I heard the nickname [name_f]Vita[/name_f] for [name_f]Victoria[/name_f] recently and loved it. Much better than the dated, obvious nicknames [name_f]Vicky[/name_f] and [name_f]Tori[/name_f], in my opinion. It made me wonder what other unusual nicknames you could use to freshen up classic names. Any ideas?
Right now I can only think of [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m] ‘[name_m]Jam[/name_m]’, and maybe [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] ‘[name_u]Isa[/name_u]’, but I’ll try and think of more.
Idgie/Idgy for [name_f]Imogen[/name_f].
[name_f]Isabella[/name_f] : [name_f]Sable[/name_f]
[name_f]Beatrix[/name_f] : [name_m]Bix[/name_m]
[name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] : [name_f]Noor[/name_f]
[name_f]Felicity[/name_f]: [name_f]Floss[/name_f]
[name_f]Josephine[/name_f] : Sephie
[name_f]Daphne[/name_f] : [name_u]Day[/name_u]
[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] : [name_f]Zelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] : O
[name_m]Quentin[/name_m] : [name_m]Quest[/name_m]
[name_m]Edward[/name_m] : Dare
[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] – [name_f]Orla[/name_f], [name_f]Cora[/name_f], [name_u]Corey[/name_u]
[name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] – [name_f]Tricia[/name_f], [name_f]Beatie[/name_f], [name_m]Bean[/name_m]
[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] – [name_m]Zabe[/name_m], [name_f]Zelia[/name_f], [name_f]Betsy[/name_f], [name_m]Eli[/name_m]
[name_f]Georgia[/name_f] – [name_f]Gia[/name_f], [name_m]Gee[/name_m], [name_f]Gigi[/name_f]
[name_f]Juliet[/name_f] – Jula, [name_f]Lia[/name_f], [name_f]Etta[/name_f]
[name_f]Serena[/name_f] – [name_f]Rena[/name_f], Serrie, [name_f]Eren[/name_f]
[name_f]Susannah[/name_f] – [name_f]Sanna[/name_f], [name_u]Sasha[/name_u]
[name_m]Alexander[/name_m] – [name_u]Lex[/name_u], [name_u]Andy[/name_u], [name_m]Anders[/name_m]
[name_m]Benjamin[/name_m] – [name_u]Jamie[/name_u], [name_m]Jam[/name_m], [name_m]Beni[/name_m]
[name_m]Frederick[/name_m] – [name_u]Ricky[/name_u], [name_m]Derrick[/name_m], [name_u]Reid[/name_u]
[name_m]Jonathan[/name_m] – Jonno, [name_m]Nate[/name_m]
[name_m]Joseph[/name_m] – [name_u]Seth[/name_u], [name_u]Josie[/name_u]
[name_m]Matthew[/name_m] – [name_m]Hewie[/name_m], Mew
[name_m]Samuel[/name_m] – [name_m]Samu[/name_m], Muel, [name_m]Eli[/name_m]
[name_m]Theodore[/name_m] – [name_u]Teddy[/name_u], [name_u]Dory[/name_u], [name_m]Hugh[/name_m], [name_m]Otto[/name_m]
Some of these are a little stretch but I guess they’d work.
I love [name_m]William[/name_m] {[name_m]Wim[/name_m]}, [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] {[name_f]Lily[/name_f], Isbet, [name_f]Elle[/name_f]}, [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] {[name_f]Neve[/name_f]}, and [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] {[name_u]Kit[/name_u], Catkin, [name_m]Cato[/name_m]}.
The one I thought of recently was Catherine nn Cato. Sort of more on the unisex/boys’ nn for a feminine girls’ name, but I still like it. I like Kit and Wren for Catherine, too. I also love Leni for Eleanor (also Lena).
I also like Io for Violet, but it seems sort of a stretch, even though it’s right there in Violet. The sound isn’t really there, and it just seems so different from Violet. I’m not sure Violet’s really classic, though, so I’m not sure it counts for this category? I also really, really love Daisy for Margaret. And Tess/Tilly for Elisabeth! If Lily and Bess(y) can work, why not Tess or Tilly?
I think something like Anouk would be fun for Anna. It’s a recognized variation, but it’d be a fun nn if you weren’t gutsy enough to go straight to Anouk itself… Or even Nina or Nancy, which are recognized Anna diminutives. I’m pretty fond of just Annie as she is, though… I like Lulu for Julia, Em(my) for Mary, Sadie for Sarah, and Tali for Natalie/Natalia…
myosotis - [name_m]Jam[/name_m] would be an adorable nickname for a little boy.
minxtruck - Idgy is super cute!
bellerose - I love [name_m]Bix[/name_m] for [name_f]Beatrix[/name_f] and [name_f]Noor[/name_f] for [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f]. [name_f]Sable[/name_f] and Dare are cool ideas too.
eoxima - [name_m]Zabe[/name_m] is really interesting. Never heard of it before but I can see how it could work. I like [name_f]Beatie[/name_f] and [name_m]Anders[/name_m] too.
chrisco - [name_m]Wim[/name_m]! [name_m]How[/name_m] cute. I love the ideas for [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] too.
ashthedreamer - [name_m]Cato[/name_m] and [name_u]Kit[/name_u] are great ideas. They make as much sense as [name_f]Kate[/name_f] but are way more interesting. I love [name_f]Lena[/name_f] as a nickname for [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] too. I can see [name_f]Io[/name_f] for [name_f]Violet[/name_f]–the sound is almost there and I’ll take any excuse to use [name_f]Io[/name_f].
[name_f]Hermione[/name_f]: [name_f]Mia[/name_f]
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]: [name_f]Lotte[/name_f] (Lottuh)
[name_m]Balthazar[/name_m]: [name_m]Bas[/name_m]
[name_f]Victoria[/name_f]: [name_f]Thora[/name_f]
Well my [name_f]Anna[/name_f] is nicknamed [name_f]Nan[/name_f] or [name_f]Nanna[/name_f]. [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] is [name_f]Elle[/name_f], or [name_f]Leelee[/name_f]. My youngest, [name_f]Hope[/name_f], is nicknamed [name_u]Poe[/name_u]. 
I love [name_m]William[/name_m] nn [name_m]Wim[/name_m]! [name_m]How[/name_m] cute.
I also like…
[name_m]Matthew[/name_m] nn [name_m]Hew[/name_m]/Hewey
[name_m]Broderick[/name_m] nn [name_m]Brick[/name_m]
[name_m]Gregory[/name_m] nn [name_u]Rory[/name_u]
[name_f]Scarlett[/name_f] nn [name_f]Carly[/name_f], [name_u]Scout[/name_u], or [name_f]Scotti[/name_f]
We actually call our [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] [name_m]Cato[/name_m] some of the time, which works really well since her middle name starts with an O, though I agree it could work as a nickname for [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] by itself. We also call her [name_f]Kasia[/name_f] (pr. Kah-sha, a nickname for Polish equivalent [name_f]Katarzyna[/name_f]), [name_f]Kitty[/name_f], and [name_f]Rin[/name_f]/Rini on occasional, but most of the time she’s the traditional [name_f]Cate[/name_f].
Other unusual nicknames I like:
[name_f]Isobel[/name_f] nn [name_f]Zoe[/name_f]
[name_f]Penelope[/name_f] nn [name_f]Pola[/name_f]
[name_f]Veronica[/name_f] nn [name_f]Vera[/name_f] or [name_u]Nico[/name_u]
[name_f]Mary[/name_f]/[name_f]Maria[/name_f] nn [name_f]Mia[/name_f] or [name_f]Mimi[/name_f]
[name_f]Felicity[/name_f] nn [name_f]Lissie[/name_f]/[name_f]Lissa[/name_f]
[name_f]Juliet[/name_f] nn [name_u]Jet[/name_u]
[name_m]Alexander[/name_m] nn [name_m]Olek[/name_m] (another Polish nickname)
[name_m]Benjamin[/name_m] nn [name_u]Jamie[/name_u]
[name_m]Gregory[/name_m] nn [name_u]Rory[/name_u]
I have a few friends with traditional names that go by some off-beat nicknames.
[name_f]Cassandra[/name_f]/[name_u]Cassidy[/name_u]: [name_f]Cassia[/name_f]
[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]: [name_f]Effy[/name_f] or [name_m]Abe[/name_m]
[name_f]Isabella[/name_f]: [name_f]Bea[/name_f]
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f]: [name_f]Mati[/name_f]
[name_f]Natalie[/name_f]: [name_f]Talie[/name_f]
[name_f]Nicole[/name_f]: [name_m]Cole[/name_m]
I like Tree for [name_f]Beatrix[/name_f]/[name_f]Beatrice[/name_f]. It has a strong, but quiet and serene vibe to me. Unfortunately I don’t like the full names.
[name_f]Sina[/name_f] for [name_f]Thomasina[/name_f] (it was on a dog, but I love it.)
[name_f]Ree[/name_f] for [name_m]Henry[/name_m]
[name_f]Lala[/name_f] for [name_u]Lakota[/name_u]
I prefer unusual and non obvious nicknames. Sometimes the non obvious nn isn’t all that unusual. What I like about it is that I might love two names, but I don’t want to use them together or else don’t want one to be part of the legal name.
I like Enzo for Henry. It’s a stretch but it’s a way to use two great names and “-en-” is in the Henry name so is just a matter of adding to letters.
Another name I love is Effie, but I can’t envision it on any part of the birth certificate. So Effie for Felicity, for Ophelia, for Florence. Pretty much for any name that may have the “F” sound in it. I’d even toss Effie into the nickname ring for almost completely unrelated names like Elizabeth or Virginia, both meaningful family names that I don’t absolutely love but would prefer on a birth certificate over Effie.
I love Ansel but also am uninterested in it being part of the legal name. So I think of all the names I do like that might allow Ansel to fit as a nn. An Alexander could easily be called an Ansel.
Here are some that come to mind-
Boys-
[name_m]Arthur[/name_m] ([name_m]Artie[/name_m])
[name_m]Clarence[/name_m] ([name_u]Ren[/name_u], pronounced like the popular [name_u]Wren[/name_u])
Girls-
[name_f]Clementine[/name_f] ([name_f]Cleo[/name_f])
[name_f]Gillian[/name_f] ([name_f]Lia[/name_f])