Nickname Names

Tory (and more commonly, Tori) is most often seen as a feminine nickname for Victoria. However, in terms of putting Tory — just Tory — on the birth certificate, boys have the leg up.

Slim may be too on-the-nose for the child of two beautiful models, but it's the name Nara Pellman and Lucky Blue Smith chose for their son, Slim Easy. Smith, who has daughters named Gravity Blue and Rumble Honey, is known for choosing outrageous word names. But Slim — when pronounced as "SLEEM" — can also be a short form of the Arabic name Slimane. This origin is shared with Pellman's middle name, Aziza.

Joss is more fashionable than Jocelyn or Josslyn. This is a short form that could be used independently, a la the singer Joss Stone. One of a troupe of adorable boyish nicknames newly fashionable for girls a la Lou and Charlie.

Audacious offshoot of Roxanne, the wayward heroine of the musical Chicago.

One of the sweet simple unisex names balanced enough to stand on its own.

The line should end with Junior Soprano. While most would expect this to be a nickname rather than an actual given name, Junior has always ranked in the US Top 1000, hitting its peak in 1925 at Number 116.

Chris is one of the longest-running and still most appealing unisex short forms, still used nearly equally for boys and girls. Though no longer fashionable, Chris still feels crisp and appropriate for both sexes.

Peaked in the 1940s, but still an amiable classic, a la Joe and Tom -- though rarely used on its own.

There are lots of Kathy moms and grandmas but very few babies, most of whom are now called Kate or Katie.

Cute, distinctive diminutive for this regal-sounding name.

Minty isn't a fresh word name — it's an old-fashioned nickname for Araminta, the romantic smoosh name coined by playwright William Congreve in 1693.

This once vivacious midcentury nickname is rarely used for modern babies.

One of the few Lu- names that you've probably never heard of, Lulie could prove a good alternative for Luna, Lucy, and Lula.

Jeanie is a midcentury bobby soxer kind of nickname that might almost be so old it's new again.

The archetypal diminutive, in every sense of the word. Bitsy enjoyed some use as a nickname in the era when children were named after family members and then called by a cute pet name: Chip, Skip, Babe, Bitsy. As a full name, it has made the US list only three times: in 1943, 1958 and 1962.

One of those casual down-home names last popular in the 1960s.

Last cool when Bogie roamed Casablanca.

A feminine multicultural nickname name perfectly able to stand on its own.

Babs is an old-fashioned nickname for Barbara, itself an old-fashioned name that was hugely popular in the 20th century but that's not (yet) on its way back in. If you really want a vintage-y nickname name with a lot of attitude that bucks the current friends, go for Babs instead of Betty or Bea.