Nickname Names

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

Zalie -- which may be styled Zayley or Zaylee or Zaylie, among other spellings -- might be a short form of the flower name Azalea or may also be a cute modern nickname-name used on its own. You might think of it as a member of the squad of names that include Bailey, Hayley, Kaylee and so on, which is always welcoming new members and is one of the prime group of cute baby names.

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

Meg, perennially one of the Little Women, is a Margaret short form that manages to be neither quite in nor quite out of style. Meg is sleeker and more sophisticated than Maggie, more contemporary than Peg, more stylish than Megan, and still one of the best diminutives of Margaret.

Meg Ryan was born Margaret Mary Emily Anne.

Kick is a word name that some parents might use for their baby in utero — akin to Bean or Booboo — but it's increasingly being heard as a word name especially used in the middle, a la Jeremy Sisto for son Bastien. The Kennedy family has historically called daughters Kathleen "Kick" for short, and Kick can work as a nickname for a whole range of names male and female, from Nicholas to Keturah.

Gone with Richard and Rick, Ricky has been falling since the turn of the 21st century. Probably still suffering from overuse in the 1990s.

Ash is a gender-neutral choice that calls to mind the '80s favorite: Ashley. But view it as a nature name -- as in the tree, not the charred bit of soot in the fireplace -- and it makes a cool choice that fits with today's trends.

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

Sam as a name standing on its own was given to only 18 girls in 2021, versus over 400 boys. But as a short form it's appealing and down-to-earth for both sexes, and heard far more often: There were over 2500 baby girls named Samantha in the US in one recent year and more than 8500 boys named Samuel, so you will hear the name Sam a lot more often than you might guess judging by the numbers for this short form. Like the wildly popular Charlie, Sam is a nickname that works equally well as a girls' name as a boys'. All forms considered, Sam is still one of the most popular names that start with S.

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?

Vintage nickname for Roberta or Barbara, most famously borne by Roberta "Bobbie" in Edith Nesbit's classic The Railway Children. Bobbie is one of the adorable boyish nicknames newly fashionable for girls, with all the appeal of Billie but without the popularity (yet!).

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

After a century of association with horses and cows, this name just could be ready for revival by a fearless baby namer -- after all, it did happen to Jessie and Becky.

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.

Short and feminine, Ria has a rhythmic flow.

Richie was once a popular enough nickname for Richard that it made the Top 1000 all by itself. It's seriously out of style now -- though still a better choice than Dick or even Ricky.

Consider this short form for your little Richard.

Britney Spears' little sister Jamie Lynn was one of the first to put this nickname on the birth certificate. Cute for a child, but we recommend giving her the option of the full name for later use.

Siggy can be a short form of any name that starts with Sig-. Most Sig- names have Germanic origins, like the Scandinavian names Signe and Sigrid. In this context, Siggy means "victory".