What’s in a name? …or a nickname?
There are some great names out there… and some have even better nicknames.
With all the cool names you could choose for your little boy, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
Especially once you start thinking about nicknames too.
You don’t want your little one getting stuck with an unfortunate nickname…
Choosing a name with great nickname options gives you (and your baby boy) flexibility later in life.
Although, you might like to go straight to the nickname. Which is totally fine and royal approved (think royal baby Archie!)
So, which will you choose?
“Normal” traditional name choice with cool nickname options?
Or cut to the chase and go direct to the nickname?
As you’re thinking about your son’s new name here are some options for you.
(Make sure you check out Harrison – it’s got a LOT of nickname options!)
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Archibald
This name became very popular after Harry and Meghan named their baby Archie. The prince’s name is just Archie, not the full Archibald version. The name started gaining popularity in 2018, climbing back onto the Top 1000 for the first time in 30 years. It is a boy’s name of German origin meaning “truly brave”.
Andrew
This English name means “manly and brave”. Often shortened to Andy or Drew.
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Benjamin
The sixth most popular name of 2019 in the United States according to to the Social Security Administration. The name is of Hebrew origin meaning “son of the south” or “son of the right hand”. Common nicknames include Ben or Benji.
Bradley
English surname derived from a place name meaning “broad wood” or “broad meadow”. Brad is a nickname for Bradley.
Calvin
This Latin name means “bald or hairless”. Interesting meaning… but it’s a cool sounding name! Great nicknames include Cal or even Vin.
Charles
Charles comes from German and French origin meaning “free man”. Not so popular anymore (which is great if you’re looking for something unique!), common nicknames include Chuck, Chase or Charlie.
Dominic
Latin for “Lordly”, “belonging to God” or “of the master”. Commonly shortened to Dom or Nick.
Finnegan
An Irish surname meaning “little fair one” and often shortened to Finn.
Giovanni
Italian for “God is gracious” or “God has shown favor”. Boys often go by Gio.
Grayson
English for “son of the reeve or gray-haired”. Gray or Grey is a nickname for Grayson.
Harrison
English meaning “son of Harry” is often shortened to Harry, Hank or Harris.
Jacob
A traditional Hebrew name meaning “to follow, to be behind”. Often shortened to Jake.
James
The name has stood the test of time, it is one of the five most common men’s name in the United States. Hebrew meaning “he who supplants”. Common nicknames include Jim, Jimmy, Jamie and Jack.
Judah
Judah is Hebrew meaning “praise”. Jude is often used as a nickname.
Leonardo
Latin name for “lion” and “bold”. The common nickname is Leo.
Maxwell
This Scottish name means “great stream”. Max is the typical nickname for Maxwell.
Nathan
Hebrew name meaning “he gave”. Nathan is often shortened to Nate.
Nicholas
This name of Greek origin means “people of victory”. Hitting its height of popularity in the mid 90s. The name has a variety of spelling options and nicknames including Nicolas, Nikolas, Nicholaus, Nick, Nico and Nicky.
Samuel
Of Hebrew origin meaning “God has heard, name of God.” Samuel’s nicknames include Sam, Sami, Sammie and Sammy.
Santino
Italian for “saint”, your precious baby could go by the nickname Sonny.
Steven
English meaning “crown and garland”. Sometimes spelled Stephen and shortened to Steve or Stevie.
Theodore
Theodore is often shortened to Ted, Teddy or Theo. The Greek name means “God-given”.
Stanford
The English name means “stony ford or stony meadow.” Stanford can be shortened to Stan, or Ford.
Tyler
English for “maker of tiles”. Boys named Tyler sometimes go by just Ty.
Louis
A mix of German and French origin this name means “renowned warrior”. It is often shortened to Lou.
Oliver
This English name is derived from the meaning “the olive tree”. In the Bible the olive tree symbolized beauty, dignity and fruitfulness. Ollie is the cutest nickname for this great name.
Waylon
A Christian name that originated in England. The name means “land by the road” and is shortened to Way or Wey.
Westley
Westley is derived from the Old English elements west, and leah meaning wood, clearing, meadow. Wes is a nickname for Westley.
William
William can be shortened to Liam. The name Liam was the most popular boys name in both 2018 and 2019 in the United States. The German name meaning “resolute protector” is also often shortened to Will, Willie, Bill and Billy.
Zachary
Hebrew origin meaning “God has remembered”. The obvious (and spunky) nickname is Zach. Spell it how you like it 🙂