GingerfEnglish From the English word ginger for the spice or the reddish-brown colour. It can also be a diminutive of Virginia, as in the case of actress and dancer Ginger Rogers (1911-1995), by whom the name was popularized.
GiottomItalian (Rare) Possibly from Ambrogiotto, a diminutive of Ambrogio, or Angiolotto, a diminutive of Angiolo. This name was borne by Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337), an Italian painter and architect.
GretelfGerman, Literature Diminutive of Grete. It is well-known as a character from an 1812 Brothers Grimm fairy tale who is captured, with her brother Hansel, by a witch. The Grimm's story was based on earlier European folktales.
HamnetmEnglish (Archaic) Diminutive of Hamo. This was the name of a son of Shakespeare who died in childhood. His death may have provided the inspiration for his father's play Hamlet.
HankmEnglish Originally a short form of Hankin, which was a medieval diminutive of John. Since the 17th century in the United States this name has also been used as a diminutive of Henry, probably under the influence of the Dutch diminutive Henk. A famous bearer is the American former baseball player Hank Aaron (1934-2021).
Hardy 2mGerman Diminutive of names containing the Old German element hart meaning "hard, firm, brave, hardy".
HarrymEnglish Medieval English form of Henry. In modern times it is used as a diminutive of both Henry and names beginning with Har. Famous bearers include the American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972), who was named after his uncle Harrison, and the British royal Prince Harry (1984-), who is actually named Henry. It is also the name of the boy wizard in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997.
HeddafNorwegian, Swedish Diminutive of Hedvig. This is the name of the heroine of the play Hedda Gabler (1890) by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen.
HeidefGerman German diminutive of Adelheid. It also coincides with the German word meaning "heath".
HeidifGerman, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, English German diminutive of Adelheid. This is the name of the title character in the children's novel Heidi (1880) by the Swiss author Johanna Spyri. The name began to be used in the English-speaking world shortly after the 1937 release of the movie adaptation, which starred Shirley Temple.
HodelfYiddish (Rare) Diminutive of Hode. This is the name of Tevye's second daughter in the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1964), based on late 19th-century stories by Sholem Aleichem.
HusaynmArabic Diminutive of Hasan. Husayn ibn Ali (also commonly transliterated Hussein) was the son of Ali and the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. His older brother was named Hasan. The massacre of Husayn and his family was a major event in the split between Shia and Sunni Muslims, which continues to this day. In more recent times this was the name of a king of Jordan (1935-1999).
IkemEnglish Diminutive of Isaac. This was the nickname of the American president Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969), based on the initial sound of his surname.
IndiefEnglish (Modern) Possibly a diminutive of India or Indiana, but also likely inspired by the term indie, short for independent, which is typically used to refer to media produced outside of the mainstream.
Indy 1mPopular Culture Diminutive of Indiana. This is the nickname of the hero of the Indiana Jones movies, starring Harrison Ford.
Jackiem & fEnglish Diminutive of Jack or Jacqueline. A notable bearer was baseball player Jackie Robinson (1919-1972), the first African American to play in Major League Baseball.
JanellefEnglish Diminutive of Jane. It has been in use only since the 20th century.
JanetfEnglish Medieval diminutive of Jane. This was a popular name throughout the English-speaking world in the 20th century, especially the 1930s to the 60s. Its popularity has since faded.
Járam & fCzech Diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element jarŭ meaning "fierce, energetic", such as Jaroslav or Jaromír.
JarekmPolish, Czech Diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element jarŭ meaning "fierce, energetic", such as Jarosław or Jaroslav. It is sometimes used independently.
JebmEnglish Sometimes a diminutive of Jacob. This name may have also resulted from a nickname of James Ewell Brown Stuart (1833-1864), a Confederate general in the American Civil War, which was formed from the initial letters of his three given names.
JellemFrisian, Dutch Originally a Frisian short form of names beginning with the Old German element gelt meaning "payment, tribute, compensation". It can also be a Dutch diminutive of Willem.
Jerrym & fEnglish Diminutive of Jeremy, Jerome, Gerald, Geraldine and other names beginning with the same sound. Notable bearers include the American comedians Jerry Lewis (1926-2017) and Jerry Seinfeld (1954-), as well as the American football player Jerry Rice (1962-).
JimmymEnglish Diminutive of James. This was the usual name of American actor James Stewart (1908-1997). It is also used by the former American president Jimmy Carter (1924-).
Jodyf & mEnglish Diminutive of Josephine, Joseph, Joanna and other names beginning with Jo. It was popularized by the young hero (a boy) in Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' novel The Yearling (1938) and the subsequent film adaptation (1946). As a feminine name, it probably received an assist from the similar-sounding name Judy, which was at the height of its American popularity when Jody was rising.
JoséphinefFrench French feminine form of Joseph. A notable bearer of this name was the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, Joséphine de Beauharnais (1763-1814).
JuddmEnglish, Medieval English Medieval diminutive of Jordan. Modern use of this name is inspired by the surname that was derived from the medieval name.