Nickname

A nickname is a short, clever, cute, derogatory, or otherwise substitute name for a person or thing's real name (for example, Nick is short for Nicholas). As a concept, it is distinct from both pseudonym and stage name, although there may be overlap in these concepts.

Etymology: In Middle English the word was ekename (from the verb to eke, "enlarge"; compare Swedish öknamn). Later, an ekename developed into a nickname.

In Viking societies, many people had nicknames heiti, viðrnefni or uppnefi which were used in addition to, or instead of their family names. In some circumstances the giving of a nickname had a special status in Viking society in that it created a relationship between the name maker and the recipient of the nickname, to the extent that the creation of a nickname also often entailed a formal ceremony and an exchange of gifts.

Nicknames for people

Types of personal nickname:

1. A nickname may relate directly to a person's first name. Examples:

Ally, Allie for Allison, Alison or Alice

Andie for Andrea

Andy, Drew for Andrew

Barb, Barbie, Babs for Barbara

Ben, Benny for Benjamin

Bill, Billy, Will, Willy for William

Bob, Rob, Robbie, Bobby, Rab for Robert

Chuck, Chaz, Charlie for Charles

Donna for Donnatella

Daisy for Margaret (obsolete) or Marguerite, another name for the flower

Harry, Hal for Harold

Jack, Johnny, John for Johnathan

Jeff for Jeffrey

Jerry for Jerome, Gerald

Joe, Sep for Joseph

Josh for Joshua

Kate, Katie, Kathy for Katherine or Kaitlyn

Lauri, Laurie for Laura or Lauren

Leo, Len, Lenny for Leonard or Leopold

Mandy, Mandi, Manda for Amanda

Maddie, Maddy for Madeline

Matt, Mattie for Matthew

Moll, Molly Dolly, Good Golly Miss Molly for Molly and Mollie

Nate, Nat for Nathan, Nathaniel, Natalie

Nell, Ellie, Elle for Eleanor

Peggy, Peg, Maggie, Meg, Marg for Margaret or Megan

Ron, Ronnie for Ronald

Ricky, Dick, Rich, Rick for Richard

Sam for Samuel or Samantha

Steph or Stephie for Stephanie

Steve for Stephen or Steven

Sue, Susie, Suzie for Susan/Susanne/Suzanne

Ted, Teddy, Ned, Ed, Eddie for Edward

Ted, Teddy, Teddie, Thea for Theodore or Theodora

Tom, Tommy for Thomas

Trish, Tricia for Patricia

Wenny, Wendel for Wendy

Zach for Zachary

Many of these names are also registered as formal birth names.

2. A nickname may relate directly to a person's surname. Examples:

Mitch for someone with the surname Mitchell

Sully for someone with the surname Sullivan

Churchy for Winston Churchill
3. It may also relate indirectly to a surname. Examples:

Chalky for someone with the surname White

Sandy for someone with the surname Brown

Dicky '\'for someone with the surname Bird

Dinger for someone with the surname Bell

4. A nickname may reflect a national or cultural style. In the United States, for instance, rhyming contractions or plays on a person's name are common, as in:

Flo-Jo Florence Griffith Joyner

Ho-Jo, any person named Howard Johnson or the chain of hotels with the same name

J-Lo Jennifer Lopez ('J' from Jennifer and 'Lo' from Lopez)

Calling a person by their initials is also common.

5. Nicknames, whatever their original basis, may become cultural norms. 'Sis', (slang for 'sister') for example, is often picked up and used by all the members of a family, their friends and society at large. Similarly, 'Chip' (off the old block) and 'Junior' can be used for any youngster and the nickname may follow the person into adulthood.

6. A nickname may relate to the person's calling. Examples:

Chips for a carpenter

Sparky or Sparks for an electrician or radio operator

Chief for a boss

7. It may relate (offensively or otherwise) to a person's nationality or place of origin. Examples:

Aussie for an Australian

Canuck for a person from Canada

Kiwi for a New Zealander

Limey for an English person (U.S. usage); Pom or Pommy (Australian usage)

Mac or Jock for a Scottish person

Noypi for Filipino person

Scouse for a person from Liverpool

Taff for a Welsh person

Tex for a person from Texas

Wack for a person from Liverpool (obsolete)

Yank for a person from the USA

8. It may relate to a person's physical characteristics. Examples:

Tubby for a fat person

Lofty for a tall person

Four-eyes for a person with glasses
Conversely, it may be used ironically for someone with the opposite characteristic, e.g., Curly for someone with straight hair (or no hair at all) - this form is very typical in Australian English, e.g:

Blue for a person with red hair

Dulz for a cross eyed person

Shorty for a very tall person

Slim for a fat person

9. It may relate to a person's character, imagined or real. Examples:

Grumpy

Swotty

Romeo

10. It may relate to a specific incident or action. Example: Capability Brown was so called because he used the word "capability" instead of "possibility". Other examples include: Chemical Ali, Comical Ali.

Many fictional characters have nicknames relating to events: Examples include the Red Comet, White Tiger, Desert Tiger and Hawk of Endymion.

11. It may compare the person with a famous or fictional character. Examples:

Napoleon or Hitler for someone with a dictatorial manner

12. A famous person's nickname may be unique to them:

Tippecanoe for William Henry Harrison

Dubya for George W. Bush. Dubya is from the Texan pronunciation of 'w', Bush's middle initial.

Jack The Dripper for painter Jackson Pollock who created many of his works by dripping paint over horizontal canvas

13. A person's nickname may have no traceable origin. For example, a person named "Harold" may be nicknamed "Fred" for no apparent reason, or a man who was named after a relative may ask his friends to call him "Chip" to avoid confusion.

Nicknames of cities

See also: list of city nicknames for a more comprehensive list.

Charm City - Baltimore, Maryland
The Big Apple - New York, New York
"The Windy City", "Second City", "City of Big Shoulders"; and "Hog-Butcher To The World" - Chicago, Illinois. (These last two are from the poem by Carl Sandburg; see also Nicknames for Chicago.)
The Big Easy - New Orleans, Louisiana
Mill City, City of Lakes - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Motor City - Detroit, Michigan
Music City - Nashville, Tennessee
The Big Smoke - London, United Kingdom
Nicknames for some common items
boob tube, idiot box, telly, TV - television
bug - Volkswagen Beetle
head - toilet on a ship
loo - toilet
Old Glory - the Flag of the United States
Nicknames for professions
Chippie - carpenter
Cop - police officer
Doc - doctor
Roughneck - oil rigger
Shark - lawyer
Shovelbums - archaeological field technicians
Shrink - psychiatrist
Wood butcher - carpenter
Military nicknames
G.I. - soldier (short for Government issue)
Dogface, gopher, grunt - infantry soldier
Zipperhead - armoured soldier
Matelots - sailors
Frogs - Navy Seals
Leathernecks - U.S. mariness
See also: List of nicknames of British Army regiments
Sports clubs and their nicknames

Sporting clubs are often given nicknames. These may or may not be incorporated into official names or be used by the club. The names of animals or colours are popular. Examples: