Nickname Names

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.

A Colonial-era nickname for Joan.

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.

Toby is an early unisex name with a Shakespearean pedigree; when used for a girl it retains its tomboyish quality.

Early is a word-turned-name, pleasantly suggesting the start of a bright new day. Of the new word and day names, Early is one of the best.

A warm and cuddly nickname name, although he famously "kissed the girls and made them cry" in the old nursery rhyme.

Despite the voluptuous doll's various career choices, from astronaut to doctor, her name still remains a euphemism for "bimbo".

Once a birth order name, now might work as a cool x-ending nickname. But be warned that it sounds very close to an unfortunate slang term.

Eula is a slightly sweeter and more compact version of Eulalia. Currently, neither name is given to more than a handful of girls each year. Eula was fairly popular in the US during the early twentieth century, and she last ranked in the Top 1000 in 1960.

So far out it's almost ready to be let back in.

You may be tempted to scoff at Mint as another wacky celebrity baby name — it was used by Dutch model Romee Strijd for her daughter in 2020 — but it's a far more legitimate choice than many would guess. Minty baby names for girls are having a style moment in Nordic countries — Mynte is a Top 50 name in Denmark, and Minttu ranks in Finland's Top 50. It's ultimately not so surprising that a well-traveled international star would choose to use the English variation of these names for her daughter.

The most minimalist of names, Ed is decidedly out -- though that usually means it's due to swing back in. More stylish these days: Ned or even Ted.

Mattie ranked among the Top 1000 for boys a century ago, in the heyday of the nickname-name. Today, few parents would dream of putting it on the birth certificate, preferring it as a short form for the perennially-popular Matthew. Mattie is in the Top 1000 in the U.S. for girls.

Musical choice that may be a short form of Jasmine or Jazlyn, or might stand on its own like this or as Jaz, the spelling used by tennis duo Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi.

Appealing, lively, and distinctive.

Short and to the point, muscular and strong.

This is a Scottish pet form of John, the equivalent of Jack in England. Has long been used as a generic name for a Scotsman, here it's a generic name for a--well--jock.

Diminutive of Alvina, and a cute boyish retro nickname we can see making its way back onto a few birth certificates today.