Indian Nickname Generator
Pet names and home names from Indian families
Indian pet names and household nicknames from across the country, from Chintu, Guddu and Pinky to Bengali daak naam like Tutul, southern endearments like Chellam and Bujji, and short forms like Abhi and Anu.
About this generator
In many Indian families a child has two names. One is the formal name on the school register, and the other is the name the family calls out at home: the ghar ka naam in Hindi, or the daak naam in Bengali, where it sits beside the formal bhalo naam. The two need not be related. A Siddharth can be Bablu to everyone who loves him, an Ananya can be Tutul, and the home name often lasts a lifetime.
These names follow habits of sound more than meaning. The Hindi belt likes a short rhyme ending in u or i, which gives Chintu, Pintu, Mintu, Guddu and Pinky. Punjabi homes are fond of bright English words such as Lucky, Sweety and Happy. Gold is a word of love in many languages, as in Sona, Shona, Thangam and Bangaram, and so is little one, as in Kutty, Bujji and Putta.
The list has 500 names in eight groups: northern ghar ka naam, Bengali, Odia and Assamese daak naam, Marathi and Gujarati home names, Punjabi favorites, southern endearments, short forms of formal names, family words, and the names of sweets and birds. A short form shows its full name in parentheses, as in Abhi (Abhishek) or Viji (Vijayalakshmi). Names that mock a person's looks, skin or weight are left out.
Tips for choosing a name
- Start from the language spoken at home. Chellam, Kanna and Kutty sound right in a Tamil household, Khoka and Khuku in a Bengali one, and Chintu or Guddu across the Hindi belt.
- A home name does not have to come from the formal name. Pick a sound the family enjoys saying, since it will be called across rooms and courtyards for years.
- Siblings often get a rhyming pair. Sonu and Monu, Chunnu and Munnu, Tapur and Tupur, and Rinku and Tinku are all in the list.
- For an entry with parentheses, use the part before them. The full name only shows where the short form comes from, and Anu or Viji can shorten several other names too.
- Ask before you use someone's home name in public. Many adults keep theirs for family and close friends only.
Frequently asked questions
What is a ghar ka naam or daak naam?
It is the name a family uses at home, as opposed to the formal name used at school, at work and on documents. Ghar ka naam is the Hindi term and daak naam the Bengali one, and many Indian languages have the same custom under another name. Munna, Guddu, Khoka and Mamoni are typical examples.
Why do so many Indian nicknames end in u or i?
Those endings make a name sound small and fond in many Indian languages, much like the y in Johnny or Katie. They also make easy rhymes, which is why families with several children end up with sets like Chintu, Pintu and Mintu. Short forms follow the same habit, so Abhishek becomes Abhi and Anuradha becomes Anu.
Can I use these names for a character in a story?
Yes, and a home name is a quick way to show closeness. Let the mother call the hero Bablu or Raja Beta while his colleagues use the formal name, and readers understand the relationship at once. Match the nickname to the family's region and language so it rings true.
Are any of these nicknames offensive?
The list was screened for offensive terms, and nicknames that mock skin color, weight, caste or religion were left out on purpose. A word that is tender in one language can still sound odd or rude in another. If you are unsure, ask someone who speaks the family's language before you use a name.
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All 500 names
A: 25 names
- Abhi (Abhishek)
- Achu
- Adi (Aditya)
- Aishu (Aishwarya)
- Ajya (Ajay)
- Akka
- Akki (Akshay)
- Akshu (Akshara)
- Ammini
- Ammu
- Ammukutty
- Ammulu
- Amya (Amey)
- Ani (Anirudh)
- Anju (Anjali)
- Anku (Ankita)
- Anna
- Anu (Anuradha)
- Appa
- Appu
- Apu
- Archu (Archana)
- Ash (Ashwin)
- Ashu (Ashutosh)
- Avi (Avinash)
B: 68 names
- Baba
- Babai
- Babban
- Babbu
- Babli
- Bablu
- Babu
- Babua
- Babudi
- Babui
- Babuli
- Babuni
- Babush
- Babushona
- Baby
- Bachcha
- Bachchu
- Badka
- Badki
- Bala
- Bally (Balwinder)
- Balu (Balasubramaniam)
- Balya
- Bandu
- Bandya
- Bangara
- Bangaram
- Bangarukonda
- Banno
- Bantu
- Bapi
- Bappa
- Bapu
- Basu (Basavaraj)
B, continued
- Baua
- Beta
- Betu
- Bhailu
- Bhaiti
- Bhaiya
- Bhau
- Bhavu (Bhavna)
- Bhola
- Bholi
- Bholu
- Bhonti
- Bibbo
- Binny
- Birju
- Bitiya
- Bitto
- Bittu
- Bobby
- Bommi
- Bubai
- Bubla
- Bubli
- Bublu
- Bubun
- Bujjamma
- Bujji
- Bujjigadu
- Bulbul
- Bulbuli
- Bultu
- Bumba
- Bunny
- Bunty
C: 40 names
- Chaitu (Chaitanya)
- Chakkara
- Chakli
- Chamki
- Chand
- Chanda
- Chandu (Chandrashekhar)
- Channa
- Channi (Charanpreet)
- Chanti
- Charu (Charulata)
- Cheeni
- Cheenu (Srinivasan)
- Chellakutty
- Chellam
- Chellamma
- Cherry
- Chhote
- Chhoti
- Chhotka
- Chhotki
- Chhutki
- Chidiya
- Chikku
- Chimni
- Chimu
- Chinku
- Chinna
- Chinnari
- Chinni
- Chinnu
- Chintu
- Chinu (Chinmay)
- Chitti
- Chittu
- Chiu
- Chotu
- Chuni
- Chunmun
- Chunnu
D: 20 names
- Dabbu
- Dablu
- Dada
- Debu (Debashish)
- Deepu (Deepak)
- Dev (Devendra)
- Dhingli
- Dhru (Dhruv)
- Didi
- Didibhai
- Dikra
- Dikri
- Dimple
- Dimpy
- Dipu (Dipti)
- Divi (Divya)
- Dolly
- Dolon
- Doyel
- Dulari
F: 3 names
- Faizy (Faizan)
- Fali (Framroze)
- Felu
G: 26 names
- Gabbu
- Ganya (Ganesh)
- Garry (Gurpreet)
- Gattu
- Gayu (Gayatri)
- Ghoton
- Ginni
- Gippy
- Gogi
- Gogol
- Goldy
- Golu
- Googly
- Gopi
- Gotya
- Gublu
- Gudda
- Guddan
- Guddi
- Guddo
- Guddu
- Gudiya
- Gudiya Rani
- Guggu
- Gulabo
- Gullu
H: 4 names
- Happy
- Harry (Harpreet)
- Hetu (Hetal)
- Honey
I: 3 names
- Imli
- Immu (Imran)
- Indu (Indira)
J: 24 names
- Jaan
- Jaanu
- Jaggu (Jagannath)
- Jalebi
- Jassi (Jasleen)
- Jazzy (Jasmeet)
- Jeetu
- Jhilik
- Jhilmil
- Jhinuk
- Jhontu
- Jhuma
- Jhumpa
- Jhumur
- Jigs (Jigar)
- Jigu (Jignesh)
- Jimmy (Jamshed)
- Jojo
- Jolly
- Jomon
- Josekutty
- Joy (Joydeep)
- Jugnu
- Jyo (Jyothi)
K: 35 names
- Kaka
- Kam (Kamaljit)
- Kanda
- Kanha
- Kanmani
- Kanna
- Kannamma
- Kannukutty
- Kanu
- Kanudo
- Karthi (Karthik)
- Ketu (Ketan)
- Khoka
- Khokon
- Khuki
- Khuku
- Kicha (Krishnaswamy)
- Kichu
- Kishmish
- Kittu (Krishna)
- Kochu
- Koosu
- Koyel
- Krish (Krishnan)
- Kuhu
- Kuku
- Kunjava
- Kunju
- Kunjumol
- Kunjumon
- Kunu
- Kuttan
- Kuttu
- Kutty
- Kuzhandai
L: 12 names
- Laadla
- Laadli
- Lachu (Lakshmi)
- Laddi
- Laddu
- Lado
- Lali
- Lalla
- Lalli (Lalitha)
- Laltu
- Lovely
- Lucky
M: 50 names
- Maddy (Madhav)
- Madhu (Madhusudan)
- Mahi (Mahesh)
- Maina
- Majhla
- Majhli
- Majoni
- Makhna
- Malu (Malavika)
- Mamoni
- Mampi
- Mandy (Mandeep)
- Manik
- Manja (Manjunatha)
- Mannu
- Manny (Manpreet)
- Mantu
- Manu (Manoj)
- Mau
- Meenu (Meenakshi)
- Micky
- Mimi
- Minku
- Minni
- Minnu
- Mintu
- Mishri
- Mishti
- Mishtu
- Mithu
- Mol
- Molu
- Molutty
- Mon
- Mona
- Moni
- Montu
- Monty
- Monu
- Mou
- Moyna
- Muddu
- Munia
- Munmun
- Munna
- Munni
- Munno
- Munnu
- Muthe
- Muthu
N: 20 names
- Nagu (Nagaraj)
- Nandu (Nandakumar)
- Nanhe
- Nanhi
- Nani
- Nanna
- Nannu
- Naren (Narendra)
- Nattu (Natarajan)
- Naz (Nazia)
- Nazo (Nazneen)
- Neelu (Neelam)
- Nik (Nikhil)
- Nikki
- Nikku
- Nilu (Nilesh)
- Nimmi (Nirmal)
- Nimmo
- Nitya (Nitin)
- Nonu
O: 1 name
- Omana
P: 37 names
- Paapa
- Paddu (Padmavathi)
- Pakya (Prakash)
- Pallu (Pallavi)
- Pammi (Parminder)
- Pandu
- Papai
- Pari
- Paro (Parvati)
- Paru (Parvathy)
- Pattu
- Pattukutty
- Pavi (Pavithra)
- Phool
- Pihu
- Piklu
- Piku
- Pillu
- Pinku
- Pinky
- Pintu
- Pintya
- Piyu (Piyush)
- Poltu
- Pona
- Ponnu
- Pooh (Pooja)
- Prince
- Priyu (Priyanka)
- Puchki
- Puchku
- Putta
- Puttamma
- Puttar
- Putti
- Putul
- Pyaari
R: 33 names
- Raasa
- Raasathi
- Raghu (Raghavendra)
- Raja
- Raja Babu
- Raja Beta
- Raji (Rajeshwari)
- Rajjo
- Rajkumari
- Raju
- Rani
- Rani Beti
- Ranju (Ranjani)
- Rano
- Ranu
- Renu (Renuka)
- Ricky
- Rimjhim
- Rimpa
- Rimpy
- Rinki
- Rinku
- Rintu
- Rishu (Rishabh)
- Rocky
- Rohya (Rohit)
- Rosy
- Ruby
- Rukku (Rukmini)
- Ruku
- Rumpa
- Rupi (Rupinder)
- Rusi (Rustom)
S: 48 names
- Sachya (Sachin)
- Sam (Samir)
- Sandy (Sandeep)
- Sandya (Sandeep)
- Sanju (Sanjay)
- Sanjya (Sanjay)
- Santhu (Santhosh)
- Santu
- Santya (Santosh)
- Seenu (Srinivas)
- Shabbo
- Shabbu (Shabnam)
- Shalu (Shalini)
- Shanno
- Shantu
- Sharmi (Sharmila)
- Shehzadi
- Shelly
- Shera
- Sheru
- Shibu
- Shinda (Sukhwinder)
- Shivi (Shivani)
- Shona
- Shonababu
- Shonamoni
- Shru (Shruti)
- Shubho (Shubhojit)
- Sid (Siddharth)
- Simi (Simran)
- Simmi
- Siri (Sirisha)
- Sohna
- Sohni
- Soli (Sohrab)
- Somu (Somasundaram)
- Sona
- Sonu
- Sonuli
- Sonya
- Subbu (Subramaniam)
- Suji (Sujatha)
- Sukhi (Sukhpreet)
- Sulu (Sulochana)
- Sumi (Sumitra)
- Sunny
- Sush (Sushmita)
- Sweety
T: 34 names
- Tai
- Tanu (Tanuja)
- Tapur
- Tara
- Tatai
- Tatan
- Teju (Tejaswini)
- Thakkudu
- Thalli
- Thambi
- Thangam
- Thomachan
- Thumbi
- Tikili
- Tiku
- Tillu
- Tinku
- Tinni
- Tintu
- Titir
- Titli
- Titu
- Tiya
- Tony
- Topshe
- Tuktuki
- Tuku
- Tukuna
- Tuli
- Tumpa
- Tuntuni
- Tupur
- Tutul
- Twinkle
U: 3 names
- Unni
- Unnikuttan
- Urmi (Urmila)
V: 11 names
- Vaishu (Vaishnavi)
- Vasu (Vasudev)
- Vava
- Veeru (Virendra)
- Venky (Venkatesh)
- Vicky (Vikas)
- Viji (Vijayalakshmi)
- Viju (Vijay)
- Vijya (Vijay)
- Vik (Vikram)
- Vinya (Vinayak)
Y: 2 names
- Yogi (Yogesh)
- Yuvi (Yuvraj)