Personal nicknames

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Nicknames for people

Types of personal nickname: Also known as pet name, shortened name, truncated name, alternate name, name derivative, associated name, hypocoristic form of a name, diminutized name, or diminuted name. Sometimes related to "alias."

Relating to given names

A nickname may be a hypocoristic form of a person's first name. This is often a simple abbreviation of the name. For most English names the shortened form is taken from the first syllable e.g. Walt for Walter. However in many other languages it is much more common to use the last syllable of the whole name e.g. Italian Nino for Giovanni (via Giovannino, which is a diminutive form of Giovanni). Some abbreviations can use the middle of a word e.g. Liz for Elizabeth. There are a few names for which an archaic pronunciation of the full name is preserved in the short name e.g. Rick for Richard indicates that the -ch- was originally pronounced as -ck-. Some other nicknames were created by rhyming the shortened form of the full name, such as Ted or Ned for Edward (Ed), Bill for William (Will), and Bob or Nob for Robert (Rob). For those abbreviations that do not begin with the same letter as the full name, see list of short name forms. Examples:

Ally, Allie, Ali for Alexandra, Allison, Alison or Alice
Al, Alex, Andi, Lex, Xander, Sasha for Alexander or Alexandra
Ann, Anna, Anne, Annie, Bella for Anabelle
Andie for Andrea
Andy, Drew for Andrew
Ant, Tony, Toni, Tone for Anthony
Barb, Barbie, Babs for Barbara
Ben, Benny, Benji for Benjamin
Bert, Bertie for Albert, Herbert, Bertram
Betta for Elisabetta
Chuck, Chaz, Charlie, Charley, Carson for Charles
Chris, Chrissy, Tina for Christina
Chris, Chrissy, Chrissie for Christine
Chris, Topher for Christopher, Christian
Di, Dicey, Didi for Diane, Diana
Dink for Dennis
Donna for Donnatella
Dan, Danny for Daniel
Dave, Davey for David
Den, Denny, Dino, Dean for Dennis
Dot, Dotty for Dorothy or Dorothea
Ella, Ellie, Elle, Nell, Nellie for Eleanor
Beth, Bess, Bessie, Betsy, Betty, Bette, Ellie, Eliza, Lisa, Liza, Liz, Lizzie for Elizabeth
Eli, Lige for Elijah
Eli, Lish, Leesh for Elisha
Eli, Ellie, Elle, Elly, Lou for Eloise
Em, Ems, Emmy for Emily and Emma
Rikki, Rikkie, Ricky for Erica
Frank, Frankie, Franky for Francis and Franklin
Greg and Gegi for Gregory
Geoff for Geoffrey
Grey Goose, Gaz, Gazzer, Gar for Gary
Gerry for Gerald or Gerard
Harry, Hal, Hank for Henry, Hazel and Harold
Isa, Bella, Belle, Bell for Isabel, Isabelle, Isabella
Jack, Johnny for John
Jackie for Jacqueline
Jake, Jack for Jacob and Jacques
Jay, Jayce for Jason
Jeff for Jefferson or Jeffrey (originally for Jefferson but now more often Jeffrey, a new form of Geoffrey)
Jen, Jenny, Jenna for Jennifer
Jerry for Jerome
Jess, Jessie for Jessica
Jez for Jeremy
Jim, Jimmy, Jamie, Jock , Jake for James
Joe, Joey for Joseph
Jojo, Josey for Josiah
Jon for Jonathan
Jo, Josie for Joanne, Joanna, Josephine
Josh for Joshua
Judy for Judith
Jules for Julie or Julia
Jule for Julian
Kat, Kate, Katie, Kathy for Katrina, Kathleen, Katherine or Kaitlyn
Kels for Kelsey, Kelsie
Ken, Kenny for Kenneth

Kev, Crank for Kevin
Kim, Kimber, or Lee for Kimberly or Kimberley
Larry, Lar, Laurie for Lawrence or Laurence (male only)
Laur, Lauri, Laurie, Lozza (australian) for Laurence, Laura or Lauren (female)
Leo, Leona, Len, Lenny for Leonard or Leopold
Liv, Livi for Olivia
Lucy, Ceil, Ceall, Cille for Lucille
Mandy, Mandi, Manda for Amanda
Maddie, Maddy for Madeline, Madison
Marge, Marg, Maggie, Mags, Meg, Megan, Peggy, Greta, Margie for Margaret
Marty, Martie, Mattie for Martha
Mally, Maidie, Mamie, Mare for Mary
Matt, Mattie for Matthew
Maur, Mo for Maureen
Max for Maxwell, or Maximilian
Meg, Mog, Gog for Megan
Merv for Mervin
Mia for Maria
Mo for Mohammed
Moll, Molly Dolly, Good Golly Miss Molly for Molly
Nate, Nat for Nathan, Nathaniel, Natalie
Ned, Ted for Edward
Nick, Nicky, Niki for Nicholas, Nicole
Pat, Patsy, Patty, Patti, Trish, Tricia for Patricia
Pat, Paddy, Pa for Patrick
Pete, Petey for Peter
Rache, Rach, for Rachel
Dick, Dickie, Dicky, Rich, Richie, Richy, Rick, Ricky for Richard
Bob, Rob, Robby, Robbie, Robi , Bobby, Rab, Bert , Bertie , Butch , Bobbers , Bobert , Bobadito, Robban (in Sweden) for Robert
Ron, Ronnie for Ronald
Rosie, Rose for Rosemary
Rube for Reuben
Rusty, Russ for Russell
Ry for Ryan
Sally, Sallie, Sadie for Sarah
Sam, Sammy, Sammie for Samuel, Samantha, Samson
Sandy, Al, Alex for Alexander
Sandra, Sandy, Al, Alex for Alexandra
Shazza for Sharron
Sophie, Sophia for Sophronia
Steph, Stephie for Stephanie
Steve for Stephen (or Steven)
Stewie, Stew, Stu for Stewart, Stuart
Sue, Susie, Suzie for Susan/Suzanne (most often Sue or Susie for Susan and Suzie for Suzanne)
Ted, Teddy, Theo, Tad for Edward, Theodore
Teddie, Thea, Theo for Theodora
Tom, Thom, Tommy for Thomas
Terrie, Terri for Teresa, Theresa
Ty for Tyler, Tyann, Tyrone
Vicky, Vicki, Vickie, Tori for Victoria
Vince, Vin, Vinnie for Vincent
Ginny for Virginia
Vivi, Viv for Vivian
Wen, Wendel for Wendy
Will, Wils, Willy, Willie, Bill, Billy, Liam for William
Zach, Zack, Zac for Zachary
Many of these names are also registered as formal birth names.

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