Appendix:French diminutives of given names

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  • CatherineCathy
  • ChristelleChris
  • ChristopheChris
  • FrédéricFred
  • GrégoryGreg
  • Jean-MichelJean-Mi
  • PhilippePhil
  • StéphaneSteph
  • StéphanieSteph

Dropping the first syllable is also attested:

  • ChristopheTophe

Sometimes, only central syllables are kept:

  • AugustinGus
  • EmmanuelManu
  • EmmanuelleManu

Another method commonly used is doubling one syllable of the name:

  • AndréDédé
  • AnnieNini
  • AugustinTintin
  • ChristopheTotophe
  • JosephJojo
  • JulieJuju
  • LouisLoulou
  • all female names ending in -tineTitine

For male names, the ending -ot is attested, although its use is rather dated:

  • CharlesCharlot
  • JeanJeannot
  • JulesJulot
  • PierrePierrot

It was also sometimes (but rarely) used for females:

  • MargueriteMargot

The ending -et for males was used around the Renaissance, and is now obsolete:

  • HenriHenriquet
  • JacquesJacquet

For female names, the ending -ette was used in the first half of the 20th century, and even often given as the official name:

  • AnneAnnette
  • JeanneJeannette
  • MarieMariette
  • PaulePaulette

Some names in -ette are not actual hypocorisms, but the only existing femalized form of a male name:

  • Antoine (male) → Antoinette (female)
  • Pierre (male) → Pierrette (female)

The ending -on is rarer, often dated or obsolete, used for both genders:

  • AntoinetteToinon
  • HenriRiton
  • MarieMarion
  • LouisLouison
  • LouiseLouison

The ending -ou is also rare:

  • AnneNanou

A special case is the ending in -ick/ -ic, which is a hypocoristic form typical from Brittany, used for both genders, and that became in vogue for official names in the second half of the 20th century:

  • AnneAnnick
  • FrançoiseSoizic
  • LouisLoïc
  • YannYannick

The connotation of familiarity (my friend Jean-Phi, as opposed to my new work colleague Jean-Philippe;