Introducing a new baby into the family is likely to be a special and memorable time for everyone in your close family.
For the brothers in the family it can be particularly exciting as they might quickly become a fatherly figure, friend and cool or wise older brother figure all in one.
Given there is often a strong bond between uncles and their nieces and nephews, a nickname can be a lovely and personal way to honor that bond.
While there is of course nothing wrong with the word uncle, it can be a difficult word for little ones to say and pronounce properly.
In addition it might be a little too classic or traditional for your taste.
So following on from our article looking at alternative names for aunts, sons, nephews, nieces, cousins, daughters, brothers, sisters, moms, dads, stepmoms, stepdads, grandmas, grandpas, great grandmas, great grandpas and even family group chats, let’s now check out some alternative names and nicknames for uncle – from the cute and funny to even the cool!
Table of Contents
International Names For Uncle
If there’s an option to honour you or your partner’s heritage then you may be interested in using one of these foreign language names for uncle.
You might find some sound so good you’ll want to use them even if you’re not from any of these countries, which is of course absolutely fine to do.
-
- Theeos (Greek)
- Farbror (Swedish)
- Oncle (French)
- Onkel (German)
- Oom (Dutch & South African)
- Paman (Indonesian)
- Setä (Finnish)
- Tio (Spanish & Portuguese)
- Uncail (Irish)
- Ujak (Croatian)
- Zio (Italian)
Traditional Uncle Names
A lot of moms and dads or families like to keep things simple and traditional when it comes to uncle names.
If you or your family fall into this group, you might prefer something like:
- Uncle
- Uncle (followed by the uncle’s name or nickname)
- Unc
- Unkers
- Unky
Cute & Cool Uncle Nicknames
If you’re after an alternative name for uncle that’s cute, cool or funny, check out these examples for some inspiration.
If the uncle in question has a particularly fun and bright personality, you might want to go with some of the funnier nicknames.
-
- Bud
- Buddy
- Funcle
- Uncle Bubbles
- Uncle Bear
- Uncle Big Mouth
- Uncle Big Time
- Uncle Buckie
- Uncle Bug
- Uncle Ducky
- Uncle Goofy
- Uncle Grumpy
- Uncle (or Unki) Monkey
- Uncle Moose
- Uncle Sleepy
- Uncle Sporty
- Unko
How To Choose The Best Nickname For Your Child’s Uncle
You should keep in mind there’s no right or wrong name regarding what to call an uncle, and sometimes it’s best to go with what’s natural, fits well or is easy to pronounce.
Some other things to consider when choosing a nickname for an uncle include:
- Check the uncle likes the nickname and consider letting them veto anything they dislike.
- Choose a name that’s appropriate for the uncle’s personality and age, because the nickname for an uncle in their teens will probably be different to one in their 40s.
- Make sure you use different names for different uncles, so that nobody in the family has the same nickname.
- Keep the nickname for your child’s uncle short, simple and easy to say.
- And finally, don’t stress too much about it, and remember that it could work best if your little baby decides what to call their uncle.
See Also: The Ultimate Guide To Nicknames & Baby Names