When you give someone a nickname, how do you decide on what it should be?

Question

Do you go on physical characteristics or personality, or what? What are some nicknames you've given people and how did you come about giving them?

Answer 1

my nicknames for my friends are best when they are spontaneously created. for the most part, i will pull two unrelated things off the top of my head and blurt it out. it is a "hit or miss" venture but sometimes it is well worth it.

"wiener lips" and don't ask me how I came up with it...

Answer 2

Personally, I never liked nicknames. I've never given anybody one. I had one that I despised after I turned nine, because to me it seemed babyish. Nobody in my family ever told me where it came from. I just wouldn't answer if anyone used it; with the exception of an aunt who just wouldn't stop. I adored her, so I relented where she was concerned.

A couple of decades later, my favorite uncle died. On his casket was a beautiful spray of flowers. The ribbon said, "From your beloved Cookie." I knew casket sprays were usually from the spouse. Finally, I understood the origin of the name. In the early years of their marriage, that had been my uncle's nickname for my aunt. Romantic love faded, but dedication to the marriage lasted over 40 years, until death parted them. Suddenly, I treasured the name.

When my great nieces were born and began talking, my name was too difficult for them to say. So I revived my old nickname and became "auntie Cookie." An honor. Especially since my uncle's wife, by that time had passed away too.

The moral of my story is if you must give a nickname, don't let it be a mean one. I've heard so many people called by names that came from accidents people had, like "stinky," or cruel mockery, like Archie Bunker's "Dingbat" for Edith. That's just wrong. If you must give a nickname, let it have affection, depth and most of all be something connected to a loving reason.

Answer 3

I gave my wife her nickname. "Chili", because she has a fiery temper. I think that nicknames given because of personality traits are better. You really have to know someone well to give them a nickname based upon a physical trait, such as say, calling a guy with one arm Lefty. However, I ignore better judgement every time I see a really big guy, I always call them "Tiny" whether I know them or not.

Answer 4

I adore giving nicknames. It's a habit of mine. I generally go by their personality. Physical characteristics are so easy and common.

Answer 5

My nicknames for people correspond with the feelings that I have for them. For instance, my daughter Katy, I call cooky - because she represents something so sweet and delicious to love.

For my lover, I only speak endearments as a substitution for his name.

My friends, sometimes I shorten their names. But they too, have an affectionate ring to them.

I do not have any negative nicknames for those I care for.

Other people, I am not not known for dubbing them another name. Oh I take that back, when dealing with an obnoxious, officious person, I have not so affectionately referred to the person as nazi so and so!

Answer 6

sometimes it just comes out as your doing something funny or hanging out together --kind of as an inside joke that maybe you did something gross,funny.weird,ect. and they somehow make it your nickname i dont really think peolple sit there and think hmm what shall my nickname be..---nvm that i have before it doesnt wuite work out when you do it yourself=]some nick name i have givin people are carizzle simply because shes my best friend and we were on a web site called dizzler.com and we were joking around saying weird stuff so i said carizzle my dizzle shnizzle forizzle--yeah dumb but then i started calling her carizzle.but yeah when you givine somebody a nickname most of the name its characteristics traits and actions=]

Answer 7

I have had several and given several to others over the years. Most were awarded for a persistant personality trait, but a few were given because of an eventful incident. My husband was called Uncle Buck, after John Candy's part in a movie by that name, when he was babysitting his nephews and taught them to shoot craps. He said it was to help with their math. That was the same excuse he used when he was teaching my granddaughter how to play poker.

Answer 8

I think it differs from person to person

I call my youngest son Tito because my daughter can't pronounce Cisco I used to call him Cisco because my other son couldn't pronounce Francisco

With my eldest son we call him Lalo or X because my daughter couldn't pronounce Gerardo or Xavier

With my daughter Martha her names differs from Tata to Mata depending on how my youngest feels

These are all tongue tied names in a toddlers mouth.

With some family or friends I have gone by an embarrassing moment or an inside joke maybe an event that took place that is a constant reminder of them or fun we had, some might be based on their characteristics, personality or physical appearance, again it differs from person to person...

With on line friends like Gazpacho I have changed his name a few times from (Gaz, Gazzie, Gazza, Sexy legs oops did I write that *blushes*)

I think pretty boy suits you just right though I didn't give you that name mines for you might be handsome, smart, sexy, kind, loving wow the list could go on and on :) (((Jack)))

Answer 9

It just depends on what impression, moment, or characteristic is strongest at the time.

One guy called off work because of a painful genital piercing, and I started addressing him as Prince Albert. It's just whatever fits, ya know

Answer 10

LOL at {{{{Bella}}}}.

Sometimes they are traditional nicknames.. based on surname or first name... sometimes based on a physical feature.. "t i t s" for example for a guy with well developed pectoral muscles ... "bumfluff" .. "sparra" .. "numbat"... all typical examples based on appearances...

Sometimes they arrive by chance.. like the word "anus" written on the back of a chair at school... someone put a "B" in front of it... then the first person to sit in that chair got called "BANUS" for the next 6 years of high school. Even his parents called him banus by the time graduation came around.