Nickname Names

Thad is a tad too slight to stand alone as a name, though as a short form of the imposing Thaddeus it's as serviceable as Ted or Ed.

Reduces and lightens up the Job connection even further, sounding like a lively, Jody-like nickname name.

Short form of Harvey, variation of Harve.

This zippy diminutive name has been rising up the charts in recent years as a cool unisex choice. The Ozzy spelling is currently more popular all round, however for girls the Ozzie spelling isn't too far behind. It was given to around 50 American girls in 2023, while Ozzy was chosen for 70.

Shell has been used as a short form of Shelley for all genders and Sheldon for boys. That was then: Now, Shell can be a beachy nature name and word name turned baby name.

A Robert nickname out of use for hundreds of years, but now sounds cooler than Bob or Rob for a modern boy.

Mickey is a nickname-name redolent of the mid-20th century and best-known as a mouse name. While this spelling works for either gender, the girls' version is more often spelled Micki.

Although Krishna is popular in India, only this diminutive variation made the US Top 1000 in 2013.

Just the kind of old-fashioned nickname coming back into style.

Cute, old-world nickname virtually unknown outside of the Jewish community.

Davy and Davey are certainly short forms that are frequently used but rarely wind up on the birth certificate. And why, since David is such a handsome, classic, yet short and simple name on its own?

The charming Hitch played by Will Smith in the eponymous movie put this into the lexicon. Also known as the nickname of director Alfred Hitchcock and writer Christopher Hitchens, who titled his autobiography "Hitch."

Bobbsey Twins-era nickname name that could find new life via Nan, heroine of The Nanny Diaries. Nan was also the nickname of Annabel St George, the protagonist of Edith Wharton's novel "The Buccaneers".

Cosy is a, well, cozy name, whose only downside is people forever making that dumb joke. Cosy can be short for Cosima or Cosette but can certainly stand on its own as a word name. Another plus: Sounds like Posy, Josie, and Rosie.

Jaunty Jancey hails from the United Kingdom, where it appeared in England as a surname and in Scotland as a nickname for Janet. It's extremely uncommon in the US, given to fewer than five baby girls in the most recent year on record. You'll be hard-pressed to come across another Jancey in your life, so if unique names are a priority for you, this jolly and accessible choice belongs on your list.

During the heyday of Deborah, Debra, and Debra -- the late 1950s and early 60s -- there were enough baby girls named Deb, just Deb, for it to make the Top 1000.