Margaret: Nickname-Rich Name of the Week (September 27)

For the final name in this series we're covering another more-or-less classic: Margaret. In recent decades she's been in fashion limbo though, but some hipster namers are reconsidering her. Here's some of the many nicknames (some of which relate to Margaret's international forms): Mag(gie), Marge, Margo(t), Meg, Rita, and Daisy (derived from the French form Marguerite, which is my favorite version). This is also another name where sometimes the initial consonant changed, which gives us nicknames like Peggy and the like. What are your favorites (both among the aforementioned nicknames and any others you can think of)? As for Margaret herself, do you think it's time to revive her or should we wait a little longer?

Henry: Nickname-Rich Name of the Week (September 20)

For the second "added" name here's another name found throughout history that's seen a recent revival: Henry. Although he's very nice on his own, it has spun off nicknames like Hank (currently in limbo) and Harry (now the #1 boy's name in England/Wales but handicapped on this side of the pond probably due to sounding like "hairy" in an American accent). Any others I didn't think of, and what do you think of Henry and his nicknames?

Melissa: Nickname-Rich Name of the Week (September 13)

Note: Today's post was originally going to be another name and the last one, but since my original plan for this series I've come up with two more names to cover. The other name (a boy's name) that was added will be next week, and the end of the series will be two weeks from today.

She's probably very familiar to today's parents, being very popular during the 1970s and 1980s, and was (and still is) one of my favorites for a girl. The name is Melissa; although now a bit dated it would still fit in with today's other frilly girl's name picks. If the frills are a drawback, some shortened forms are Mel (if you want the tomboy-nickname effect), Mia (a more current nickname if you want to offset the "mom name" feel of Melissa), and Missy (which is even more dated than the parent name). What do you think of Melissa and those and other possible nicknames? Do you find Melissa too dated, or is it still good for a contemporary girl?

Nicholas: Nickname-Rich Name of the Week (September 6)

For the last boy's name (there will be one more girl's name next week) in this series I'm covering one that had his U.S. peak in the 1990s, but is classic enough to work on a boy or man of any age: Nicholas. Many Nicholases shorten their name to Nick, but I've also heard of Cole as a possible nickname. Any other ideas you can think of? Is Nicholas himself starting to get a bit dated, or is it still a strong choice for a boy?

Isabella: Nickname-Rich Name of the Week (August 30)

Here's another name that is much more likely (at least in English-speaking countries) to be seen on a child than an adult, yet has plenty of history: Isabella (and other related forms such as Isabel, Isabelle, etc.). Like Sebastian some may find it a bit long for everyday use, but many families manage Isabella in full without problems. If you do find the name to be a bit too much, there's Izzy and Belle/Bella among others (feel free to mention any others that you like). So, what's your general opinion on Isabella (too popular or still nice despite being one of the most common girl's names of the present era)? Although these names are related to Elizabeth, they're different enough in my opinion in terms of their nicknames to get another entry in this series.

Charles: Nickname-Rich Name of the Week (August 23)

This week's name is another English classic that's been on the downhill slope for a few decades, but is now leveling off and may soon be due for a comeback: Charles. The most fashionable nickname (for both boys and girls!) at the moment is Charlie. In the past we've also seen Chuck as well as a few others. Feel free to share any more unusual nickname ideas or your thoughts on Charles.

Dorothy: Nickname-Rich Name of the Week (August 16)

Quite popular during the first half of the 20th Century, she now has "old lady name" status, though she did re-appear in the U.S. SSA Top 1,000 after being out for several years: Dorothy. Since at her height the name was given to more than 3% of girls it's logical that numerous nicknames formed. Among those off the top of my head are Dot(tie), Dolly, and Dora. There are probably others I haven't thought off, which you can fill me in on if you like, as well as your opinions of Dorothy herself (which is probably my favorite way to use it) and the aforementioned nicknames.

Sullivan: Nickname-Rich Name of the Week (August 9)

Although most of the names I'm covering in this series are more classic, since Sullivan is one of the surname-as-first-name names that I like for a boy (and is rising on the charts) I thought I'd mention it. Some may shorten it to Sully or Van, but I like it well enough on its own. What do you think of Sullivan in general (too "surnamey" or usable as a first name)? Any other possibilities for nicknames?

Veronica: Nickname-Rich Name of the Week (August 2)

She's recognizable but has never been overly popular in the U.S., but has plenty of history and is semi-common among Catholics: Veronica. Being a bit long though some may want to shorten it: I like Vera and Vero as nickname ideas, while although not my style I know of some Veronicas who go by Ronnie. Nica or something similar might also be an idea, although if you like Veronica on its own I think it's perfectly doable. What do you think of Veronica and her nicknames?

Richard: Nickname-Rich Name of the Week (July 26)

Like Robert which I covered a fortnight ago, Richard is another name that has historically been common, had its modern peak among the Silents and Boomers, and is now in somewhat of a fashion limbo. A lot of that decline in recent decades is probably a desire to stay away from a nickname that now has a less-than-desirable connotation that is still seen on older Richards: Dick. As with Robert the younger Richards are more likely to use a matching-consonant nickname (evolving from the Rick-type to the Rich-type as well). Any other nickname ideas you can think of? Do you think that eventually Richard will see a comeback or do you think the undesirable nickname will continue to keep him down?

Amelia: Nickname-Rich Name of the Week (July 19)

Here's another name that you are probably more likely to find on a child than a living adult, but would not be too weird on one (never dropping out of the U.S. Top 500): Amelia. This name has skyrocketed in recent years (#30 last year, and even higher in some other countries) after being last popular in the late 19th century (which was the era that a famous namesake of this name, Amelia Earhart, was born). Despite being easily usable on her own, there are several nicknames you can get out of Amelia:
Amy - Although now in the "mom name" territory it's not too much of a stretch even these days, and will probably have a bit of a retro feel to a modern girl.
Mia - Another name that's climbing the charts on its own, Mia is also a not-too-stretchy nickname for Amelia if you want something longer to go on the birth certificate.
Millie - A nickname with a similar antique charm as Amelia herself.
What do you think of Amelia, both without and with these (or any other(s) you can think of) nicknames that you like?

Robert: Nickname-Rich Name of the Week (July 12)

Continuing with the English classics, but this time on the boy's side, I'm featuring Robert this week. You probably know at least one if not numerous Roberts, as it was one of the most popular boy's names of the 20th Century (and several other centuries before that), especially during the Silent and Boomer generations when in some years it was given to upwards of 5% of boys (by comparison the most popular names of the present times barely crack 1% of births for their respective gender). Among the living Roberts the nicknames tend to evolve from the Bob-type to the ones with the matching initial consonant such as Rob(bie) as they get younger. If Bob seems illogical, other forms such as Hob and Dob were used historically (that's how ubiquitous Robert has been throughout the ages!).

If you were to nickname a contemporary Robert (if at all) what would you use? As for the name in general, do you see it as a classic that's not as common on contemporary boys, a bit boring, or even a bit dated?

Catherine: Nickname-Rich Name of the Week (June 28)

Another English classic that's been popular in her various forms throughout the ages, this week's name is Catherine (along with Katherine and other related names, although I personally like the C-spelling better). In the present era Cathy/Kathy is most likely to be seen on a middle-aged woman and Katie on someone of her child's generation. My personal favorite nickname is Kate, with Kitty being a quirkier one that I also like. Can you think of any other nickname possibilities that you like, and what do you think of Catherine by herself?

There will be no name in this series next week as I'm taking off for (U.S.) Independence Day, but I'll be back the week after that (on July 12).

ETA: Tomorrow (June 29) marks the 3rd anniversary of my blog!

Alexander: Nickname-Rich Name of the Week (June 21)

He's another classic name that's familiar to most Americans: Alexander. A reliable if a bit ordinary choice for a boy, there are also several nickname options. Of course there's Alex, but if you want to be a bit more creative there's Alec, Xander, Zander, and the like. If androgyny is not a problem for you there's the Russian Sasha, as well as Aly (which Abby at Appellation Mountain calls her son) and its homophones. Do you like any of these nicknames, or any other ideas I haven't mentioned? What are your general thoughts on Alexander?

Patricia: Nickname-Rich Name of the Week (June 14)

This week's name is one that may sound a bit dated since it was quite popular during the Baby Boomer years and over time had enough bearers to be the second most popular name for females of all ages on the 1990 U.S. Census, but could blend in with today's Irish and Latinate names and be wearable on a modern girl: Patricia. Many Boomers with this name go by one of the Pat- nicknames (Pat itself, Patsy, Patty, etc.) while Tricia/Trisha/etc. are more popular with the younger Patricias. Once again this is a name that I think I'd be more inclined to simply use in full (and in my opinion doesn't sound as dated that way). What do you think of Patricia, and if you were to shorten her what would you use?

Sebastian: Nickname-Rich Name of the Week (June 7)

As the first boy's name I'm covering in this series, I'll be starting off with a name that is fairly rare among adult Americans but is a hot choice for modern children: Sebastian. Since this name is far less ubiquitous in the general population than last week's name, this name is often nicknamed for purposes of making the name shorter and easier to handle rather than as a distinguishing aid (indeed some people dismiss using him because Sebastian is "too long" or "pretentious"). Personally except as a casual shortening I'd try to stick with the full name, but if you were to shorten Sebastian how would you do it? Seb, Bastian, or something else? What do you think of the name in general?

Elizabeth: Nickname-Rich Name of the Week (May 31)

Since I've never done a regular series on my blog before, I thought that over the course of this summer (or winter for the antipodal readers of this blog) on each Thursday I'd feature a name that lends itself to numerous nicknames and see which ones (or simply the full name itself) is preferred. Each week I'll be alternating between girl and boy names (except for the week of July 4th which would normally be a boy's week but I'm taking off in celebrating my country's Independence Day).

To start off with, what better than to feature what is probably the Queen of Nickname-Rich Names: Elizabeth. As with many of the more common names I will be featuring, a lot of her nicknames derived in order to distinguish the many bearers of the name. For centuries she's been one of the most popular girl's names throughout the English-speaking world (in the U.S. she's never ranked lower than #26 on the SSA list and was at #11 last year). As a result Elizabeth has too many spin-offs to mention here, but I'll mention some that strike my fancy:
Betsy - My "old favorite" among Elizabeth nicknames.
Betty - Mad Men is making many fashions of the era retro-chic again, and this name is one of them. You probably know some middle-aged-to-older Bettys, both as an independent name and a nickname for Elizabeth.
Eliza - Although I like this one better as a stand-alone name (and is not "unprofessional" like many other nicknames-as-full-names are), she's among the 19th Century antique revivals that are fashionable right now.
Libby - Probably the quirkiest of my favorites, she's been growing on me lately.

What nicknames for Elizabeth do you like (both among those I've mentioned and those I didn't)? Or do you simply like Elizabeth by herself in her classic glory?