Boyish Nicknames For Girls

  1. Alex
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Alexandra or Alexis
    • Meaning:

      "defending men"
    • Description:

      One of the most evenly divided unisex names these days; strong and energetic, if overused, for both genders.
  2. Andi
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Andrea
    • Description:

      Nickname name that seemed cool in the Ricki/Terri generation. However, it may be experiencing somewhat of a resurgence, evidenced by its first ever appearance in the US Top 1000 in 2015. This surprise entry into the popularity charts is almost certainly due to Andi Dorfman, the star of 2014's season of The Bachelorette.
  3. Al
    • Bay
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "berry"
      • Description:

        One of the most usable of the pleasant, newly adopted nature/water names (like Lake and Ocean), especially in middle position.
    • Beck
      • Origin:

        Short form of Rebecca or English
      • Meaning:

        "one living beside a small stream"
      • Description:

        Although the single-named singer is male, this might be a girl's nickname name or a sleek nature name that's perfect in the middle.
    • Bo
      • Origin:

        Norse nickname ; "to live"
      • Meaning:

        "to live"
      • Description:

        This tiny but punchy name has multiple origins. It stands strong alone, but could be short for numerous names including Bonnie and Bodhi. In Mandarin Chinese, Bo means "wave".
    • Cal
      • Cass
        • Origin:

          Diminutive of Cassandra or Cassia
        • Description:

          Ties to the unfortunate Mama are now unraveling, leaving Cass or Cassie to stand on its own as a fresher sounding Cathy or Kate. But with so many lovely long forms, we'd advise keeping this as a nickname.
      • Charlie
        • Origin:

          Diminutive of Charles or Charlotte
        • Meaning:

          "free man"
        • Description:

          Charlie is one of the friendly, tomboyish male nickname names--another is Sam-- now used almost as frequently for girls: in 2015, it ranked higher on the girls list than on the boys list for the first time. That makes Charlie one of the most popular unisex names around today. The name Charlie, for females, has been jumping up the charts since it reappeared, after a 50-year hibernation, in 2005.
      • Chris
        • Origin:

          Diminutive of Christina
        • Meaning:

          "a Christian"
        • Description:

          Chris is one of the longest-running and still most appealing unisex short forms, still used nearly equally for boys and girls. Though no longer fashionable, Chris still feels crisp and appropriate for both sexes.
      • Cori
        • Chas
          • Cy
            • Dani
              • Origin:

                Hebrew and Italian, diminutive of Daniella, Danielle, Danita
              • Description:

                Short form occasionally used on its own, with an open and friendly androgynous quality.
            • Drew
              • Origin:

                Diminutive of Andrew
              • Meaning:

                "strong and manly"
              • Description:

                Drew is an elegant formerly male-only alternative to Andy that joined the stylishly upscale Paige-Brooke-Blair sorority, thanks largely to Drew Barrymore. Barrymore comes by her first name legitimately: it was the maiden name of her paternal great-grandmother, Georgiana 'Georgie' Drew Barrymore, one of many esteemed actors in her family history.
            • Eddie
              • Frankie
                • Origin:

                  Diminutive of Frances
                • Meaning:

                  "from France; free man"
                • Description:

                  Vintage nickname name, with a down-to-earth country feel. This renewed interest placed Frankie back in the US Top 1000 in 2015 after a 41-year hiatus. For girls, it's a popular choice in England and Wales, Australia, and New Zealand. Drew Barrymore, who helped popularize and glamorize boyish names for girls, has a daughter named Frankie. On TV's Better Things, Pamela Adlon's middle daughter is named Frankie (sister to Max and Duke, both girls).
              • Freddie
                • Origin:

                  Short form of Alfreda or Frederica
                • Description:

                  Freddie, especially with the ie ending, is one of the old-school boy-names-for-girls that came into vogue at the turn of the last century. Freddie, all on its own, ranked among the Top 1000 girl names until 1958, but in 2021 it was given to just 8 baby girls. Maybe that makes it prime for a comeback, ala Billie?
              • Georgie
                • Origin:

                  Greek
                • Meaning:

                  "farmer"
                • Description:

                  A spunky boyish diminutive in the vein of Frankie, Billie and Charlie, but far less popular in the US. Georgie could be a nickname for Georgia, Georgette, Georgina or Georgiana – or just use it as it is, as over 90 sets of American parents did in 2021.
              • Harri