Nickname Names
- Hattie
Origin:
English, diminutive of HarrietMeaning:
"estate ruler"Description:
In the USA, Hattie is one of those nicknames that is now more popular than its parent name, Harriet. In England, however, Harriet is still by far more popular than Hattie, while in Australia, Harriet is highly popular while no data exists on Hattie. In the US, we’d like to see Harriet get more usage but we’re happy to see Hattie again.
- Jake
Origin:
Hebrew, diminutive of JacobMeaning:
"supplanter"Description:
This unpretentious, accessible, and optimistic ("everything's jake" -- meaning OK) short form of the top name Jacob is itself widely used, though more parents these days are opting for the full name Jacob. Jake (born Jacob) Gyllenhall is its most prominent current bearer.
- Jax
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
Jax is the Dex-Jex-Pax type of x-ending cool -- possibly too cool -- variation of Jack or nickname for Jaxon or Jackson.
- Jenny
Origin:
Diminutive of Janet, Jane, Jean, and JenniferDescription:
At the height of the Jennifer craze, many parents were cutting straight to the nickname and putting Jenny on the birth certificate. But now that Jennifer is the mom rather than the daughter, Jenny, which has been somewhat replaced by Jenna, has faded as well.
- Kate
Origin:
English, diminutive of KatherineMeaning:
"pure"Description:
Kate, in the headlines via Catherine Middleton aka the Princess of Wales, has been as pervasive as Kathy was in the 1950s and 1960s, both as a nickname for Katherine and Kaitlyn and as a strong, classic stand-alone name.
- Laurie
Origin:
English, diminutive of LauraMeaning:
"from Laurentum or bay laurel"Description:
Laurie morphed into the more streamlined Lori in the sixties but now feels dated for a girl in either spelling. Update Lauren has been renovated as Laurel or Laura itself.
- Liam
Origin:
Irish short form of WilliamMeaning:
"resolute protection"Description:
Liam is the top boys' name in the US, holding the Number 1 spot for the past seven years and also ranking as one of the most popular boys' names around the western world.
- Lily
Origin:
English flower nameMeaning:
"lily"Description:
Lily is the most popular of the popular delicate century-old flower names now making a return, thanks to its many irresistible attributes: a cool elegance and a lovely sound, a symbol of purity and innocence, and a role in Christian imagery.
- Lucy
Origin:
English variation of Lucia, LatinMeaning:
"light"Description:
A versatile classic, Lucy is both sweet and solid, a saint's name, and the heroine of several great novels. First fashionable in England and Wales, Lucy is now a popular choice in the US, The Netherlands, and New Zealand.
- Luke
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"man from Lucania"Description:
Luke is a cool-yet-strong Biblical name with a relaxed cowboy feel, which has been on the rise since the advent of Luke Skywalker.
- Maddie
Origin:
Diminutive of Madeline or MadisonDescription:
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.
- Matt
Origin:
Short form of MatthewMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Still one of the most appealing short forms, which goes a long way toward explaining the sustained popularity of Matthew. Matt is perennially the popular guy in high school, friendly, attractive, and comfortable with a baseball. Matty or Mattie are cute for a younger boy.
- Max
Origin:
English and German diminutive of Maximilian or MaxwellMeaning:
"greatest"Description:
Max was derived from Maximilian, a Latin name that originated from the Roman family name Maximus. The character name Max in the children's classic Where the Wild Things Are had an impact on baby namers. Max is a widely used name internationally.
- Mia
Origin:
Italian word name or Scandinavian short form of MariaMeaning:
"mine or bitter"Description:
Mia is an appealingly unfussy multicultural name that has enjoyed a meteoric rise up the charts and is now firmly among the ten top girl names. Mia has surpassed its mother name Maria as the Number 1 girls' name starting with M.
- Nick
Origin:
English, diminutive of Nicholas and DominickDescription:
The classic strong-yet-friendly nickname name, much used for charming movie characters.
- Nico
Origin:
Italian diminutive of Nicholas, GreekMeaning:
"people of victory"Description:
Nico is one of the great nickname names, full of charm, energy and effortless cool -- a neo Nick.
- Nori
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"doctrine or seaweed"Description:
Japanese name that would have no trouble assimilating — though many would associate it with the dried seaweed used to wrap sushi. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West use Nori as a nickname for their daughter North.
- Ollie
Origin:
Diminutive of Oliver, LatinMeaning:
"olive tree"Description:
Down-home nickname name once associated with the friendly dragon on kids' TV. As Oliver rises, we may well hear more Ollies.
- Penny
Origin:
English, diminutive of PenelopeDescription:
Like Peggy and Patsy, the kind of zesty moniker young Judy Garland would sport in her early let's-put-on-a-show flicks. It fell out of favor (and the Top 1000) for a while, but has recently rebounded by reentering the charts in 2013. Expect it to continue gaining traction as a result of surprise hit Penelope.
- Ray
Origin:
Diminutive of RaymondMeaning:
"wise protector"Description:
Ray, still and forever, is one of the all-time hippest boys' names, with its jazzy Ray Charles biopic overtones. It's one of the coolest middle names), but works perfectly fine as a first.