Portuguese Name - Diminutive

Diminutive

Portuguese nicknames are usually formed by inserting the diminutive infix -inh or -it before the final vowel in the name. For example, Teresa becomes Teresinha (meaning "little Teresa"), and Carlos becomes Carlinhos ("little Carlos"). In some cases, a nickname is formed by adding zinho(a) or -zito(a) - to the actual name. For example, João becomes Joãozinho ("little João") or Sofia becomes Sofiazinha ("little Sofia").

Augmentative suffixes may be used as well, with "Marcos" becoming "Marcão" ("Big Mark"), for example.

Other practices include the repetition of a syllable (Nonô from Leonor, Zezé from José), a simple shortening of the name (Fred from Frederico, Bea or Bia from Beatriz), the contraction of the name (Manel from Manuel), or of a fraction of it (Beto from Alberto or Roberto, Mila from Emília or Camila). A mix of shortening and adding a suffix may also occur (Leco from Leonardo). Sometimes, a foreign-language nickname is used for the corresponding Portuguese name ("Rick" for Ricardo, "Maggie" from Margarida). Most given names have one or more standard diminutives.

Some typical Portuguese hypocoristics (the ones marked with * are almost exclusively Brazilian):

  • Afonso = Afonsinho, Fofo* (lit. "cute", commonly not used between adult men)
  • Alexandra = Alê*, Xana (not in Brazil, where the word is a slang term for vulva), Alex, Xanda
  • Alexandre = Alex, Xande, Xando, Xandinho
  • Alice = Alicinha, Licinha, Cinha, Lice, Lili
  • Amélia = Amelinha, Melita, Mel
  • Ana = Aninha, Anita, Anoca(s), Nita, Ninha, Nana, Hannah/Rana*
  • Antônio/António = Tó, Tonho*, Tonhão*, Tom*, Toni/Tonnie, Tóne, Toninho, Tonico
  • Augusto/Augusta = Guga, Guto/Guta, Tuto*, Gus* (for males)
  • Bárbara = Bá, Babá, Babi, Barbie, Binha*
  • Beatriz = Bia
  • Bruna/Bruno = Bru, Nuno/Nuna*
  • Camila = Camilinha, Mila, Miloca, Mi, Mia
  • Carlos = Carlinhos, Carlitos, Cacá, Calu, Litos
  • Carlota = Lota, Cota*, Cotinha*, Coca*
  • Carolina = Lininha, Lina, Carol, Cacá, Carô*
  • Cecília = Cilinha, Cila, Cissa, Ceci
  • Cláudia/Cláudio = Cau, Cacau (generally used to refer to female children)
  • Cristina = Cris, Cristininha, Tina, Tininha
  • Daiana = Dada, Dandan*, Dandinha, Dai*, Nana*
  • Daniel = Dani, Dan*, Dando*, Dandinho*, Dandan*
  • Daniela = Dani, Dandan*, Danizinha, Dandinha
  • Diana = Didi
  • Diogo = Dioguinho, Dioguito, Di, Didi, Diguinho, Digo, Diga
  • Eduardo/Eduarda = Edu, Dudu, Duda, Dado/Dada, Du
  • Elisabete = Bete, Beta, Lisa, Bé, Beti, Betinha
  • Elvira = Elvirinha
  • Emília/Emílio = Emilinha/Emilinho, Mila/Milinha, Milho* (lit. "maize"), Miloca*, Mia*
  • Eugénia/Eugénio = Geninha/Geninho
  • Eugênia/Eugênio = Geninha/Geninho, Gê*, Nina/Nino*
  • Eurico = Dico, Lico*
  • Fábio/Fabiano = Fabico, Fafá*, Biano*, Bibi*, Fabi, Bi*, Fá*
  • Fernando = Fefa, Fernandinho, Nando, Nano*, Fê*
  • Fernanda = Fefa, Nanda, Nandinha, Fê*
  • Filipa/Felipa = Filipinha, Lipa, Pipa, Fifi, Fê*
  • Filipe/Felipe = Felipinho, Lipe, Pipo, Fili, Phillie*, Fê*
  • Filomena = Mena, Lumena, Filó, Fi*
  • Francisca = Francisquinha, Chica, Chiquinha, Quica/Kika
  • Francisco = Francisquinho, Chico, Chiquinho, Chiquito, Quico/Kiko, Cisco
  • Frederico = Fred, Fredy/Freddie, Dico, Drico, Fré
  • Gabriel = Gabi (commonly not used between men in Brazil), Gago*, Bill*, Bibo, Biel
  • Gabriela = Gabi, Bia*, Biela*, Bibi*
  • Gonçalo (a name contemporarily not common to Brazilians) = Gonçalinho, Gonça, Gonças, Gongas, Gonzo (from English influence), Gugu, Guga, Gu
  • Guilherme = Gui, Guigui, Guilhie*, Will*, Willy/Willie*, Elmo*, Guiga, Guigué*, Guilu*, Guibinha
  • Gustavo = Guto, Guga, Gugu, "Gus"
  • Helena/Heleno (also Elena/Eleno) = Lena/Leno, Leninha/Leninho, Leni/Lennie, Lelê (for females), Leno
  • Henrique = Rique/Rick*, Riquinho*, Ique, Quique, Quico
  • Inês = Inesinha, Nê, Nenê, Nês, Nenoca, Inuecas, Nessa
  • Isabel, Isabela = Bela, Isabelinha, Belinha, Isa, Béia, Bebel*, Bebela, Beca, Bel
  • Jaime = Jaiminho, Jaimito, Minho, Jay/Djêi*
  • Joana = Joaninha, Ju, Juju, Jana, Janocas, Jô*, Juca
  • João = Djone, Joãozinho, Janjão, Jão, Juca, Joca, Janocas, Ju* (commonly not used between men)
  • Joaquim = Quim, Joca, Jaquim, Quinzinho, Quincas
  • Jorge = Jorginho, Jó, Joca, Djódi*
  • José = Zé, Zezé, Zeca, Zezinho, Jô, Ju* (commonly not used between men)
  • Júlia = Ju, Julinha, Juju, Jujuba*
  • Juliana = Jú, Juju, Juli
  • Laura/Lauro = Laurinha/Laurinho, Lala (for females), Lalá, Lalau (most commonly for males)
  • Leonardo = Léo, Leozinho, Leco*
  • Leonor = Nonô, Nô, Léo, Lolô*
  • Lídia = Lídi, Li, Dida
  • Lígia = Lili, Lica, Gija*
  • Liliana = Lili, Lilas, Liana*, Lana*
  • Lorena = Lora, Ló, Loló, Lolô*
  • Luís = Lu, Lui*, Luisinho, Lula*, Lulu; many combinations with Lu and hypocoristics of other names are possibly because Luís is a common first name in Lusophone countries
  • Lúcia = Lucinha, Luci, Lu, Suça*, Zuza*
  • Lurdes/Lourdes = Lu, Lou, Ludi/Ludie*
  • Madalena/Magdalena = Lena, Madá, Mady/Madie
  • Magda = Magdinha, Maguinha
  • Manuel = Manelinho, Manelocas, Manel, Mané, Maneco, Neco*, Leco*, Manu (commonly not used between men in Brazil), Nelo, Nelito, Nelinho, Nelto*
  • Manuela = Manela, Manu, Nela, Manocas, Lela*, Mel*
  • Marcelo = Celo, Shelo/Chelo, Tchelo, Celim
  • Marcos/Marco = Marcão, Marquinhos, Marquito, Caco*
  • Margarida = Margaridinha, Guida, Guidinha, Maggie
  • Maria = Bia, Mariazinha, Maricota, Cota, Cotinha, Micas, Mia, Mimi, Mary
  • Mariana = Marianinha, Marianita, Nita, Mari, Má*, Nana*, Mana* (lit. "sista")
  • Mária/Mário = Marinho/Marinha, Maruca, Má*
  • Marta = Martinha, Tata*, Má*
  • Miguel = Miguelinho, Miguelito, Micas, Mike, Mígui
  • Nelson = Nelo, Nelinho, Nelito, Nelto*
  • Nicola/Nicolau/Nicholas = Nico/Nica, Niquito/Niquita, Coca*, Lalá (for both genders), Lalau (for males)
  • Octávio/Otávio = Távio, Vavo*
  • Osvaldo = Vado, Vavo*, Vadinho, Valdinho, Vavá, Ósvi, Valdo
  • Patrícia = Pati/Paty/Páti/Patie, Pátri, Pat, Ticha/Tixa, Tiça, Pata*
  • Paula/Paulo = Paulie*, Paca/Paco*, Papau* (most commonly for females and male children), Paulinho/Paulinha
  • Pedro = Pedrinho, Pedrito, Peu*, Pepê
  • Rafael = Rafa, Rafe, Rafinha, Fael, Fefo*
  • Renata/Renato = Rê*, Renatinha/Renatinho, Nata/Nato*, Dado*, Náno*
  • Ricardo = Cado, Cadinho, Ricardinho, Rico, Rick
  • Rita = Ritinha, Ri, Tá*
  • Roberto = Betinho, Berto, Beto, Tinho*
  • Rodrigo = Digo, Diguinho, Rúdri, Rody, Rud/Rudy
  • Rodolfo = Rô*, Rodas, Rud/Râdy*, Fofo* (lit. "cute", commonly not used between men)
  • Rosa = Ró, Rosinha, Zoza*, Rosie*
  • Rui = Ruca, Ruizinho
  • Sebastião = Sebastiãozinho, Bastião, Tião, Tão, Babá*, Sebas, Seto*, Sebasti
  • Sofia = Pipia, Sofi, Fi*, Sô*
  • Susana = Susaninha, Su, Suse, Susy
  • Teresa = Teresinha, Té, Teté/Tetê
  • Tiago = Tiaguinho, Ti, Gago*, Taco*, Taquito*, Guinho*
  • Tomé = Tomezinho, Tommie*
  • Vera = Verinha, Veroca, Verusca
  • Victor/Vítor = Tó, Vitinho, Vic
  • Victória/Vitória = Vivi, Vicky

Other hypocoristics are associated with common two name combinations:

  • Cajó (Carlos Jorge)
  • Joca/Juca (João Carlos)
  • Malu/Milú (Maria Luísa, Maria de Lurdes, Maria Lúcia)
  • Maricota (Maria da Conceição)
  • Mazé, Mizé (Maria José)
  • Zeca (José Carlos)
  • Mitó (Maria Antónia)
  • Tó-jó (António Jorge)
  • Tozé (António José)
  • Zezé (Maria José)
  • Jomi (João Miguel)
  • Cadu (Carlos Eduardo)
  • Caíque (Carlos Henrique)
  • Gal (Maria da Graça)
  • Zeza (Maria José)
  • Miju (Maria de Jesus)

A hypocoristics can receive the suffix -inho/-inha (meaning "little") giving a more intense feeling of protection or intimacy, such as Chiquinho (from Chico, the hypocoristics for Francisco), Xandinho (from Xando, for Alexandre), Zequinha (form Zeca, for José). Typically, common nicknames for Brazilian otakus (i.e. japanophiles) specially inside their subculture and some Japanese Brazilians, more commonly inside their community, will be a common hypocoristic for his or her Portuguese (or even Japanese, e.g. Mayumi = Mayu, Mayuyu) names followed by relatively intimate Japanese honorifics such as -kun, -chan, -san, -niichan, etc. which give the same value as the native -inho or -inha.

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