Nickname Names

Simple short form Shiv can be used as a nickname for names from a variety of cultures, from the Irish Siobhan to the Hindi Shivani.

Cutesy pet form of Clementine.

Not one but two Spice Girls are named Mel, which led to it briefly being more popular for girls than boys in the 90s and early 00s, but it has now fallen out of favor for both sexes.

Back in Patricia's midcentury heyday, Patty/Patti was the plebeian nickname while Tricia/Trisha and Tish/Trish carried a snobby-yet-insubstantial image associated with then First Daughter Tricia Nixon.

Cute and unusual as a nickname, but lacking the legs to stand on its own.

Feline nickname for Tabitha — a bewitching vintage choice.

An English diminutive of Isabel or Elizabeth that works best with a longer form on the birth certificate.

Old-man name, soft as a fraying gray cashmere cardigan, that would be even cuter for a girl.

This spelling pares Will down to the bare minimum — and why not? It is also a Welsh diminutive of William / Wiliam / Gwilym.

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

An early and still quintessentially gender-neutral name, now supplanted by thousands of fresher options. Hasn't been recorded as a given name since 1991.

Peg is a nostalgic turn-of-the-last-century nickname, sociable but slight. Like near-identical twin Peggy, Peg is in mothballs.

As seen on SNL, Pat is the ultimate androgynous name. Stick with long form Patrick, and make sure everyone calls him Patrick.

Nickname left over from the last generation.

Sydney may be by far the more popular spelling of this name for girls, but it's also predominantly female. Over 1200 baby girls were named Sydney in 2021 vs. 37 baby boys. Contrast that with Sidney, a spelling used for about 150 babies of each gender. That makes Syd the more common spelling for girls of this cute short form.

Old fashioned nickname that some girls just might be able to pull off. You'd just have to be sure your little Fancy was one of them.

Wheezy short form of lovely name, featured in the movie "Steel Magnolias." Go for Lou or Lulu instead.

Uncommon choice too reminiscent of "bidet". Try Bridie instead.

Barb is a midcentury nickname name that, like Deb and Sue, feels terminally dates now. But with the revival of Barbie, Barb may not be far behind.