How to Come up With a Cool Nickname

Last Updated: September 15, 2022 References

Nicknames come from close friends, family, or teammates.^{[1]
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Research source} People throughout history used nicknames for different reasons. These include: to describe someone,^{[2]
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Research source} bring good luck,^{[3]
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Research source} as a sign of friendship, or a person's hometown.^{[4]
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Research source} Whatever the origin of a nickname, coming up with one that is cool can be challenging. Be careful when creating a nickname for yourself or a friend – you might be stuck with it for the rest of your life.^{[5]
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Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Thinking of a Cool Nickname

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Shorten your name. The most basic and common type of nickname is a shortened version of someone’s real name. For example, Alexander is shortened to Alex or Al, Katherine to Kate or Katie, Richard to Rick or Dick, and so on.^{[6]
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Create a cool nickname using your initials. Take and combine the first letter of your first and last names, or first letter of your first and middle names. Going by your initials can help differentiate you from others if you have a common name, or make a difficult or long name easier to pronounce. This works well if your middle or last name begins with “J”, “D”, or “T” – for example Daniel Joseph can be shortened to “D.J.”, Andrew Johnson to “A.J.”, Jonathon Jameson to “J.J.”, or James Taylor to “J.T.”.

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3
Describe a unique physical attribute or personality trait. Think of a good feature about yourself or a friend and use that as inspiration for a nickname. For example, the 16th president Abraham Lincoln is often called “Honest Abe” for his integrity.^{[7]
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Research source}^{[8]
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Research source} Be careful not to offend anyone and focus on positive, not negative attributes.
- If someone is really smart, call them “Prof” or “Doc”, or a creative person could be called “Muse” or “Da Vinci”.
- In China, many American and British celebrities have nicknames based on their appearance or reputation. For example, Katy Perry is known as “Fruit Sister” for her colorful costumes, Benedict Cumberbatch is “Curly Blessing” for his curly hair, and Adam Levine is “Flirty Adam”.^{[9]
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Call someone by their last name. This works well in sports or at work, especially if you have a common first name. Also, most athletes go by their last name, since it’s on the back of their jerseys. You can also abbreviate or shorten your last name.
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Make sure the name is short and easy to remember. You can abbreviate someone’s first or last name to 3 syllables or less. You want something that is catchy and easy to say.
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Test out the name before using it in public. If you are trying to come up with a cool nickname for a friend, try it out on them first when no one else is around. See how they respond – you want a nickname to be flattering, not offensive.^{[10]
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- Stop calling the person by that name if they find in annoying. Inappropriate nicknames include those that reference bad habits, negatively portray someone’s physical appearance or weight, or are sexually explicit.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Thinking of a Creative Nickname

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Use a retro or vintage nickname. Make something old new again by reviving a nickname that used to be popular, but has since fallen out of use. For example, “Slick”, “Skippy”, or “Biff” for boys and “Dottie”, or “Kittie” for girls were popular in the 1940s and 1950s. During the Victorian Era, examples of popular nicknames for girls include “Josie”, “Millie”, and “Maisie”, and for boys “Fritz”, “Augie”, and “Zeb”.^{[11]
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- Look for inspiration from old TV shows or movies. For example, character nicknames on the “The Little Rascals”(1922-1944) include Alfalfa, Junior, Froggy, Pineapple, and Buckwheat.^{[13]
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  Research source} The popular musical and movie “Grease” (1978) includes members of the “Pink Ladies” (Rizzo, Frenchy, and Marty) and the “T-Birds” (Doody and Kenickie).^{[14]
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Create a nickname based on your hometown or interests. Find inspiration from where you’re from or what you do.^{[15]
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Research source} For example, people from Indiana are often called “Hoosiers” and “Yinzer” is a nickname for people from Pittsburgh, PA.^{[16]
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Research source} If you like to cook, you can go by “Chef”, “Mustang” if you like cars (you can use any type of car, this is just an example), or “Owl” if they like to read (or really like owls).
- Use sports references. Think of a nickname associated with your favorite player. If you play a sport, think of cool nicknames for everyone on the team based on their strengths. See if any of the names stick.
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Create a unique nickname from your own name. You can also think of a unique or uncommon way of creating a nickname from someone’s name, such as “Resa” from Theresa, “Elle” from Michelle, or “Ober” from Robert. Also, consider pronouncing someone’s name backwards, such as calling Katie “Eitak” or Brian “Nairb”. Finally, you can call someone by their middle name.
- Famous celebrities, such as Katy Perry, Demi Moore, and Reese Witherspoon go by their middle name or mother’s maiden name.
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Create a stage name. If you are, or want to become a musician, it is important to have a memorable nickname.^{[17]
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Research source} Having a stage name is important if you want to protect your identity, or your name is difficult to pronounce.^{[18]
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Research source} Unlike other types of nicknames, a stage name is your specific brand.
- A good stage name is short, easy to pronounce, and represents who your are.^{[19]
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- Find inspiration from famous stage names. Look up your favorite musician and see how they chose their stage name.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Thinking of a Nickname for a Significant Other

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Use a pet name. Pet names are a way to show your affection.^{[21]
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Research source} Popular pet names for women include: gorgeous, beautiful, honey, angel, and princess.^{[22]
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Research source} The top pet names for men include: babe, baby, honey, bear, and boo.
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Use a childhood nickname. While nicknames from your childhood can be embarrassing, especially ones your parents gave you, they can be cute and endearing if you have a boyfriend or girlfriend. Ask your significant other’s parents if they had a nickname when they were little. Use it the next time you see your boyfriend or girlfriend and see how they react.
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Create a secret nickname. Create a nickname that you and your significant other use when you’re alone. You can use a standard nickname such as “Boo”, “Honey”, or “Babe”, or come up with your own.
- Create a name based on what do you find most attractive in your significant other. For example, if your boyfriend is a good kisser, call him “Sweet Lips”, or if your girlfriend is pretty and kind, call her “Angel”.
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Combine your names. Many celebrity couples are known to their fans by their nicknames, such as “Brangelina” (Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt), “Kimye” (Kim Kardashian and Kanye West), or the original “Bennifer” (Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck).^{[23]
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Research source} Experiment writing down different combinations of your first and last names. Start using it when you are around friends so it sticks.

Community Q&A

Question

How can you get nickname out of Ellie Sofia?

Community Answer

You have all kinds of options: Sofie, Fia, Fifi, El, Lee, Lia, Eli, Elsie, etc.
Question

What's a good nickname for Elke (pronounced Elka)?

Community Answer

Elkie or Kiki are cute names.
Question

What is a good nickname for Sage?

Community Answer

Sage is a very pretty name, and very short, making it hard to make nicknames out of it. Maybe try "Say".

Warnings

Avoid nicknames that reference sex, drugs, or violence.

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Helpful 51 Not Helpful 11
A nickname should be fun, but not obscene or offensive. Being called “Sexy DJ Daddy” may work in some places, but not at work or school.

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Helpful 41 Not Helpful 10
Don’t be a copycat – if another person you know a nickname, don't use it.

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Helpful 42 Not Helpful 11
Keep in mind that any nickname might follow you around for the rest of your life, including future relationships, jobs, etc.

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