Nickname Names

Still one of the most appealing short forms, which goes a long way toward explaining the sustained popularity of Matthew. Matt is perennially the popular guy in high school, friendly, attractive, and comfortable with a baseball. Matty or Mattie are cute for a younger boy.

Though rarely heard now, Coy has been around for a century and was not an uncommon name a hundred years ago. There have been a couple of NFL players named Coy, Coy Bowles is in the Zac Brown band, and of course there was Coy Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard. Due to the flirty connotations of the word "coy", McCoy is a more popular and recommended choice today.

Every other little kid's name in 1957 but few Jameses are called Jimmy today; they're more often James or Jamie.

Swap two letters of Birdie and you get Bridie, a traditional diminutive of Bridget. Bridie fits perfectly with the trend for standalone vintage nicknames like Betty and Sadie, but is surprisingly rare.

A cute nickname, but June is a much better bet for the birth certificate.

Permanent property of that devilish little Simpson kid.

Unlike Jake or Sam, few parents put Mike on the birth certificate.

This mild-mannered short form was Queen of the Prom in the fifties and sixties, but today is mostly heard on TV's The Office (and of course as one of the founders of Nameberry).

One of the old-school nicknames -- think Ray, Vince, Frank -- that's on the brink of coming back into style. Name him Stanislav or Constantine and he'll have a groovier long form to fall back on.

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

A nickname occasionally given as a name in its own right. It doesn't have to be short for anything — comic physician Patch Adams's real first name is Hunter — but it could be a fun short form of Patrick.

This sweet nickname style name combines contemporary Indy with vintage Minnie. Popular in the 80s, it fell out of style by the mid-90s, but, with the likes of Annie, Edie, Ellie, Bonnie and Heidi getting more attention, could Mindy make a comeback?

Once the teenaged babysitter, now more likely to be the mom who hires her. The names many variations include Nickee, Nickie, Nickey, Nicky, Niki, Nikkee, Nikkey, Nikki, Nikkie, Nikky, and Niky.

Tim is a boyish short form very rarely given on its own.

A cutesy short form of Jordan that's never been overly popular. Pro Bowl wide receiver Jordy Nelson is one famous bearer.

Rock definitely has a macho image, if a somewhat caricatured one, ala The Rock. But with the rise of word names and also of tough guy names, Rock feels more plausible than it did a generation ago.

Kim was the coolest name... of the 1960s. Kim was popularized by actress Kim Novak, and its energy is still maintained by rapper Lil' Kim, but it holds lil' or no appeal for new babies. Parents who like Kim's short, sweet sound might look to a choice such as Sam, Lou, or Belle.

Innocent, sincere, and bright-eyed, and as outdated as its mother name, Gertrude.

Pim is traditionally a male nickname in the Netherlands, but its relative obscurity in the US would allow you to get away with using it for a daughter. This name has never been recorded in the US - for boys or girls. But it's style match with other slim, boyish nicknames for girls like Lou and Scout means Pim may not stay off the grid for much longer.

The ultimate midcentury nickname, retaining a good measure of retro charm, was chosen for her son by Mira Sorvino.