When you are handed the birth certificate and a newborn bundle of joy, it may seem like what you must do is name the small, adorable little baby that you’re holding in your arms. But despite this being outwardly true, you don’t only name that tiny infant when you sign the certificate. When you as a parent name your baby, you name not only the current baby, but also a toddler, a child, a teen, and an adult. What you scrawl on the papers is what your child will someday write on their driver’s license, marriage certificate, and their own child’s papers and forms. But even with this in mind, it’s very tempting to see a teeny tiny little baby as a Posy or Millie, and not a Jacqueline or Laura, and many people are torn between adorable monikers that suit a young child and versatile but grown-up names for their new baby. And that is why I’ve pulled together 10 stunning names with cutesy nicknames for young girls and boys, school approved ones for older children and teens, and adult full forms that will command the marketing team with pride and authority. One last note before we begin: most of these names are pretty common, but are accompanied by a variety of nicknames that may not be so much so. Thanks to Coco, one of my loyal readers, for the idea for this article. Now, let’s actually begin!
Penelope
Baby/Toddler: Poppy, Pippy, Nellie
Kid/Teen: Nell, Ellie
Adult: Ella, Penelope
A Greek follow-up to the beloved Stephanie, Penelope has shot up the rankings due to her adaptable and sweet short forms, now at a thrilling #22. The adorable flower power nickname Poppy is one of her many applicable short forms, and Pippy goes along the same lines. Another option is Nellie, a name adding to the Ellie craze with an adorable vintage twist. It’s clear that the cute and sweet nicknames of Penelope abound, but so do many professional and teen-worthy variations. Ellie or Ella is also an option for an older child or adult, and Penelope in full seems to be sufficient for a grown adult as well as any of the other stages.
Josephine
Baby/Toddler: Joey, Posey, Finn
Kid/Teen: Josie, Finn, Jo
Adult: Josephine
Josephine definitely feels less childish and sugary sweet than Penelope, but the charming nicknames do redeem what seems to be a grown-up and sophisticated choice. Jo/Joey and Finn offer more gender ambiguous forms of what is a very long and “girly” name, providing a sweet contrast to the flowy and feminine Josephine for a child and young adult. The friendly girl-next-door Josie feels very much like the Katie of the 2020s, and is a very obvious nickname that most likely won’t get as much questioning as something like Finn. Overall, Josie could work for an adult, but the elegant Josephine seems much more fitting for working and professional life. Shooting up the charts at #89, Josephine (which means “Jehovah increases”) is winning the hearts of many US families.
Adelaide
Baby/Toddler: Daisy, Laidy/Lady
Kid/Teen: Ellie, Addie
Adult: Ada, Adelaide, Della/Dell
This lengthy addition to the Addie craze happens to be loaded with short forms that adapt seamlessly to their bearer, not to mention the striking full form, Adelaide, that has promoted the name to #305 in recent years. Adelaide has some adorable word names like Daisy and Lady for younger children and babies. Daisy is derived from the sequence DAI in the name and Lady comes from the -laide ending that’s incredibly distinctive and unique. For kids and teens, friendly and white hot nicknames Ellie and Addie apply to any girl well, and both are getting tons of exposure at the moment through Eleanor and Adeline. Meanwhile, the nickname jackpot actually belongs to the adults, who may suit Ada, a short and sweet palindrome name that seems slightly more grown up than Addie, or Della/Dell, a tailored but familiar sound that is similar to the highly demanded Nell.
Eloise
Baby/Toddler: Lulu, Weezy, Issy
Child/Teen: Ella, Elsie Adult: Ella, Louise, Eloise
Eloise is a dusty but adorable vintage treasure that has become yet another member of the Ellie club. But the distinct parts of Eloise separate her from all of the other Ellies, and even give her many more precious nickname choices. For one, Lulu and Issy are just too cute to ignore, sassy and sweet all rolled up into one, and Weezy is questionable, but certainly a silly pet name for at home. Meanwhile, Ella or Elsie can be used for a child or teen, as they have a familiarity and contrast to the more exotic sounding Eloise. Finally, an adult may also use the name Ella, and Louise has an elegant formality that translates well into adulthood as well, in addition to the #151 full form.
Amelia
Baby/Toddler: Millie, Mimi
Child/Teen: Lily, Mia, Amy, Emmy
Adult: Mia, Amelia, Lia
Amelia may not be the most obscure, but the reason she ranks at #7 is because she’s a solid name that appeals to many different types of families and little girls, part of which is because of her nickname options. Seriously, Amelia is a treasure trove: name a trendy nickname, and somehow Amelia can muster it. Anyway, adorable mini monikers Millie and Mimi seem perfect for a baby girl as she grows, and can even be used into childhood. Some more teenage-friendly nickname options include the brief but not babyish Lily and Mia, and even Amy or Emmy, if you choose the Emilia spelling. For adults, Mia still delivers alongside sound-alike Lia, but the full form Amelia is beautiful as well.
Sebastian
Baby/Toddler: Sebby, Baz
Child/Teen: Seb, Bash, Ian, Ash, Bass
Adult: Ian, Ash, Sebastian
Sebastian is a stunning Latin sensation that has wooed parents with his flowing syllables and British flair to earn himself the title of #18. But before you run screaming from a name in the top 20 as we so often do (I myself am guilty of this as well), get a load of these versatile and sweet short forms that are hard to overlook. For younger children and babies, try Sebby or Bazz, undeniably adorable and unique nicknames that sound zippy and spunky for a little boy. For children and teens, there’s a wide variety of choices including Bash, a fun and loud option, Ian, a more grown-up choice, and even Bass, which plays into Sebastian’s fishy fame in the movie The Little Mermaid. For adults, there’s the formal Sebastian or brief Ian and Ash that would translate well in a professional setting.
Violet
Baby/Toddler: Lottie, Liddy, Ollie
Child/Teen: Vivi, Violet
Adult: Violet
Violet is white hot right now, and baby naming forums are ablaze with this striking color girl name, so much so that she’s sitting at #36 right now. And her nicknames, while not super obvious, are adorable. Some cute ones for young girls include Lottie and Liddy, both taken from the sound and appearance of the -let aspect of the name, and Ollie too, as in Violet. The slightly younger sounding nicknames for Violet do work for children and adults, though, particularly Liddy. Whereas for older children and teens, Vivi or Viv feels like it fits in with the format of other popular girl nicknames while having the magic letter V that draws parents in and sets the nickname apart from the other kids in class. As a formal name, Violet seems like a lovely name for not only a child but also an adult, and even Liddy or Viv would work as a lifelong short form.
Matilda
Baby/Toddler: Tillie, Millie
Child/Teen: Mattie/Maddie, Mae, Mia
Adult: Matilda, Mia, Mae, Tila
Matilda: one of the sassiest, sweetest, spunkiest, and trendiest names on forums right now. At #447, Matilda seems to sit in the sweet spot at the moment, but there’s no doubt that all of the buzz around this literary treasure will catch up with her popularity someday. Matilda has the -illies going for her, as Tillie and Millie are both on-trend adorable, and a sound familiar to the Roald Dahl book by the same name and past favorite Madison. Speaking of Madison, children and teens might enjoy the nickname Mattie/Maddie, or even Mia or Mae if they desire to go even shorter with a nickname. For adults, any of the above may function, even the full form Matilda, and Tila could even make an appearance as well, although likely not a very popular short form for Matilda.
Atticus
Baby/Toddler: Atty, Kit
Child/Teen: Gus, Kit, Ace, Atticus
Adult: Atticus, Gus
An almost infamously “hipster” literary name that started his fame with Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, (Harper and the ending -lee ended up famous too… who would’ve guessed?) Atticus is also bursting at the seams with cool nicknames, vintage, cool, and cute alike. Some adorable nicknames for a baby Atticus include the very obvious Atty, which doesn’t get a lot of use thanks to the female name Addie, and Kit, which I find positively darling. For children, teens, and even some adults, there’s crisp and cool Ace, the fairytale Kit, and retro Gus. A name meaning, “from Attica”, this Latin beauty currently ranks at a startling #309 after just cracking the top 1000 in 2004. Watch out for Atticus as he shoots up the charts!
Florence
Baby/Toddler: Fifi, Flurrie, Flossie
Child/Teen: Flora, Flo, Ren, Cece, Rory
Adult: Flora, Florence, Loren
Florence is bubbling over the max capacity of nickname options, and they happen to spread across the board in many cases. In fact, I think that almost all of the nickname options above can be used at multiple stages of a child’s life. Fifi, Flurrie, and Flossie are all adorable little short forms that carry the familiarity of the traditional format for a nickname, but the Fl- beginning is quite off-beat and unique. Florence herself only ranks at #934, so her sounds are still hibernating, even though it’s about time for her 100 year revival. For children, teens, and adults, Flora, Loren, and Cece seem like adequate choices, and Ren and Flo are more shortened versions still, while Rory seems kid and adult approved by the Gilmore Girls.
Jasper
Baby/Toddler: Jazzy, Perry
Child/Teen: Jazz, Jax, Perry
Adult: Jasper
A Persian gem name that’s hopped right on the trend train has hitched a ride all the way up to #136 in 2019, and I would expect that he would break the barrier of the top 100 in 2020 thanks to not only his nicknames but also his -er ending and vintage feel. Younger children with the name could answer to the cutesy Jazzy or Perry. Despite those two short forms being looked at as more feminine now, they still have the same shimmer for a son, at least in my opinion. Jazz and Jax are some new names that may be perfect for a child or teen with the name Jasper, with Jax blending right in with a crowd of Jaxons or Jazz standing out from them. For an adult or really any stage of life, Jasper in full feels beautiful and perfectly appropriate.
That's all for today, I hope you enjoyed this article!
Sincerely,
~Delphina Moon
What was your favorite name and nickname? Comment down below to have your voice heard!