description:

      This Dutch version of Jules is used for both girls and boys. The association with the vaping product of the same name (but different pronunciation) makes this one a no-go in the US.
  4. Gertie
    • Origin:

      Short form of Gertrude
    • Description:

      Gertie has a certain homespun charm, summoning to mind butter-yellow braids and denim overalls, summoning mind the adorable character played by little Drew Barrymore in E.T. Is the world ready for the return of Gertie and Gertrude? Maybe?
  5. Icy
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "icy"
    • Description:

      A short form of the modern coinage Icelyn that feels cool as a short form, but too frosty for a full name.
  6. Tipper
    • Origin:

      Irish, diminutive and variation of Irish surname Tabar
    • Description:

      The nickname of Mrs. Al Gore (born Mary Elizabeth), bestowed because her favorite childhood lullaby was "Tippy Tippy Tin," should remain her exclusive property.
  7. Busy
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Elizabeth
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      Yes, it's a word name, but Busy is also a rare pet form of Elizabeth. And yes, actress Busy Philipps was christened Elizabeth--she was given the nickname because she was such an active child. She must have been happy with the name, because she also gave her daughters adorable unique baby names, Birdie and Cricket.
  8. Nonie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Joan, English
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      A Colonial-era nickname for Joan.
  9. Idgie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Imogen or Imogene, Celtic
    • Meaning:

      "maiden"
    • Description:

      This cutesy nickname is best known as that of Imogene Threadgoode in the movie Fried Green Tomatoes.
  10. Beanie
    • Origin:

      Invented nickname
    • Description:

      Up-and-coming actress Beanie Feldstein is attracting attention toward her unusual — but rather cute — nickname. She was born Elizabeth Greer Feldstein but nicknamed "Elizabeanie" by her childhood nanny. It was later simplified to Beanie by her older brothers.
  11. Dovie
    • Origin:

      Short form of Dove or Deborah, nature name or Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "bee"
    • Description:

      Dovie was a fairly popular nickname name a century or more ago, dropping off the Top 1000 in the 1940s only to be heading straight back uphill now.
  12. Happy
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "happy, joy"
    • Description:

      Many virtue names have long been in style or have seen a resurgence in recent years. Happy, however joyous, seems unlikely to join this trend. This could be because it doesn't have a solid history of being popularly used (in comparison to Joy or Hope) and because it's such a familiarly used word in day to day life (unlike Verity or Felicity).
  13. Mint
    • Origin:

      English word name or diminutive of Araminta, English from Greek and Latin
    • Meaning:

      "mint; defender; yielding to prayer"
    • Description:

      You may be tempted to scoff at Mint as another wacky celebrity baby name — it was used by Dutch model Romee Strijd for her daughter in 2020 — but it's a far more legitimate choice than many would guess. Minty baby names for girls are having a style moment in Nordic countries — Mynte is a Top 50 name in Denmark, and Minttu ranks in Finland's Top 50. It's ultimately not so surprising that a well-traveled international star would choose to use the English variation of these names for her daughter.
  14. Barbie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Barbara
    • Description:

      Despite the voluptuous doll's various career choices, from astronaut to doctor, her name still remains a euphemism for "bimbo".
  15. Cookie
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "cookie"
    • Description:

      Cookie is most often used as a dog name, and it should stay that way.
  16. Pepita
    • Origin:

      Spanish, diminutive feminine variation of JosÉ
    • Description:

      Personification of pep.
  17. Fergie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Fergus
    • Description:

      One Fergie was an aberration. But two women with that nickname -- the duchess and the Black Eyed Pea -- might make a trend.
  18. Biddy
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "strength or exalted one"
    • Description:

      A once very common Irish diminutive of Bridget that has unfortunately been associated since the 18th century with a pejorative slang term for an old or fussy woman.
  19. Maxi
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "greatest"
    • Description:

      Diminutive of Maxine, Maxima or Maximiliane
  20. Pink
    • Origin:

      Color name
    • Description:

      The singer known as Pink (born Alecia) brought this hue onto the name-possibility palette, especially as a middle choice. Could Pink be the next Blue?