A nickname was an alternate name rather than an individual's real one. It was usually chosen by others, such as a lover, (TOS: "The Man Trap") a friend, (DS9: "The Alternate"; VOY: "Equinox") or a sibling. (ENT: "Cold Station 12") Nicknames could be a short or pet form of one's real name, or a description of one's physical attributes, personality, position, or another's opinion of the person thus called.
Though most were a sign of the name caller's affection, (DS9: "The Alternate") some nicknames were given cruelly, such as Wesley Crusher's bestowing of the moniker "Broccoli" on Reginald Barclay. When Data argued that nicknames were usually given as a sign of fondness, Geordi La Forge agreed and put an end to the "Broccoli" name calling. (TNG: "Hollow Pursuits")
Some people eventually grew out of and/or rejected nicknames. Julian Bashir rejected the nickname "Jules" at the age of 15 after learning of his genetic enhancements, as he felt the name represented his original self. His parents Richard and Amsha Bashir continued to use the nickname into his adulthood. (DS9: "Doctor Bashir, I Presume")
In 2258 of the alternate reality, after James T. Kirk called a moralizing Spock a robot, Spock considered his name-calling a defensive measure because Kirk knew him to be correct. (Star Trek Into Darkness)
Some athletes also had nicknames, such as Jake "The Slider" Sisko. (DS9: "Take Me Out to the Holosuite")
Q nicknamed Kathryn Janeway "Kathy", an appellation his son also picked up, adding the title of "aunt". (VOY: "Death Wish", "The Q and the Grey", "Q2")
Nicknames[]
- "Bamboo Boy": Linus by Jett Reno
- "Birdman": Tchar by Lara
- "BLT": B'Elanna Torres by Max Burke
- "Bones": Leonard McCoy by James T. Kirk, as well as on behalf of Kirk by Spock, McCoy, and Kirk as Janice Lester
- "Broccoli": Reginald Barclay by Wesley Crusher, as well as William T. Riker, Geordi La Forge, Duffy, and Jean-Luc Picard
- "Brownie": Dr. Brown by Christine Chapel
- "Buckaroo": Buck Bokai
- "Butcher of Bozeman": Eli Hollander
- "Butcher of Gallitep": Gul Darhe'el
- "Buttercup": Sven Hansen
- "Carol Bear": Carol Freeman by her husband
- "Commander Boring": Worf by Quark
- "Cupcake": Hendorff
- "Doctor Z": Lewis Zimmerman by Reginald Barclay
- "Ensign Babyface": William T. Riker, by Boylen
- "Ensign Eager": Harry Kim, by The Doctor and Tom Paris
- "Ice man"/"D'akturak": Worf by Riker during poker; Koloth by Curzon Dax
- "John Snore-ez": John Torres
- "Jules": Julian Bashir (DS9: "Doctor Bashir, I Presume")
- "Miss Turtle Head": B'Elanna Torres by Daniel Byrd
- "Mister Academy": Nog by Miles O'Brien
- "Mister Doom and Gloom": Julian Bashir by Miles O'Brien
- "Mister Ears": Spock by Charlie Evans
- "Mister Klingon": Worf by Ira Graves
- "Mister Leisure Suit": The Doctor by Rain Robinson
- "Mister Starfleet": Starfleet person on Risa by Liam Bilby
- "Mister Tricorder": A tricorder puppet created by Data
- "Mister Woof": Worf by Lwaxana Troi
- "Mister Vulcan": Tuvok by Neelix, and once by Kathryn Janeway
- "Moogie": Ishka by Quark, Rom, Nog, Ishka (third person), and Wainwright (repeating Rom)
- "Obachan": Keiko's grandmother by Keiko Ishikawa
- "Quique": Enrique Muniz by Miles O'Brien
- "Scotty": Montgomery Scott as he referred to himself, almost exclusively by McCoy and Kirk, as well as others.
- "Smiley": Miles O'Brien by Benjamin Sisko
- "The Dancing Doctor": Beverly Crusher by Wesley Crusher, et al.
- "The Mechanic": Miles O'Brien by Quark
- "The Slider": Jake Sisko by Benjamin Sisko
- "The Synthehol King": Quark regarding his own legacy on DS9
- "Tin Man": Gomtuu by Starfleet scientists
- "Tiny": Hikaru Sulu by...
- "Trip": Charles Tucker III (and Sim) as he referred to himself, almost exclusively by Jonathan Archer, occasionally by his shipmates Phlox, T'Pol, Hoshi Sato, Travis Mayweather, Malcolm Reed, and Hernandez, and by a handful of aliens he encountered, including Kov, Liana, Zho'Kaan, and "Charles".
- "Turkey Platter": Tom Paris by Harry Kim
- "Tuvok the Kid": Tuvok by The Doctor
- "Vulcan Slim": Tuvok by Gaunt Gary
- "Wix": Wixiban by Neelix
- "Wormhole Junction": Deep Space 9 by Quark
- "Z": Zephram Cochrane by Lily Sloane
- "Zee": Ezri Tigan by Norvo Tigan
- "Zekkie": Zek by Ishka