Nicknames

The other day, I was in class with a beginner-level Japanese student. I asked him to name 5 Hispanic names for men or women. Although Japanese names are very different from Hispanic ones, this wasn’t too difficult for him since he worked at a company in Mexico and was familiar with his coworkers’ names.

Quickly, my student said:

Pepe, Laura, Carla, Jorge, and Chaparrita.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

He looked at me puzzled and asked, "What’s wrong?"

I explained that "Chaparrita" wasn’t a name but a nickname used for people of short stature. The suffix "-ita" makes it a more affectionate way of referring to someone.

I also clarified that "Chaparrita" isn’t in the same category as "Pepe." Pepe, Beto, and Mary are nicknames for José, Roberto, and María, whereas "Chaparrita" is an alias.

A nickname is a shortened, diminutive, or more endearing form of a name used to express affection. It’s a sort of replacement for the original name. On the other hand, an alias is a name given to someone based on physical traits, personality, or circumstances.

Once, a student from the U.S. said that the nickname "Pepe" didn’t make sense because it had the same number of syllables as "José."

Nicknames express affection or a certain level of familiarity, using abbreviations, diminutives, and other conventional forms. The goal isn’t just to shorten the word for the sake of brevity. For instance, "Lucho" doesn’t shorten "Luis"; it has more syllables but conveys a sense of closeness.

I found a website that generates 'nicknames'; technically, it refers to 'diminutives.' You just enter a name, and it will give you a list of possible alternatives for that name.

Go to Nickname Generator