Attitude Nicknames for Girls

In the contemporary US, Minka attracted notice via actress Minka Kelly, who played the gorgeous Lyla on Friday Night Lights.

Rarely given as a full name for baby girls, but occasionally used as a nickname for names such as Harriet and Henrietta.

A much more dynamic nickname than Nicky for any of the Nic-names. Nico was chosen by Thandiwe Newton for her daughter.

Actress Tilda Swinton injected this dated nickname name with some modern charm.

After a long time in limbo, Prudence is now so clunky it'a cool, and it's starting to make a comeback, along with other Puritan virtue names like Mercy, Patience, and Constance.

This can be a short form of any Greek girls' name starting with 'Ef', such as Efstraria or Efrosini. It has also been suggested as a possible nickname for Elizabeth.

The longer Isabella stays in the Top 10—and it's been there for more than a decade—the more we hear the nickname Izzy (especially if we watch Grey's Anatomy). it's just a matter of time before it stands on its own, as it has as a first name for the daughter of Eddie Murphy and Paige Butcher.

Fun, friendly and fresher than Jo or Josie as a nickname for Joanna or Josephine.

Dusty first became popular as a girl's name thanks to singer Dusty Springfield - born Mary. She used her childhood nickname professionally, and many parents embraced Dusty as a name for their daughters, especially in the 1970s. Singer Adam Levine and model Behati Prinsloo chose this distinctive name for their daughter in 2016, which might prompt a new generation of parents to consider the name.

Unlike the other fruit names that are just coming onto the baby name menu, Peaches is an old-timey nickname previously reserved for spangled showgirls, and now would be considered an outrageous -- verging on hip -- choice.

Pippi may be cute but isn't very practical. In addition to being forever Pippi Longstocking, there is that variant pee-pee spelling to consider. Try Pippa instead.

In Nabokov's notorious novel, Lolita is the pet name given by the pedophilic narrator, Humbert Humbert, to his victim: a young girl called Dolores and nicknamed Lola or Lo by her mother. Still, it seems that a few parents are prepared to look past this problematic association, seeing this as a offbeat option for those who defy convention. We would recommend thinking seriously about the background of this name before bestowing it on your daughter.

A classic short form of Henrietta, also seen as a nickname for Mehetabel.

Upper-crusty nickname occasionally used in Britain, particularly in 1930s novels featuring significant garden party scenes, but eclipsed here by Carrie et al.

If Ellie and Evie are fashionable, why not Elvie? This is a diminutive of the Anglicized version of the Irish name spelled Ailbhe.

High-kicking cohort of Coco, Gigi, Fifi, Kiki, et al.

This nickname-name is very popular in Germany, though Lottie is still the preferred version in the US. The problem, of course, is that you'll have to put up with a lotta jokes. See?

Tavi has been catapulted into the spotlight by teenage fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson. This cute name, previously not on anyone's scope, could be a way to honor an ancestral David or a short form of the luscious Octavia or could stand as a perfectly stylish name all on its own.

Fresher and more exciting than Vicki or Tori.

Freddie, especially with the ie ending, is one of the old-school boy-names-for-girls that came into vogue at the turn of the last century. Freddie, all on its own, ranked among the Top 1000 girl names until 1958, but in 2021 it was given to just 8 baby girls. Maybe that makes it prime for a comeback, ala Billie?