A nickname is a short, clever, cute, derogatory, or otherwise substitute name for a person or thing's real name (for example, Nick is short for Nicholas). As a concept, it is distinct from both pseudonym and stage name, although there may be overlap in these concepts.

Etymology: In Middle English the word was ekename (from the verb to eke, "enlarge"; compare Swedish öknamn). Later, an ekename developed into a nickname.

In Viking societies, many people had nicknames heiti, viðrnefni or uppnefi which were used in addition to, or instead of their family names. In some circumstances the giving of a nickname had a special status in Viking society in that it created a relationship between the name maker and the recipient of the nickname, to the extent that the creation of a nickname also often entailed a formal ceremony and an exchange of gifts.

Nicknames for people

Types of personal nickname:

1. A nickname may relate directly to a person's first name. Examples:

• Ally, Allie for Allison, Alison or Alice
• Andie for Andrea
• Andy, Drew for Andrew
• Barb, Barbie, Babs for Barbara
• Ben, Benny for Benjamin
• Bill, Billy, Will, Willy for William
• Bob, Rob, Robbie, Bobby, Rab for Robert
• Chuck, Chaz, Charlie for Charles
• Donna for Donnatella
• Daisy for Margaret (obsolete) or Marguerite, another name for the flower
• Harry, Hal for Harold
• Jack, Johnny, John for Johnathan
• Jeff for Jeffrey
• Jerry for Jerome, Gerald
• Joe, Sep for Joseph
• Josh for Joshua
• Kate, Katie, Kathy for Katherine or Kaitlyn
• Lauri, Laurie for Laura or Lauren
• Leo, Len, Lenny for Leonard or Leopold
• Mandy, Mandi, Manda for Amanda
• Maddie, Maddy for Madeline
• Matt, Mattie for Matthew
• Moll, Molly Dolly, Good Golly Miss Molly for Molly and Mollie
• Nate, Nat for Nathan, Nathaniel, Natalie
• Nell, Ellie, Elle for Eleanor
• Peggy, Peg, Maggie, Meg, Marg for Margaret or Megan
• Ron, Ronnie for Ronald
• Ricky, Dick, Rich, Rick for Richard
• Sam for Samuel or Samantha
• Steph or Stephie for Stephanie
• Steve for Stephen or Steven
• Sue, Susie, Suzie for Susan/Susanne/Suzanne
• Ted, Teddy, Ned, Ed, Eddie for Edward
• Ted, Teddy, Teddie, Thea for Theodore or Theodora
• Tom, Tommy for Thomas
• Trish, Tricia for Patricia
• Wenny, Wendel for Wendy
• Zach for Zachary

Many of these names are also registered as formal birth names.

2. A nickname may relate directly to a person's surname. Examples:

• Mitch for someone with the surname Mitchell
• Sully for someone with the surname Sullivan
• Churchy for Winston Churchill

3. It may also relate indirectly to a surname. Examples:

• Chalky for someone with the surname White
• Sandy for someone with the surname Brown
• Dicky for someone with the surname Bird
• Dinger for someone with the surname Bell

4. A nickname may reflect a national or cultural style. In the United States, for instance, rhyming contractions or plays on a person's name are common, as in:

• Flo-Jo Florence Griffith Joyner
• Ho-Jo, any person named Howard Johnson or the chain of hotels with the same name
• J-Lo Jennifer Lopez ('J' from Jennifer and 'Lo' from Lopez)

Calling a person by their initials is also common.

5. Nicknames, whatever their original basis, may become cultural norms. 'Sis', (slang for 'sister') for example, is often picked up and used by all the members of a family, their friends and society at large. Similarly, 'Chip' (off the old block) and 'Junior' can be used for any youngster and the nickname may follow the person into adulthood.

6. A nickname may relate to the person's calling. Examples:

• Chips for a carpenter
• Sparky or Sparks for an electrician or radio operator
• Chief for a boss

7. It may relate (offensively or otherwise) to a person's nationality or place of origin. Examples:

• Aussie for an Australian
• Canuck for a person from Canada
• Kiwi for a New Zealander
• Limey for an English person (U.S. usage); Pom or Pommy (Australian usage)
• Mac or Jock for a Scottish person
• Noypi for Filipino person
• Scouse for a person from Liverpool
• Taff for a Welsh person
• Tex for a person from Texas
• Wack for a person from Liverpool (obsolete)
• Yank for a person from the USA

See also: List of British regional nicknames

8. It may relate to a person's physical characteristics. Examples:

• Tubby for a fat person
• Lofty for a tall person
• Four-eyes for a person with glasses

Conversely, it may be used ironically for someone with the opposite characteristic, e.g., Curly for someone with straight hair (or no hair at all) - this form is very typical in Australian English, e.g:

• Blue for a person with red hair
• Dulz for a cross eyed person
• Shorty for a very tall person
• Slim for a fat person

9. It may relate to a person's character, imagined or real. Examples:

• Grumpy
• Swotty
• Romeo

10. It may relate to a specific incident or action. Example: Capability Brown was so called because he used the word "capability" instead of "possibility". Other examples include: Chemical Ali, Comical Ali.

Many fictional characters have nicknames relating to events: Examples include the Red Comet, White Tiger , Desert Tiger and Hawk of Endymion.

11. It may compare the person with a famous or fictional character. Examples:

• Napoleon or Hitler for someone with a dictatorial manner

12. A famous person's nickname may be unique to them:

• Tippecanoe for William Henry Harrison
• Dubya for George W. Bush. Dubya is from the Texan pronunciation of 'w', Bush's middle initial.
• Jack The Dripper for painter Jackson Pollock who created many of his works by dripping paint over horizontal canvas

13. A person's nickname may have no traceable origin. For example, a person named "Harold" may be nicknamed "Fred" for no apparent reason, or a man who was named after a relative may ask his friends to call him "Chip" to avoid confusion.

Nicknames of cities

See also: list of city nicknames for a more comprehensive list.

• Charm City - Baltimore, Maryland
• The Big Apple - New York, New York
• "The Windy City", "Second City", "City of Big Shoulders"; and "Hog-Butcher To The World" - Chicago, Illinois. (These last two are from the poem by Carl Sandburg; see also Nicknames for Chicago.)
• The Big Easy - New Orleans, Louisiana
• Mill City, City of Lakes - Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Motor City - Detroit, Michigan
• Music City - Nashville, Tennessee
• The Big Smoke - London, United Kingdom

Nicknames for some common items

• boob tube, idiot box, telly, TV - television
• bug - Volkswagen Beetle
• head - toilet on a ship
• loo - toilet
• Old Glory - the Flag of the United States

Nicknames for professions

• Chippie - carpenter
• Cop - police officer
• Doc - doctor
• Roughneck - oil rigger
• Shark - lawyer
• Shovelbums - archaeological field technicians
• Shrink - psychiatrist
• Wood butcher - carpenter

Military nicknames

• G.I. - soldier (short for Government issue)
• Dogface, gopher, grunt - infantry soldier
• Zipperhead - armoured soldier
• Matelots - sailors
• Frogs - Navy Seals
• Leathernecks - U.S. marines

See also: List of nicknames of British Army regiments

Sports clubs and their nicknames

Sporting clubs are often given nicknames. These may or may not be incorporated into official names or be used by the club. The names of animals or colours are popular. Examples:

Soccer

• Monkey Hangers - Hartlepool United
• Sky Blues - Coventry City F.C.
• The Gunners - Arsenal F.C.
• Red Devils - Manchester United F.C.
• The Reds - Liverpool F.C
• Magpies - Newcastle United FC
• Canaries - Norwich City

Rugby Union

• Leicester Tigers - Leicester Rugby Football Club

See also

• List of monarchs by nickname
• List of nicknames used by George W. Bush