Nickname Names

One of the earliest of the relaxed, unisex names, now relegated to oldies rock stations.

Nuri might be a nickname for the place name Nuria, popular in Spain and Portugal as a honorific for the Virgin Mary. Nuri is also a usually-masculine name heard in the Middle East, but to the Western ear it might work for girls or boys.

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.

Ddiminutive of Montague or Montgomery that has long been used as a standalone for boys – and for a few girls too, especially during the middle years of the 20th century.

Sprightly and engaging nickname for human, full name for pet. Author Jojo Moyes and dancer/singer Jojo Sliwa have propelled the name into the public eye.

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

Cute nickname of Angela and other angelic names, Angie is now being used on its own, although its popularity has fallen in recent years. That said, Angie is one of those surprising classics, hanging on in the girls' Top 1000 continuously since its inception in 1880.

We're hearing Kat more and more being used by Katherines who are tired of Kathy, Kate and Katie. Katti or Kattie is another possibility.

Ties to the unfortunate Mama are now unraveling, leaving Cass or Cassie to stand on its own as a fresher sounding Cathy or Kate. But with so many lovely long forms, we'd advise keeping this as a nickname.

Pronounced a la Bette (Betty) Davis or Bette (Bet) Midler, a twentieth-century relic. Though if the equally vintage Betty comes back, Bette may be close behind.

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.

Netta ranked in the US Top 1000 in the 1880s, when it was often used as a short form of names such as Jeanette, Annette, and Antoinette. In Jewish families, Netta was typically seen as a variation of the Hebrew name Neta.

Unlike Bess or Tess, rarely used on its own.

Flo is an antiquated nickname not often used these days, possibly because "Aunt Flo" is a euphemism for a period.

Related to the powerful South African warrior people, sometimes chosen by African-Americans to celebrate their heritage.

Wylie is one Celtic surname with as much appeal for girls as for boys. Wylie is ripe for spelling variations: Wiley is as appropriate as Wylie but when you spell it Wylei, as Corey Parker did for his son, you're getting into yooneek naming territory.

Diminutive of Robert, borne by famous figures from Robbie Williams to Robbie Coltrane.

A Desi variation that moves the name away from Lucy -- though it's just as dizzy. TV star Jaime Pressly used it for her son.