Attitude Nicknames for Boys
- Van
Origin:
DutchMeaning:
"of"Description:
Whether it's used as a short form or on its own, this jazzy midcentury name is poised for a comeback along with brothers Ray and Walt.
- Lex
Origin:
Diminutive of AlexanderMeaning:
"defending men"Description:
Cool short form of Alexander, fresher than Alex and less trendy than Xander... for now.
- Dash
Origin:
Diminutive of Dashiell, meaning unknownDescription:
Dash is a nickname that can stand on its own and sounds, well, dashing. Connected these days with Kardashian enterprises.
- Duke
Origin:
English rank of nobilityDescription:
While John Wayne and Duke Ellington are worthy role models, the reason Duke is currently enjoying a revival and returned to the Top 1000 in 2013 as one of the year's fastest-rising boys’ names is more likely due to the name given to high-profile TV couple Giuliana and Bill Rancic. Christened Edward Duke, he has always been called by his middle name, just as Edward Duke Ellington was. Duke is just one of several aristocratic titles being increasingly used by ordinary citizens.
- Cy
Origin:
Diminutive of Cyrus, PersianMeaning:
"sun"Description:
This evocative short name is suddenly chic — it was recently chosen by Jennifer Lawrence for her baby boy. JLaw's son's name honors Cy Twombly, the influential mid-century American artist. Born Edwin Parker Twombly Jr., both Cy Twombly and his father shared a nickname after baseball player Cy Young (himself born Denton True Young).
- Fitz
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"son of"Description:
Any number of Fitz names -- Fitzgerald, Fitzpatrick, Fitzroy, Fitzwilliam -- have been used as Christian names, in fact Fitzwilliam was the given name of the dashing Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. Fitz can be a short form of any of them and is often, like Mac, a nickname drawn from a surname.
- Ike
Origin:
Diminutive of IsaacDescription:
Ike, once the quirky one-person nickname of President Dwight Eisenhower, has morphed into a cool kid nickname of the early 21st century.
- Oz
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"strength, powerful, courageous"Description:
This may be a legitimate Hebrew name denoting power, but to any American kid, it will evoke ruby slippers and a yellow brick road. The full Hebrew name is Ozni, who was a grandson of Jacob in the Bible.
- Win
Origin:
Diminutive of Winslow, Winthrop, or WinstonDescription:
Win is an upbeat, can-do name that can be a short form of one of the buttoned-up British choices above or can stand on its own. Welsh Wyn is another possibility.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and singer Ciara named their son Win Harrison. Harrison is Wilson's father's first name.
- Baz
Origin:
Diminutive of Sebastian or Basil; KurdishMeaning:
"regal; falcon"Description:
As Bas, it's a popular name in The Netherlands, but Baz, as in director Luhrmann, has potential for independent life too.Curiously, Australian-born Moulin Rouge director Luhrmann was born neither Sebastian nor Basil, but had the name Mark Anthony on his birth certificate; his nickname arose from his supposed resemblance to a British TV fox puppet named Basil Brush.
- Iggy
Origin:
Latin, diminutive of IgnatiusMeaning:
"fiery"Description:
Iggy is the quintessential pop star name, though it's the nickname Cate Blanchett uses for son Ignatius. Iggy does bring any grander-sounding name down to earth.
- Zeb
Origin:
Diminutive of Zebediah or ZebulonDescription:
Short and to-the-point, it turns an ancient biblical name into a friendly cowboy.
- Ward
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"guard, watchman"Description:
Until recently Ward was, like Wally, a Cleaver name, but today's parents are seeing it as a cooler nickname for Edward than Eddie, and are also beginning to use it on its own.
- Judd
Origin:
Medieval short form of JordanMeaning:
"flowing down"Description:
Judd is a strong but sensitive short form that can easily stand on its own, the second 'd' giving it a lot more substance, and it would also be a good middle name choice. Two recent actors have given it credence--Judd Nelson and Judd Hirsch, and now it's most noticeably represented by comedy director Judd Apatow.
- Dex
Origin:
Diminutive of DexterMeaning:
"dyer; right-handed"Description:
Dex, the nickname for Dexter that is sometimes used on its own, has lots of energy and dynamism. It was chosen by comedian Dana Carvey for his now grown son. With the growing popularity of Dexter, we may be seeing more of Dex.
- Indy
Description:
The heroic movie figure Indiana Jones was often called Indy, as in the equally testosterone-laden Indy 500 car race. It could also be short for Indigo or Indio, or just use it as is.
- Buster
Origin:
Modern nicknameDescription:
An old-fashioned nickname in the Bud/Buzz/Biff mold; this one's kind of belligerent. Michelle Hicks and Jonny Lee Miller moved outside the box when they used it for their son--given the safer middle name of Timothy.
- Xan
Origin:
Diminutive of AlexanderMeaning:
"defending men"Description:
With the plethora of Alexes around, Xan (and Xander) have emerged as hot new nicknames for Alexander. Xan also stands well on its own. It can be found--not surprisingly--in several computer games.
- Pim
Origin:
Dutch diminutive of Willem or WilliamMeaning:
"resolute protection"Description:
The short, cute Pim is a Top 100 boys' name in The Netherlands though little-known outside that country. But in a family overrun with Williams, Pim could make an original nickname setting a modern child apart from father Will and grandpa Bill.
- Moe
Origin:
English, diminutive of MosesMeaning:
"delivered"Description:
If Gus and Max have made it, why not Moe? Can it be the lingering Three Stooges effect? We think that Moe, like Joe, is one of the friendliest and most open of regular guy nickname names and should get a little more attention.