Big Man, Ginge, and Spud are the most popular nicknames among Brits, research has revealed. A study of 2,000 adults found 39 percent have an alternative moniker, with 46 percent of those having more than one. However, 10 percent admit they aren’t necessarily keen on some of their nicknames.
Names relating to physical size are the most common – with Shorty, Wee Man, Tank, and Big Foot among the top 40. And animal names also featured prominently, with Chicken, Foxy, Spider, Donkey, Ferret, and Turtle all popular choices.
It emerged that being easy to remember (41 percent), having a funny story behind it (37 percent), and only having a few syllables (14 percent), are key to making a nickname stick.
A spokesman for luxury chocolatier, Lily O’Brien’s, which commissioned the study, said: “Just like gifting a special box of chocolates, we give nicknames to the special people in our lives – the ones we really know.
“Giving nicknames is a very human thing to do. People will give nicknames to their friends, family, pets, cars, even their kettles.
“There were some unexpected and ingenious results from our research, like Spud, and our personal favourite, Giggles.
“Nicknames can be a great shorthand for showing affection – and when you’re given a nickname that sticks, and it’s one you’re happy with, it can really help make you feel loved.
“As with the nickname we give to our loved ones, chocolate is part of the human language of love for so many of us. They both bring us closer together and give us a feel-good boost.”
The study also found 42 percent only give nicknames to the most important people in their lives. More than half (53 percent) of nicknames given are simply variations on someone’s actual name – but 38 percent are related to something else entirely.
And 38 percent of people who have known someone with a nickname only knew them by that moniker – and never even learned their real name.
Just over half (51 percent) think the most appropriate situation to use a nickname is at home with family members – followed by in the pub, playing sports, or on a stag or hen party.
But 39 percent wouldn’t dare give their boss a nickname, while 29 percent would shy away from giving one to an in-law.
Of those who do go by something that’s not their given name, 47 percent consider it a “core part” of their identity. And 53 percent of all respondents reckon making up nicknames is a particularly British trait, according to the OnePoll.com figures.
Behavioural psychologist and relationship coach, Jo Hemmings, said: “There are all sorts of reasons people give others nicknames – ranging from them having a catchy, amusing, or memorable first name or surname, or a play on their name related to some banter or craic.
“But they are all usually given with a sense of affection and endearment. They can express friendship, love, or closeness.
“It creates both a sense of identity and belonging in relation to those that know them by that name, as well as a sense of emotional bonding.
“What they all have in common is affection, fondness, and a nurturing quality about them, and they often tend to stick through life if you move in the same circle of friends and loved ones.”
