There’ll never be a shortage of nicknames for guys out there. Some male names come with many options, while others use imaginative ways to keep things informal. There are so many nickname varieties that you may miss some of the more interesting ones.
Keep reading to learn about entertaining boy nicknames that may surprise you. Get the basics on their meanings and origins, plus a few unique facts. Your little guy will appreciate the time you took to discover adorable nicknames for boys.
Check out our favorite male nicknames to keep things casual for your baby boy.
90 Classic Nicknames for Guys
These traditional boy nicknames offer a history that’s both tried and true.
- Abe – means “father of many” in Hebrew and is short for Abraham and Avram.
- Alec – with Greek origins, meaning “defending man” as a nickname for Alexander. An alternative to Alex.
- Alex – a derivative of the Greek Aléxandros, meaning “defend man.” Alex is short for Alexander/dra.
- Alf – comes from the Old Norse “álf,” meaning “elf,” and is short for names like Alfred.
- Andy – is a diminutive of Andrew, based on the Greek Andreas, meaning “manly” and “brave.”
- Bart – means “son Of Tolmai” in Hebrew and is short for Bartholomew, one of the apostles.
- Ben – from the Hebrew Binyamin, meaning “son of my right hand.” Short for Benjamin and Benedict.
- Benny – means “son of my right hand” and is an alternative to Ben for Benedict and Benito.
- Bernie – from the Old German Bernhard, meaning “bold as a bear.” Short for Bernard and Bernadette.
- Billie – is a nickname meaning “determination,” “strength,” and “of William.” A diminutive for Bill.
- Bobby – a German diminutive for Robert, meaning “bright” and “fame,” based on Bob and Rob.
- Bram – used in Hebrew and Dutch as a short form for Abraham, meaning “father of many.”
- Cal – a nickname for the Hebrew Caleb, meaning “devotion,” “whole-hearted,” and “brave.”
- Carl – from the German Karl, meaning “free man.” Another version of Charles.
- Chaz – a cool choice among nicknames for boys that’s short for Charles, meaning “free man.”
- Chris – short for Christopher, which is Greek for “bearing Christ.” Also a nickname for Christian.
- Chuck – an Americanized version of Charles, meaning “free man,” which means “to chuck” in Middle English.
- Cliff – means “cliff-side slope” and can be a nickname for Clifton or Clifford.
- Curt – a Latin name meaning “courteous” and “polite” that’s sometimes a nickname for Curtis.
- Davey – a modern pet name for David, meaning “beloved” in Hebrew for the king of Israel.
- Dick – a medieval nickname for Richard which originated as Rick. Means “powerful ruler” or dominant king.”
- Dom – based on the Latin Dominic, meaning “belonging to the Lord.” A title for Roman emperors.
- Donnie – can be short for Donald, but also comes from the Gaelic name Domhnall, meaning “world ruler.”
- Drew – an alternative to Andy as a nickname for Andrew, meaning “strong and manly.”
- Eddie – a short form of several names, like Edward and Edwin. Means “wealth” or “guardian of riches.”
- Enzo – though Italian, derives from the German Heinz, meaning “ruler of the home.” A nickname for Lorenzo.
- Fitz – a prefix for English surnames meaning “son of.” Part of longer names like Fitzpatrick.
- Frank – a diminutive for Franklin and Francis, meaning “free” in German. Also refers to “Frenchman.”
- Freddy – short for Frederick and composed of the German “fridu,” meaning “peace,” and “ric,” meaning “ruler.”
- Gene – means “well born,” and “noble” as a Greek nickname for Eugene or Eugenia.
- Gil – means “small goat” in Hebrew, plus “bright promise” and “joy.” Short for Gilbert.
- Hal – a medieval nickname for Henry made famous in Shakespeare’s play Henry IV.
- Hank – an American form of Henry or Harry based on the medieval Hankin, meaning “little John.”
- Harry – another medieval nickname for Henry, meaning “estate ruler” in German. Used for eight king, Henrys.
- Heath – short for Heathcliff, meaning “by a moor.” Peaked at 675th in the U.S. in 2002.
- Ike – a Hebrew name meaning “laughter,” short for Isaac, Isaiah, and Isadore.
- Jack – a medieval John variation meaning “God is gracious.” Ranked 15th in the U.S. (2023).
- Jay – an English nickname for John meaning “cheerful” and “joyful.” Sometimes used for Jason.
- Jeff – an English diminutive for Jeffrey, meaning “God’s peace,” that originally appeared as Geoffrey.
- Jimmy – a modern nickname for the Hebrew James, meaning “he who supplants,” sweeter than Jim.
- Joey – means “God will increase,” inspired by the biblical Joseph. Also means “baby kangaroo” in Australia.
- Johnny – a diminutive for John, meaning “God is gracious” in Hebrew, based on the Latin Johan.
- Jon – a top nickname for Jonathan, meaning “Yahweh has given.” Used in tandem with Jon-Paul.
- Josh – from the biblical Joshua, first as Yehoshua, meaning “God is salvation.”
- Joss – unisex and based on the Old French Gautzelin, a nickname for the Germanic Goths tribe.
- Kenny – a pet name for Kenneth, from the Gaelie Coinneach, meaning “the handsome one.”
- Kev – a creative nickname for Kevin from the Irish Caoimin, meaning “good looking.”
- Khal – short for the Arabic Khalid or a “king” named Khal in Game of Thrones.
- Larry – a casual short form of Lawrence, meaning “crowned with laurel” and “from Laurentum” in Latin.
- Lee – a popular unisex middle name from the English “laye,” meaning “clearing in the woods.”
- Leo – a Greek boy’s name meaning “lion” that became a German nickname for a “lionhearted” man.
- Leon – a more stylish French adaptation of the Greek Leo, meaning “lion” or “brave warrior.”
- Lester – means “from Leicester” and “Roman town” in Old English and is short for Aleister.
- Lex – a Greek diminutive for Alexander, meaning “defender of men.” Also, Superman villain Lex Luthor.
- Liam – an Irish nickname for William, meaning “protector.” Ranked 2nd for U.S. boys in 2022.
- Louie – a French variation of Louis, meaning “warrior” and “knight.” Some pronounce Louis as “LUW-iy.”
- Luca – short for the Latin Lucus, meaning “bringer of light.” A clever alternative to Luke.
- Mac – the prefix for Scottish surnames meaning “son of,” and short for names like Malcolm.
- Mal – a Latin nickname for Malcolm or Mallory, meaning “devoted to St Columbia” and “smooth brow.”
- Manny – a diminutive for the Spanish name Manuel or the Latin Emmanuel, meaning “God is with us.”
- Marky – short for Mark, meaning “war-like” when inspired by the Roman god of war, Mars.
- Marty – a typical nickname for Martin, meaning “dedicated to Mars,” associated with “warlike.”
- Matty – an awesome diminutive for Matt and Matthew, meaning “gift of God” in Hebrew.
- Max – one of the best of boy nicknames based on the Latin Maximilian, meaning “greatest.”
- Mike – based on the biblical Michael, meaning “like God,” and one of the seven archangels.
- Mitch – a tough, unique take on Michael, from the Hebrew Miyka’el, meaning “who resembles God.”
- Monty – a French nickname for Montgomery and Montague based on “monc,” meaning “mountain.”
- Nate – a diminutive of Nathan and Nathaniel, meaning “gift of God” or “God has given.”
- Nick – a pet name for Nicholas from the Greek Nikolaos, meaning “victory of the people.”
- Ollie – an English nickname for Oliver, from the Latin “olivarius,” meaning “olive tree.” A symbol of peace.
- Paddy – a funny yet popular Irish name short for Patrick, meaning “noble” or “regal.”
- Pete – a common nickname for Peter taken from the Greek “petros,” meaning “rock” or “stone.”
- Phil – based on the Greek “philippos,” meaning “lover of horses.” A diminutive for Philip, meaning “beloved.”
- Ray – short for Raymond, meaning “wise protector” or “counsel hand” in Old German as Reimund.
- Reg – a goofy nickname for the Latin Reginald, meaning “ruler’s advisor.”
- Robbie – short for Robert, composed of the Old German “hrod,” meaning “fame,” and “berhtl,” meaning “bright.”
- Samo – the latest version of the Hebrew Samuel, meaning “told by God” in the Czech Republic.
- Sid – most often used for Sidney, meaning “wide meadow” in Old English.
- Stan – based on Stanley, meaning “stony meadow” in English and sometimes short for Stanford or Stanislaus.
- Stew – a nickname for Steward, meaning “guard.” Originally an English occupational name for a household steward.
- Theo – usually short for Theodore, meaning “gift of God” or “divine gift.”
- Tommy – a diminutive for Tom from the Greek Thomas and Aramaic Ta’oma, meaning “twin.”
- Tony – a popular nickname for Anthony, first appearing as the Latin Antonius, meaning “priceless” and “flourishing.”
- Vik – short for Victor and Viktor, and ranks in the top 200 names in the Netherlands.
- Vince – a pet name for Vincent, based on the Latin Vincentius, meaning “conquering” and winning.”
- Wally – short for Wallace, a surname meaning “ruler of the army” and originally denoting a “Welshman.”
- Wes – a variation of the Old English Westley, made up of “west” and “leah,” meaning “meadow.”
- Will – a more literal nickname for William that’s more romantic than Bill, meaning “resolute protector.”
- Zack – means “laughter” and “the Lord recalled” when based on the Hebrew Zachary and Zachariah.
- Zander – a cool diminutive for Alexander, meaning “defender of man,” for your grandson who uses WhatsApp.
90 Cute Nicknames for Guys
Adorable boy nicknames like these are too darling for words.
- Abby – an unusual choice for names like Abelardo or Abbott, meaning “father of exaltation.”
- Albie – a diminutive for Alba, meaning “white,” that can mean cuteness for a boy named Albert.
- Alfie – based on the Old English “Aelfraed,” meaning “elf,” “counsel,” and “wise.”
- Algie – can be short for Algernon and means with a mustache” or “bearded.”
- Ali – comes from the Arabic “aliy,” meaning “sublime.” Ali was the first convert to Islam.
- Archie – a medieval Scottish nickname for Archibald, meaning “genuine,” and Prince Harry’s son.
- Artie – an adorable diminutive for Arthur, based on the Celtic “artos,” meaning “bear.”
- Benji – based on Benjamin, meaning “son of the right hand” in Hebrew and a famous dog.
- Berry – similar to Barry and based on the English surname Barrington, meaning “fortified place.”
- Bertie – means “glorious raven” from the German Bertram. A nickname for King George VI, called Albert.
- Bixy – an unusually short nickname for Bixby or Bigsby, based on an old settlement in England.
- Bo – means “to live” or “dwell” as a snappy pet form of Beaufort or Beauregard.
- Bozo – a Croatian diminutive for Božidar using the Slavic “bozy,” meaning “divine.” Pronounced BOH-zhow.
- Bubba – born out of a mispronunciation of “brother,” that’s become a Southern American favorite.
- Buddy – a colloquialism for a best friend, possibly from the Gaelic “bhodaich,” meaning “old man.”
- Buster – an American nickname for someone “tough” and one of the few male nicknames not name-based.
- Casey – originally the Irish Cathasaigh, meaning “watchful” and “brave.” Sometimes short for K.C.
- Chrissy – though common for girls, Chrissy is also a boy’s diminutive for Christopher, meaning “bearing Christ.”
- Clancy – taken from the Gaelic MacFhlannchadha, meaning “son of the red warrior” and short for Clarence.
- Corey – mainly short for girl’s names, but a solid boy’s name, meaning “from the hollow.”
- Cuddie – as cute as it sounds and based on the Old English “Cuthbert,” meaning “famous.”
- Derby – originally an Old English surname meaning “park with deer” that may exist on its own.
- Desi – a Spanish diminutive for Desiderio, meaning “desired.” Actor Desi Arnez is the most famous Desi.
- Dewey – based on Dewi, a Welsh form of David, meaning “beloved.”
- Dougie – taken from the Scottish name Douglas and based on “dubhglas,” meaning “dark water or stream.”
- Dusty – a short form of Dustin, meaning “Thor’s stone” or light dirt.” Also used for girls.
- Eli – based on the Hebrew Elijah, meaning “high” or “elevated” from the root “El,” meaning “God.”
- Em – usually short for Emily, but also associated with the Latin Aemilius, meaning “industrious” and “rival.”
- Finn – originated as the Irish Fionn, a famous mythical hero. Short for Griffin, Phineas, and Finnegan.
- Fritz – means “peaceful ruler” and is a pet form of Friedrich or Frederick. Slang for “a German.”
- Gabe – short for Gabriel, one of the seven biblical archangels, meaning “God is my strength.”
- Geordie – 19th-century slang for a “miner” in northern England. A sweet choice for George, meaning “earthworker.”
- Gibby – a nickname for Gilbert, from the Scottish Gibidh, meaning “noble youth.”
- Gordy – originally for someone “from Gordon, Scotland” and a diminutive for Gordon, popular in Canada.
- Harvey – means “battle worthy” in French as an alternative to Herve or the Old Breton Huiarnviu.
- Hobb – an offbeat pet name for Robert and Robin, taken from the Germanic Hrodebert and Hróðr.
- Howie – a nickname used for Howard, meaning “high defender,” or Howell, meaning “eminent.”
- Huey – a more concise version of Hughie based on Hugh, meaning “heart” or “mind” in German.
- Iggy – a fire name like no other taken from the Latin Ignatius, meaning “fiery one.”
- Ivo – also French, meaning “yew” and “archer,” but traditionally a nickname for Ivan, the Slavic John.
- Jazz – a unisex diminutive for the gender-neutral Jasper, meaning “treasurer” in Persian.
- Jemmy – a fun alternative to the Hebrew James, meaning “he who supplants” and “dove.”
- Jody – a loving short form of Joseph, meaning “Jehovah increases” and “praised” in Hebrew.
- Jojo – a more childlike version of Joe or Joey used for Joseph, meaning “God raises.”
- Jonty – an unexpected diminutive for Jonathan based on the Hebrew Yonathan, meaning “God is gracious.”
- Kenzie – a shorter form of the Scottish surname Mackenzie, meaning “descendant of the handsome man.”
- Kiah – a unisex name based on the ancient Hebrew Hezekiah, meaning “God gives strength.”
- Kit – one of the fun nicknames for guys, from Christopher, meaning “bearing Christ.”
- Kye – the Gaelic meanings include “keeper of the keys,” “earth,” “narrow,” and “straight.”
- Levi – means “joiner” in Hebrew, inspired by the biblical Levi, founder of the Levite tribe.
- Lo – a cool prefix name for any boy’s name starting with “Lo-,” like Logan or Lorenzo.
- Ludo – a Slavic pet name for Ludovic or Ludomir, meaning “famous war” and “battle.”
- Mackie – a creative use of the Gaelic prefix for surnames beginning with “Mac,” like Mackenzie.
- Mags – a distinct alternative to the Latin Magnus, meaning “the greatest” for your little ruler.
- Matty – means “mighty battle” in German for Matthew, ranking 39th for U.S. boys in 2022.
- Melly – also a girl’s nickname meaning “brave strength” in Greek, perfect for boys named Melvin.
- Mickey – for a Mickey Mouse lover, the best nickname for Michael, meaning “who is like God?”
- Mika – a unique Scandinavian form of Mike, meaning “beautiful fragrance.” Short for Mikael.
- Milo – a Latin variation of Miles, meaning “soldier,” also short for Miroslav and Emilio.
- Nev – a short nickname for Neville,” meaning “new village” or “holy.”
- Nico – the Italian version of the Greek Nick or Nicholas, meaning “victory of the people.”
- Nino – is Spanish for “little boy” and a pet name for boys called Antonino or Giannino.
- Norrie – based on the Hebrew Noah, meaning “peaceful,” can crush nicknames for Norman like Norm.
- Petey – the cutest choice for a boy named Peter, meaning “rock” in Greek.
- Percy – can be used for Percival and means “one who pierces the valley” in French.
- Pip – means “lover of horses” and is a vintage nickname for Phillip or Piper.
- Raffy – means “exalted” in Arabic for Rafael. One of Allah’s names in Islam.
- Ravi – an Indian boy’s name meaning “sun” in Sanskrit and taken from Ravivara, Hindi for Sunday.
- Remi – based on the Latin “remigius,” meaning “oarsman,” also used for Remington.
- Ricky – short for Richard, composed of the Germanic “ric,” meaning “power,” and “hard,” meaning “brave.”
- Risto – an Italian variation of Christopher, meaning “bearing Christ in one’s heart.”
- Riz – means “acceptance” and “goodwill” in Arabic and may exist alone among nicknames for boys.
- Rocky – famous for Rocky Balboa, it’s a nickname for Rocco, meaning “stony” that packs a punch.
- Roddy – a diminutive for the English Rod(erick), taken from the German Hrod, meaning “famous power.”
- Rory – a Gaelic variation of the Old Irish name Ruaidhrí, meaning “red king” that’s unisex.
- Rusty – a tough-as-nails nickname on our list representing Russell, meaning “little red” in French.
- Sandy – a gentle variation of Alex and Zander for the Greek Alexander, meaning “man’s defender.”
- Sonny – a popular Italian nickname meaning “son” as a diminutive for Salvatore and Santino.
- Spence – short for Spencer for a royal servant, from the Middle English “spense,” meaning “pantry.”
- Teddy – an adorable pet name for Theodore, meaning “gift of God,” made famous by President Teddy Roosevelt.
- Terry – derived from the French Thierry and Theodoric, meaning “power of the tribe,” used for Terrance.
- Tino – a nickname for Martino, Valentino, and Faustino, meaning “strength” and “health.”
- Tito – means “saved” in Latin as a short form of Titus, meaning “title of honor.”
- Toby – a nickname for Tobias, taken from the Hebrew Toviah, meaning “Yahweh is good.”
- Tolly – short for Bartholomew, meaning “plowman.” Also, a nickname for Oliver.
- Ty – a unisex diminutive for Tyrone or Tyler, meaning “from the land of Eoghan.”
- Wally – means “ruler of the army” as a nickname for Wallace, also meaning “Welshman.”
- Wolfie – a sweet nickname for the German Wolfgang, meaning “traveling wolf” that’s less scary than Wolf.
- Woody – means “from a lane in the woods” from Woodrow, associated with Woody Allen.
- Zee – a Hebrew boy’s name meaning “wolf” that arose from longer names like Zeeke, Zeehab, and Zebediah.
90 Unusual Nicknames for Guys
Sometimes, the coolest boy nicknames are the most creative of all.
- Ace – short for Asa, Chase, or Trace, meaning “expert.” It also means “one” from the Latin “as.”
- Ade – a nickname for Adrian, meaning “man of nobility” in German and “crown” in Yoruba.
- Ally – often appears for girls named Allison, but is also commonly short for Alexander, Alister, or Alan.
- Anders – is a diminutive for the Scandinavian Andreas, meaning “manly” and “masculine” as Andrew.
- Ash – from the Hebrew Asher, meaning “happy,” and is one of Jacob’s sons in the Bible.
- Auggie – a cute version of the Greek Augustus, meaning “great” or “magnificent” in Latin.
- Bas – while a nickname for Sebastian, Bas is also Dutch for a “person from Sebastia.”
- Bax – originating from the German surname Backhaus, based on “bāgan,” meaning “to fight.”
- Baz – a diminutive for the Polish Bazyli/Basil, meaning “king” and a nickname for Sebastian.
- Beck – a modern-day example of boy nicknames based on surnames like Beckham and Beckett.
- Bren – is short for the Irish Brendan and a Jewish nickname for an active person.
- Cam – a diminutive for Cameron taken from the Gaelic “cam srón,” meaning “crooked nose.”
- Cash – an offbeat alternative to Cassius or Cassian that means “case” and a nickname for money.
- Chan – a nickname for Chandler also linked to Channah, meaning “God is gracious” in Hebrew.
- Chet – used as a short form of Chester, meaning “fortress” or “camp,” also linked to Charles.
- Chi – a Vietnamese name meaning “twig” that’s short for rare names like Chiraq or Chirush.
- Cis – means “follower of Christ” and is a nickname for Christahel, Christian, or Christopher.
- Clem – a French and Latin name short for Clemency and Clement, meaning “merciful.”
- Clint – a diminutive for Clinton, meaning “fenced settlement.” Famous for Clint Eastwood.
- Colt – in Old English, Colt means “young horse” or “filly” and is short for Colton.
- Coop – taken from the English surname Cooper, given to a “barrel-maker.”
- Cyr – means “lordly” as a nickname for the Greek Cyril, originating as Kýrillos, for “masterful.”
- Dash – short for Dashiell, meaning “someone who lived near an ash tree” in Old English.
- Dax – means “leader” in French and a possible diminutive for Dexter.
- Dec – a nickname for the Irish Declan, meaning “full of goodness,” and Dionizy, the Polish Dionysius.
- Del – means “of the” in Spanish and is the pet form of Delbert, meaning “noble.”
- Deon – dates back to the ancient Greek god Dionysus and is another form of the French Dion.
- Dud – an unusual name to replace Dudley, meaning “from the people’s meadow” and “Dudda’s clearing.”
- Elmo – a Sesame Street-inspired nickname for the Greek Erasmus, meaning “beloved.”
- Ev – a diminutive for Evan, meaning “God is gracious,” also based on Euan, meaning “youth.”
- Ford – an all-American short form of Clifford, meaning “river crossing” in Old English.
- Fox – an Old English nickname for a “fox-like” person who’s sly or cunning.
- Gram – a surprising spelling as a pet name for Ingram, meaning “raven of peace” in Scandinavian.
- Griff – used for Griffin, meaning “strong lord” or “prince.” Inspired by the creatures of Greek mythology.
- Gus – an old man-inspired nickname for Augustus, meaning “majestic,” and Gustav, meaning “royal staff.”
- Had – linked to the unisex Hadley, meaning “heather meadow” in Old English or a Chad alternative.
- Iago – a primarily Welsh form of the Latin Iacomus, meaning “supplanter” as a variant of Jacob.
- Izzy – a common form of Hebrew names like Israel, Isaac, and Isaiah, meaning “God’s promise.”
- Jace – an edgy form of Jason, meaning “healer” or “lord of salvation” in Hebrew.
- Jag – a Cornish nickname for James or Jacob based on the Hebrew “aquv,” meaning “heel.”
- Jax – is also used for girls named Jacqueline; Jax is a rockstar choice for boys named John.
- Jules – a nickname for Julian or Julius, also used for girls named Julie, meaning “downy-bearded.”
- Krist – a Croatian form of Chris, meaning “follower of Christ” as a variation of Christian.
- Ky – a Hawaiian form of Kai, meaning “ocean,” that’s also a diminutive for Kyle, meaning “narrow.”
- Laurie – a unique male nickname for Laurence, meaning “symbol of victory” for a laurel tree.
- Link – a Jewish nickname for a “left-handed person” that’s also short for Lincoln.
- Lorn – since it means “from Laurentum,” Lorn or Lorne is short for Lawrence.
- Mads – a mostly Scandinavian diminutive of the Hebrew Matthew, meaning “gift of God.”
- Mel – an old-school nickname for the English Melvin, meaning “council protector.”
- Merv – as a short form of the Welsh Melvin, Merv means “great lord.”
- Moe – means “God’s helmet” or “savior” and comes from Maurice, Morris, and Mordecai.
- Morrie – based on the Latin Morris, meaning “dark-skinned” and a grandpa name if ever one.
- Mort – taken from the Old French “mort,” meaning “death,” yet a diminutive for the biblical Mordecai.
- Moss – an English nickname for Moses, meaning “born of God” and “dweller by the peat bog.”
- Ned – a modern-day form of Edward, Edmund, Edwin, and Edgar, meaning “wealthy guardian.”
- Neo – the main character of The Matrix puts us in contact with Neo, meaning “new.”
- Newt – taken from the English surname Newton, meaning “new town,” and is far more cute.
- Noe – a fun-loving alternative to the Hebrew Noah, meaning “rest” and “repose.”
- Oak – an earthy variation of the English Oakley, meaning “meadow of oak trees.”
- Ozzy – the example of male nicknames based on rockers like Ozzy Osbourne, short for Oscar.
- Pax – the Roman goddess of peace is named Pax, also a possible nickname for Paxton.
- Piyu – a Hindi form of Piyush, meaning “milk” and “sweet water.” It also means “crow” in Sanskrit.
- Q – a sly nickname based on the Arabic name Qadir, meaning “capable,” “powerful,” or “mighty.”
- Raaj – means “king” or “prince” in Sanskrit, plus “rule” and “kingdom.” It’s short for Rajesh.
- Rafe – a diminutive for Rafael that’s also a Scandinavian name meaning “counsel of the wolf.”
- Ram – a form of the Indian Rama, meaning “pleasing,” after a name for the god Vishnu.
- Ren – based on Reynold, made up of the German “ragin,” meaning “advice” and “wald,” meaning “power.”
- Rhett – means “to speak” in Latin and is a variant of Rhys, meaning “passion” in Welsh.
- Riah – based on the biblical name Zachariah, meaning “the Lord has remembered,” plus “to flow” in Greek.
- Rishi – means “sage” in Sanskrit and may refer to longer Indian names like Rajrishi.
- Rod – a diminutive for Rodney, first an Old English surname, or the Germanic Roderick.
- Rye – means “cavalryman” and “messenger” in Old English and is short for Riley and Ryan.
- Sasha – a strong Russian unisex form of the Greek Alexander, meaning “to defend man.”
- Sly – the coolest of nicknames for guys inspired by Sylvester “Sly” Stallone, meaning “wooded forest.”
- Sol – means “sun” in Spanish and is often a diminutive for the Hebrew Solomon.
- Steff – a lively pet name for boys called Stephen, from the German Steffen and Latin Stephanus.
- Sully – the most Irish of nicknames for boys named Sullivan, meaning “from the South field.”
- Tad – a modern alternative to Thaddeus, Theodore, and Thomas that worked for Abraham Lincoln’s son.
- Tate – means “cheerful” in Old English and is based on the Old Norse “teitr,” meaning “glad.”
- Topher – from the Greek Christophoros, meaning “bearer of Christ,” as the coolest form of Christopher.
- Trace – an English name meaning “brave,” short for Tracy, and the surname Ó’Treasaigh, meaning “warlike.”
- Uli – a common boy’s name in Germany meaning “prosperity,” based on Ulrich or Ulrike.
- Val – the short form of Valentine, meaning “brave,” used for girls named Valerie.
- Van – a diminutive for Vance, Evan, and Ivan. Also, a surname meaning “marsh.”
- Verge – a cutting-edge nickname for the Latin Virgil, meaning “half-acre” in Old English.
- Vonn – similar to the Dutch surname prefix “Von,” one of the cutest boy nicknames meaning “hope.”
- West – originally a German surname for someone living out west; short for Weston or Westley.
- Zave – a fresh take on the Spanish Xavier, meaning “savior” for male nicknames with Z.
- Zino – taken from the Greek Zenon, meaning “gift of Zeus” for strong boys.
- Zo – means “spiritual leader” in Africa and one of the best nicknames for guys named Alonzo.