The names I use on folks are only on people I know really well and vice versa. I rarely have mere acquaintances use such names on me.

I generally make some sort of play or alteration to people's existing names. Dave (Davy) easily converts to Doobie, for instance. Our son, who has a slightly different version of his father's name, has gone by "Sonny" his entire life. Those are more nicknames than cutesy names, I'd say.