Truly British Nicknames for Girls

In Britain you could have a very respectable English first name like Agatha, Bertha or Elvira but it will always be reduced to sillier, fonder kind of nickname such as Aggie, Bertie or Elvie.  Here is a look at the way the British make some of their traditional names less formal.

Abby becomes Abbie, Abby, Gail and Nabby. Adrienne, Adelina and Adele are also Addie ore Adie.

Agges can become Ness or Nessie  (as well as Aggie) as in “Nessie do you believe in the Loch Ness Monster?”

A popular name is Dorothea which is reduced to all kinds of fond little monikers including Dora, Dorrie, Doll, Dolly Dodie, Dot, Dottie, Dotte and Dee. Doris, Dora and Dorene are also Dorries.

There is a good reason why so many girls are named Allie in England. It is short for Alexandra, Aileen, Alberta and Eileen.

If you meet a girl named Alfie, or Freddy it is likely her real name is Alfreda. If Rori is her name than it is probably short for Aurora.  If you are an Andy you might really be an Andy. If you are a girl named Tony then your name might be Antoinette or Antonia.

Mabel becomes Mabby, Amelia becomes Millie and Anita becomes Nita.

Augie, Gussie, Gusty, Ina and Tina are all short forms of Augusta and Augustina.

Biddie, Bridie, Brie, Birdie and Brida are all short forms of the name Bridget, Bridgett mad Brigid.

There are a lot of Annes in Great Britain but that can mean your name is real.

It is quite possible that Prince Charles calls his wife Camilla, Cammy or Milly.

If your name is Candy it probably comes from Candace. If it is Cherry it comes from the Christian name Charity. If it is Cherie it is a derivative of Cheryl.

Clemmie, Tina or Clem is short for Clementine.

Dork is short for Dorcas, which means rolling sea.

If you are called Di, as in the famous Lady Di, your name is probably Diana. But it could also be Diane, Diana, Dinah and Diana.

Lola and Lolita are actually short for Dolores or Delores which according to an old Seinfeld episode rhymes with a certain part of the male anatomy.

If you have the nickname Ellie in Great Britain it can mean your real name is Elanie, Eleonara, Elinor, Elenore, Elissa, Elyse, Elizabeth, Ellen or Helen. No wonder there are so many women in Britain named Ellie!