Crazy Nicknames for Girls

Mamie is back. Having finally shorn her Mamie Eisenhower bangs, this insouciant and adorable nickname name is perfect if you want a zestier way to honor a beloved aunt Mary. Meryl Streep's actress daughter, properly named Mary Willa, is called Mamie Gummer. You might think of Mamie as a sister of the stylish Maisie.

Ollie is used less often as a nickname for the mega-popular Olivia or the stylish Olive than Ellie is for Eleanor or Allie for Allison. That may be because Ollie has a much longer use as a nickname for boys.

Fifi is a perfect name -- for a French poodle. But Fifi may seem more child-friendly as names like Coco and Lulu rise. Fifi in its fluffiness also balances the seriousness of such full names as Josephine or Federica.

Buffy was a one-time sorority girl with a roommate named Muffy, then a fearless vampire slayer, though still basically fluffy. You might think of Buffy as the feminine version of Chip or Bud -- an all-purpose nickname now buried in a mid-century time capsule.

Sixties-style nickname which is also the name of a small biting insect, particularly prevalent in Scotland.

Muffy is one of those nickname names that flourished in the Baby Boom era -- or was it only on television? -- and now is rarely used. Strictly speaking short for Muffin, few girls have been given Muffy as a proper name in any era, and when it was used, it was usually as a nickname for Mary or Margaret or some other traditional name.

Pippi may be cute but isn't very practical. In addition to being forever Pippi Longstocking, there is that variant pee-pee spelling to consider. Try Pippa instead.

High-kicking cohort of Coco, Gigi, Fifi, Kiki, et al.

Dusty first became popular as a girl's name thanks to singer Dusty Springfield - born Mary. She used her childhood nickname professionally, and many parents embraced Dusty as a name for their daughters, especially in the 1970s. Singer Adam Levine and model Behati Prinsloo chose this distinctive name for their daughter in 2016, which might prompt a new generation of parents to consider the name.

Doe is a soft and gentle-eyed middle name possibility and, like Fawn, one of the few animal names open to girls.

Minty isn't a fresh word name — it's an old-fashioned nickname for Araminta, the romantic smoosh name coined by playwright William Congreve in 1693.

Maeby sprang into the modern consciousness via the cult TV favorite Arrested Development, in which the appealing teen character Maeby's name is a nickname for Mae. It's also a homonym for Maybe, which undercuts its inherent cuteness. Is Maeby prime for a real life baby name? Sorry, but we can't resist: Maybe.

Somewhat light and silly on its own.

One of the new color names that is catching on, invoking a calm, blue-green-sea feeling.

If Ellie and Evie are fashionable, why not Elvie? This is a diminutive of the Anglicized version of the Irish name spelled Ailbhe.

A less common relic of the Claudette-Paulette-Annette era.

Cute-as-a-button nickname traditionally derived from Philip or Philippa – but could work for Piper, Juniper or Penelope as well.

Old-fashioned nickname for a sister, almost never heard today.

You can't get much more feminine, sweet, and ladylike than Lady. Would make a cute nickname for up-and-coming Adelaide. Lady will also bring to mind the canine lover of the Tramp.

Too sugary sweet and inconsequential for a modern girl.