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Well, there's an actress named Drea de Matteo.

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Not too keen on the -z/-za nicknames. I heard somewhere (not on this site) that they're considered chavvy over in the UK.

I've seen Sabeth, Gaz and Gazza in name books and there is a Kate Bush song called Joanie.
Can't say I like any of the nn. Most of them sound strange to me.

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The nn's I would prefer:

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Alexander, Alexandra, Alexandria --> Alex, Sandra
Andrea --> Andie, Rea
Anthony --> Tony
Audrey --> none
Christopher --> Chris, Topher
Daltyn --> none
Elizabeth --> Betty, Ellie, Liza
Eugene --> Gene
Gary --> none
Jeremiah, Jeremy, Jerome --> Jerry, Jer
Joan, Joanna --> Joni, Jojo, Janna
Kelly --> none
Murray --> none
Priscilla --> Cilla
Sandra --> Sandie
Stephanie --> Stephie, Steph
Victoria --> Vicky, Torie

I've heard of Ant for Anthony, Drea for Andrea and Gaz or Gazza for Gary (or Gareth). There is a character on Peep Show called Jez.

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Some of these like Tor and Aud I have heard informally, but not as someone's official nickname.

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Lots of these are horrible, or seem quite contrived. I particularly dislike Muzza and Leckie!

This message was edited 12/12/2015, 4:56 AM

The only one I've ever met is a Drea (dray-uh). Tor and Kel seem like natural shortenings, but some of these are really goofy. Eck, Prill, and Sabeth? Lol. I think adding -z/-za to the end of a short version of the name is a British thing, so that explains Gaz, Gazza, Jezz, Muzza, etc.

I've encountered Eckie as a Scottish nn for Alexander, so Eck seems OK.
I've met an Ant. I think he was Anton rather than Anthony; close enough.
The -z instead of -r is standard in the UK. I know a Derek, nn Dez, and there are lots of Sharon people known as Shaz; also Karen = Kaz. So Gaz and Jez (why the extra z?) and even Muzza are fine. There's also an -r to -l possibility: all I can think of now is Terence or Terry becoming Tel.
Joani is just plain silly. A spelling variant cooked up by those who think Joanie is too old-fashioned ...
Tori or Tory or Torie are standard shortenings for Victoria, likewise Vicki, Vickie and Vicky. So I don't find it necessary to make Tor and Vick separate entities.

Nicknames like Gazza, Jezz and Muzza are used in Australia a bit. I've heard Tori for Victoria but not Tor.

I've heard people named Ant, Gaz / Gazza, Jezz, Kel and Vick who all probably go by that name as a nickname for those listed above - except one of the Gaz's I know where it is a nickname for Gareth.

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I can see how Joani, Muzza (especially in the North of England), Prill, Annie, Tor, and Aud all work though I don't find any of them particularly pleasant.

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The rest are a mystery for me. But I wouldn't put it past some parts of England to come up with these...

I know a Christopher whose family often calls him "Critter".

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Well, Kel for Kelly.

Some of those are too precious for real life. Eck, Leckie, Xa, Sabeth? psh.
And Criffer kind of makes me cringe.

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Prill is nifty, though! I like contraction nicknames sometimes.

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I have a niece Joanna called Joanie, but I think they spell it Joni.

Isn't/ wasn't Ant one of the hosts of Britain's Got Talent?
Eug for Eugene- I'd write Euge, since it shows that it's the soft g sound. This is my mom's cousin's nn. It sounds like huge, but with a y sound instead of the h.
I wouldn't call Drea from Andrea, Kel from Kelly or Vick from Victoria unusual, either.
Dalt from Daltyn- I know a boy with this spelling, and Dalt could work for any spelling of the full name. But he's always Daltyn.
When I sit and think about it, the only ones that aren't obvious are Gaz/ Gazza, Jezz, and Muzza.

Never heard of any... except Victoria nn Tor, which I always thought was cute. But even then Tor was short for Tori.

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But, no, I've never heard of those nicknames being used for those names.

My name's Victoria, and I sometimes get called Tor; it's not that odd imo. Vick wouldn't bother me either...

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I've also heard Aud, Drea, Sabeth, and Kel (although for Kelsey rather than Kelly). I don't mind those, but I dislike the others.

This message was edited 12/10/2015, 4:58 PM