Thai Nicknames: Why Every Thai Has One

Almost every Thai has a ชื่อเล่นchûue-lên, a short nickname given by their parents at birth, such as Nam (water), Ploy (gem), Moo (pig) or Boss. Family, friends, colleagues and even TV presenters use it every day, while the long official name is kept for documents. To ask for someone's, say ชื่อเล่นอะไรchûue-lên à-rai, "What's your nickname?"

Why Thais have nicknames

Official Thai names are long and formal, often three or four syllables of Pali or Sanskrit. A nickname is usually one syllable, easy to call across a market. Literally, ชื่อเล่นchûue-lên means "play name".

There's an old belief behind the funny ones. Spirits were said to steal beautiful babies, so parents gave their children unflattering names like หมูmǔu (pig), อ้วนûan (chubby) or ดำdam (dark) to make them seem worthless. Today most parents simply pick something cute, lucky or fashionable, and siblings often get a matching set: two fruits, two gems, or English words like Bank and Book.

A nickname usually has nothing to do with the real name: a man called ธนพลtá-ná-pon might be Boss, Golf or Moo. Some people pick a new one as adults, and plenty of celebrities are known only by theirs.

100 common Thai nicknames and what they mean

• Nature: น้ำnáam water, ฝนfǒn rain, ฟ้าfáa sky, ดาวdaao star, เดือนduean moon, ลมlom wind, หมอกmàwk mist, ทรายsaai sand, ภูpuu mountain, ทะเลtá-lee sea, แสงsǎeng light, รุ้งrúng rainbow
• Plants and flowers: ต้นdtôn tree, เตยdtoei pandan, บัวbua lotus, มะลิmá-lí jasmine, เอื้องûeang orchid (a northern favourite), ฝ้ายfâai cotton, ไผ่pài bamboo
• Animals: หมูmǔu pig, ไก่gài chicken, ปูbpuu crab, กุ้งgûng shrimp, ปลาbplaa fish, แมวmaew cat, หมีmǐi bear, นกnók bird, เป็ดbpèt duck, กบgòp frog, มดmót ant, ต่ายdtàai bunny, เสือsǔea tiger
• Fruit and food: ส้มsôm orange, ชมพู่chom-pûu rose apple, แตงโมdtaeng-moo watermelon, มะนาวmá-naao lime, ส้มโอsôm-oo pomelo, ลำไยlam-yai longan, ขนุนkà-nǔn jackfruit, น้อยหน่าnáwy-nàa custard apple, ปรางbpraang marian plum (also a poetic word for cheek), ขิงkǐng ginger, พริกprík chilli, แป้งbpâeng flour or powder, ขนมkà-nǒm sweets, น้ำผึ้งnáam-pûeng honey
• Size, looks and birth order: เล็กlék small, น้อยnáwy little, อ้วนûan chubby, ใหญ่yài big, ดำdam dark, แดงdaeng red, ขาวkǎao fair, จิ๋วjǐu tiny, ตุ๊กdtúk doll, หนึ่งnùeng one
• Precious things: พลอยplawy gem, แก้วgâew crystal, มุกmúk pearl, เพชรpét diamond, ทองtawng gold, เงินngoen silver, ทับทิมtáp-tim ruby, แหวนwǎen ring, ขวัญkwǎn good spirit, แพรprae silk
• Chinese-Thai and old favourites: ตี๋dtǐi little boy, หมวยmǔay little girl, ปุ๋ยbpǔi fertiliser (really), นุ่นnûn kapok fluff
• English words, said the Thai way: บอสbáwt Boss, แบงก์báeng Bank, เบียร์bia Beer, กอล์ฟgáwp Golf, กิ๊ฟgíp Gift, มิ้นท์mín Mint, พิงค์ping Pink, บุ๊คbúk Book, ฟิล์มfim Film, เอิร์ธòet Earth, บอลbawn Ball, ครีมkriim Cream, เค้กkéek Cake, โบว์boo Bow, โบ๊ทbóot Boat, วิวwiu View, เฟิร์นfoen Fern, อาร์มaam Arm, แชมป์cháem Champ, ท็อปtáwp Top, นิวniu New, ปาล์มbpaam Palm, โอ๊ตóot Oat, แพนด้าpaen-dâa Panda, เจมส์jeem James, เมย์mee May, จูนjuun June, โค้กkóok Coke, and the letters เอee A and บีbii B, often given to a first and second child

How to use a nickname

• Among friends, the nickname alone is enough.
• For someone older, put พี่pîi in front: พี่บอสpîi báwt. For someone younger, use น้องnáwng: น้องฝนnáwng fǒn. This works at work too: your manager can be "Phi" plus a nickname.
• คุณkun plus a nickname is polite but a little distant, the way a shop might greet a regular customer.
• Many Thais refer to themselves by their nickname instead of saying "I": น้ำไม่รู้náam mâi rúu is Nam saying "I don't know". It sounds friendly and a little cute.

Can foreigners get a Thai nickname?

Of course, and Thai friends love giving one: they may shorten your name to a single syllable, or pick a Thai word that suits you. If you choose your own, keep it short and positive, and run it past a Thai friend to make sure it doesn't sound like something rude. Then tell people เรียกชื่อเล่นก็ได้rîak chûue-lên gâw dâi, "you can call me by my nickname".

Practise asking and giving nicknames in Unit 2 of the free course, where you meet Nam and her cousin Boss.