Nickname Generator
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Caroline Heiderscheit. Caroline Heiderscheit is a Staff Writer for wikiHow living in Santa Monica, CA. She has two years of experience working in content, including a year of editing work for first-time novelists. Caroline graduated from Stanford University in 2018 with degrees in American Studies and Creative Writing.
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Looking for a funny, cute, or clever nickname? Our tool helps you brainstorm playful alternatives based on personality, interests, or real names. Try it for yourself or use it to come up with nicknames for friends, your boo, and more!
How to Create a Cool & Clever Nickname
Need a few tips to help you choose an excellent nickname that you (or someone else) will love responding to? We’ve compiled some advice just for you. Here are some pointers to get you started:
Use a variation of the first name. There are lots of ways to do this! For instance, you could look at the first or last syllable of someone’s first name and make a shortened nickname—like “Abby” (Abigail) or “Trick” (Patrick). If a first name has more than one syllable, you might find an amazing nickname by shortening the name to a single syllable (and possibly tweaking it a bit).
You could also add an “ie,” “e,” “i,” or “y” to the end of a first name and turn it into a nickname that way! For instance, the names “Charles” or “Charlotte” could both become “Charlie” using this method.
Find a name’s diminutive. You could also determine the linguistic origins of a first name and create a nickname from a common diminutive of that first name. For example, the English name “Edward” is often shortened to “Ted.” See if you can find a diminutive of the name and use it!
Use a suffix. Add a funny-sounding suffix to someone’s first name—like “boo” or “inator” (referencing “Terminator”). For example, if you had a friend named “Kerry,” you could make their nickname “Kerinator.”
Repeat a syllable. Another way to name a nickname is to take one syllable in a first name and repeat it—like “Jojo” (Josephine) or “Mimi” (Michelle). If there’s a short, easy-to-repeat syllable, play around with it and see if you can find a nickname there!
Use a last name. One super simple way to make a nickname is to just use the person’s last name instead of their first. For example, if you had a friend named “Ethan Jones,” you could make “Jones” his nickname.
Use their initials. A person’s first and last initials can also make a great nickname, especially if they’re easy to say and feel natural coming off your tongue. For example, “Jenna James” could become “JJ.” Similarly, “Gabrielle Davis” could become “GD.”
Alternatively, if two initials don’t quite sound right, you could just use someone’s first initial as their nickname—like “L” (Leonard) or “M” (Mary).
Make a pop culture reference. When all else fails, leave the person's name behind and look to pop culture for inspiration. Are there any characters this person identifies with or acts a lot like? Is this person more of a cinema fan, a gamer, or a reader?
Use alliteration or rhyming. If you want your nickname to pop, a simple alliteration or rhyme scheme is the way to do it. The name Chrissy Evans could be: Chrissy E., which works into a satisfying rhyme. Or for an alliteration, you could shorten Chrissy to C.C..
For example, a friend whose favorite book series is Lord of the Rings could have the nickname “Strider” (after Aragorn). A sweet-natured friend who loves the Mario franchise could have the nickname “Peach” or “Daisy.” Get creative and think about what characters fit best!
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