Takis

"Takis" is not necessarily short for "Panagiotakis," itself a diminutive. It is an all-purpose double diminutive that can be used for many masculine names. (The well-known New York graffiti writer "Taki 183" is named "Dimitrios," which becomes "Dimitrakis" and then "Takis." As I've pointed out elsewhere, the "s" (or rather "sigma") at the end of Greek masculine names occurs only in the nominative, or subject, case and therefore tends to be regarded as tacked on.) [noted -ed]