Say what?! Are Nicknames Going Extinct?

Are affectionate nicknames for friends going extinct? Have you noticed nicknames aren't as common anymore?  A writer for "The Wall Street Journal" claims they're going extinct and at very rapid rate!

Here in Montana, I feel like we have a lot of cute nicknames for our kiddos and each other. From buckaroo to pal to bestie best we have a few we toss around without a second thought.

They claim that ALL types of nicknames are in decline.

Including everything from "Junior" to calling your buddy "partner or pal."  This is kind of sad, because nicknames are almost always a positive thing, or even a sign of affection.

Get our free mobile app

They went on to says even initials like A.J., P.J, or J.D. are becoming less and less common. They said that this is partly because parents take their kids' names more seriously than they used to back in the day. Example: "William," and none of them go by "Billy."

Obviously, nicknames will never FULLY go extinct.

Plenty of athletes and even some of us radio hosts still go by a nickname.  But they said that the silly ones among friends are less common because we're these days we are more worried about upsetting and offending people.

Years ago, you might have called your friend "Tiny" as a joke.  But you might be more worried about calling attention to their weight now.  Same goes for calling someone "Red" because they're a redhead. Stick to the sweet kind nicknames. They are supposed to be cute and kind and stick around.