Today we’re sharing our list of favorite nicknames for boys! When I found out my firstborn baby was a boy, I was beyond excited. I immediately started narrowing down my baby name list to pick the perfect name for our son. One of our top priorities was a strong boy name that came with a cute nickname.
Whether you prefer a traditional name or you want a more modern name, you’ll love having a boy name that shortens to a cute nickname. You might picture a grown-up Augustus but feel that Auggie works better for a tiny newborn. Or, if there’s a nickname you truly love, you may want to skip the longer version altogether and go with the shorter moniker as the official name.
Check out our picks for the best baby nicknames for boys!
Traditional Boy Names with Cute Nicknames
You can’t go wrong with a strong and traditional name for your son. These names are classic, timeless, and oh so popular. Bonus: They also come with a cute nickname for your little boy!
Jake (Jacob)
Matt or Mattie (Matthew)
Mike or Mikey (Michael)
Dan or Danny (Daniel)
Will, Bill, Billy, or Liam (William)
Theo, Teddy, or Ted (Theodore)
Ben, Benny, or Benji (Benjamin)
Hank (Henry)
Alex, Zander, or Lex (Alexander)
Chris (Christopher or Christian)
Sam (Samuel)
Tony (Anthony or Antone)
Jack (Jackson)
Joe or Joey (Joseph or Josiah)
Max (Maxwell, Maximillian, Maximo)
Eddie or Ed (Edward, Edwin, Edmond)
Charlie, Chas, Chaz, or Chuck (Charles)
Wally (Wallace)
Ike (Isaac)
Walt or Wally (Walter)
Pat or Paddy (Patrick)
Andy or Drew (Andrew)
Frank or Frankie (Franklin, Francis)
Tommy or Tom (Thomas)
Nate (Nathaniel or Nathan)
Louie (Lewis or Louis)
Ollie (Oliver)
Classic Boy Names With Cute Nicknames
Other classic names still give you that old-fashioned feel but are currently less common. This is a great option if you want to have a more unique name, but give your son a name that people will still easily recognize.
Jules (Julian or Julius)
Gene (Eugene)
Reg or Reggie (Reginald)
Harry (Harold or Harrison)
Auggie or Gus (August or Augustus)
Cliff (Clifford)
Fred, Freddie, or Fritz (Frederick)
Archie or Arch (Archibald or Archer)
Izzy (Isaiah)
Ray (Raymond)
Albie (Albert or Albus)
Toby (Tobias)
Art or Artie (Arthur)
Abe (Abraham)
Don or Donny (Donald)
Laurie (Lawrence)
Mel (Melvin)
Al, Albie, Bert, or Bertie (Albert or Alberto)
Gil (Gilbert)
Surnames with Cute Nicknames for Boys
Surnames make a strong, classic choice for your son with plenty of nickname choices too. It’s a great option if you want to use the last name from your family tree or a maiden name. My son’s first name, Fitzgerald, fits this category and recognizes my grandfather, Gerald. I opted for Fitzgerald for the nickname Fitz and Ger or Gerry.
Be inspired by our list of surnames with cute nicknames for boys:
Fitz, Ger, or Gerry (Fitzgerald)
Fitz or Pat (Fitzpatrick)
Andy or Anders (Anderson)
Mac (MacGregor, McAlister)
Griff (Griffin)
James (Jameson)
Rob, Robbie, or Robin (Robinson)
Cam (Camden or Campbell)
Camp (Campbell)
Monty or Monte (Montgomery)
Sully (Sullivan)
Ben or Benny (Bennett)
Ed or Eddy (Edison)
Jeff or Jeffy (Jefferson)
Nick (Nicholson)
Randy or Ran (Randolph)
Henry (Henderson)
Al, Ald, Aldie, or Reggie (Aldridge)
Ty (Tyson)
Cab or Cabby (Cabot)
Linc (Lincoln)
Modern Boy Names with Cute Nicknames
If a modern boy name is more your style, there are some excellent choices here too! Dashiell is so cool on its own or with the nickname Dash. Channing can be shortened to Chann, and you can call Everett simply Ev. We love all options!
Check out these modern boy names with their nickname versions:
Terry (Terrance)
Dash (Dashiell)
Ash (Ashton or Asher)
Ev (Everett or Everest)
Rett (Everett)
Jax (Jaxon)
Brad (Bradley or Bradford)
Eli (Elijah or Elias)
Jas or Jazz (Jasper)
Beck (Beckett)
Russ or Rusty (Russell)
Grey (Greyson)
Thatch (Thatcher)
Dom (Dominic)
Dax (Daxton)
Cal (Callahan, Calvin, or Callen)
Dec (Declan)
Breck (Breckett or Breckham)
Manny (Emmanuel or Manuel)
Hux (Huxley)
Quin or Q (Quinton)
Vin, Vince, or Vinny (Vincent)
Toby (Tobias)
Zach (Zachary or Zachariah)
Dex (Dexter)
Rye (Ryder or Ryker)
Zeke (Ezekiel)
Mal, Chi, or Kai (Malachi/Malakai)
Finn (Finnegan, Finnick, Phineas)
Seb or Bastian (Sebastian)
Gabe (Gabriel)
Remy (Remington)
Leo (Leonard, Leonardo, Leopold)
Santi (Santiago)
Enzo (Lorenzo)
Len or Lenny (Lennox)
Brody (Broderick)
Manny (Manuel)
Ozzy (Oswald or Osmond)
Brant or Bran (Brantley)
Brent or Bren (Brentley)
Des or Desi (Desmond)
Jag (Jaggar)
King (Kingston)
Lux (Luxton)
Unique Boy Names with Cute Nicknames
Whether older or newer, these names stand out for being rarer on the baby boy name lists. We love the unique Tennessee, the son of Reese Witherspoon, whom she often calls Tenn. Chancellor is so stately yet comes with sweet nicknames, like Chauncey or Chance.
Here are our favorite unique names with cute nicknames for boys:
Chan, Chance, or Chauncey (Chancellor)
Thad or Tad (Thaddeus)
Mav or Mave (Maverick)
Barney or Berney (Bernard or Bernardo)
Raffe or Raff (Rafferty or Rafael)
Tenn, Tennie, or Tenns (Tennessee)
Wolf or Wolfie (Wolfgang)
Shep (Shepherd)
Sly (Sylvestor)
Rock, Rocco, or Rocky (Rocket)
Rain or Rainy (Rainier)
Rory (Aurelius)
Beau (Beauregard)
Ken or Kenny (Kensington)
Bernie or Bart (Bartholomew)
Chet or Chez (Chester)
Selecting a name that shortens easily into a cute nickname may be perfect for babyhood, childhood, or something your son sticks with for life. Which ones are going on your list of baby names for your new little boy?
Be sure also to take a peek at some of our other baby name lists, like our top baby names for 2022, cool boy names, and classic baby names. Have fun choosing a beautiful name you love for your baby boy!
