Nickname Names

This short form of classic Victor is popular in its own right in Belgium and the Netherlands.

This is a name you get stuck with, not (we hope) one your parents choose for you.

Gertie has a certain homespun charm, summoning to mind butter-yellow braids and denim overalls, summoning mind the adorable character played by little Drew Barrymore in E.T. Is the world ready for the return of Gertie and Gertrude? Maybe?

Nicky is a forever-cute short form of Nicholas once used as a full name but now relegated to nickname (no pun intended) status.

This familiar Irish surname, best known as the name of the mononamed Welsh female singer, is extremely rare as a first name in the US but could make an original Irish choice.

As Theo and Thea get more popular, so do Teo and Tea, short forms of the Latinate variations of Theodore and Matthew -- which include Dorotea and Mattea. But like Theo and Thea, Tea can stand perfectly well on its own and blends seamlessly into any Anglophone or European culture, if that is your aim. Some may argue that the Tea version is the prettiest and it's certainly the sleekest.

An informal nickname for names such as Julia, Juliette, and June.

Now that Theodora (and Dorothea) are back, the adorable Teddi might work again for a baby girl. Teddi fits the rising trend of boyish nicknames for girls - alongside picks like Leni and Charlie.

Short form of Alfred that had fallen out of favor, but could come back alongside Alfie and other clunky old-style nicknames like Gus and Ike.

Commonly heard as a nickname for Alejandro, but a rare sight on the birth certificate. Ale has only made the US charts for boys twice, once in 2005 and again in 2018.

In its mid-20th century heyday, Deedee -- or Didi or Dede -- was not infrequently used as a name in its own right. It's a cute, or maybe cutesy, short form of names like Deanne.

A nickname for Malcolm that at one point ranked independently on the US Top 1000. It still exists as an affectionate pet form, but you’re unlikely to hear a Malcolm introduce himself as Mal.

Suzie (and Susie) was the one of the It Nicknames of midcentury America, right up there with Debbie and Kathy.

Diminutive of Andre. Associated with the rapper Dr. Dre.

As Huxley and Huck become more popular and accepted, so does Hux, either as a full name or a diminutive.

Yes, it's a word name, but Busy is also a rare pet form of Elizabeth. And yes, actress Busy Philipps was christened Elizabeth--she was given the nickname because she was such an active child. She must have been happy with the name, because she also gave her daughters adorable unique baby names, Birdie and Cricket.

Christy was one of the coolest girls in the class of '73, still cute but not quite as youthful.

Of all the names with repeating sounds, Dede isn't the first we'd use (Lulu or Coco, maybe), but it certainly isn't the last — we much prefer it to Dodo or Fifi.