Nickname Names

A surprising number of parents choose to put the nickname Tommy on their son's birth certificate rather than the more traditional Thomas. Perhaps even more surprising is thE fact that Tommy has never been off the United States popularity charts. More recently, however, the name has been trending downward.

Gently old-fashioned stand-alone nickname that owes its popularity to mega popular Abigail.

This nickname for popular and traditional Joseph has a long history of being used as a given name all on its own. Nonetheless, everyone will always assume that Joey is short for the longer form. It might be nice for a potential son to have the option of a more professional and classic name to fall back on.

Lilibet is the fanciful short form of Elizabeth first noted as the childhood nickname of Britain's queen and now made contemporary as the name of the newborn daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex — aka Harry and Meghan. The nickname Lilibet originally derived from Elizabeth II's first pronunciation of her own name.

A sweet, nostalgic nosegay kind of name, Posy has been long fashionable in England, a country of gardeners, but this pretty bouquet-of-flowers name is still rarely heard in the US, though it could be seen as a more unusual possible alternative to Rosy or Josie.

The sweetest and most sensitive of the pet names for Elizabeth, now also one of the most dated.

Old time nickname that's starting to sound fresh again, à la Alfie and Freddie.

The name Barney is hot among hip Londoners and it has been above the Top 500 in the UK since 2012. You can see why - it's got a friendly happy sound and a lovely meaning and is more easily worn than Barnabas. However, Barney is a more difficult sell in America, due to Barney the Dinosaur and Barney Gumble, the loveable lout from The Simpsons. In the positive column for Barney are jazz clarinetist Barney Bigard and guitarist Barney Kessel. For those who love the name but can't get past the dinosaur, may we suggest the related names Bernard or Barnaby?

Long a royal nickname in England, it's coming back there along with Archie and Alfie. British singer Kate Bush calls her little boy Bertie.

Artie is a cute short form rarely given on its own, unlike the more grownup Art. But for a young Arthur, it's adorable.

Drawn from old record books, Kiah is an antiquated nickname that feels perfectly appropriate for modern times -- maybe more so than father name Hezekiah.

Mitzi is a spunky German nickname name that might appeal to parents drawn to the genre of lively vintage chorus girl names that proliferated in 1930's musicals. Lively entertainer Mitzi Gaynor--who was originally named Francesca Marlene de Czani von Gerber--made the name notable in mid-century America.

Where have all the Freds gone? We haven't seen many since the days of Flintstone and Munster. But it could be time for a comeback--if you think more of the sophistication of Fred Astaire, and of other nice guy names like Jack and Charlie and Sam.

Rakish nickname able to stand on its own.

The sidekick in almost every movie or TV show with an Italo-American setting, this once common name has now fallen onto the endangered list, given to fewer than 50 baby boys each year.

This adorable cross cultural name updates Naomi and offers an accessible Japanese option. Strikes the right balance by being distinctive without seeming strange.

Misha was a boys' name with a soft feminine sound and vowel ending until actress Mischa Barton turned it to the girls' side. Now Misha, like Sasha, works as well in either spelling for girls and boys. Misha might be a way to update Michelle or Micaela.

Until recently Ward was, like Wally, a Cleaver name, but today's parents are seeing it as a cooler nickname for Edward than Eddie, and are also beginning to use it on its own.

One of those midcentury shortenings that are starting to sound cool again, though we prefer Van.

This cool and quirky short form of the suave Ludovic could be an even-more-adventurous spin on Nico and Hugo.