Having quite an unusual name which people often get wrong (usually “Cameron”), it is probably not surprising that Strike has gained quite a few nicknames in his life.
Bluey – Charlotte Campbell is the only person who has ever called him this, after his middle name Blue. In The Cuckoo’s Calling, Strike reflects in this nickname after he’s broken up with Charlotte: “Nobody would ever call him Bluey again. Bluey was dead.”
Bunsen – Shanker calls Strike this nickname. Strike can’t remember why Shanker started calling him this and he can’t remember the origins of Shanker’s nickname either.
Corm – A nickname that would naturally occur, Al, Nick and Ilsa call him this.
Cormy – Helly Anstis calls Strike this. Strike very much dislikes both the nickname and her.
Corporal Brokeby – Valentine Longcaster refers to him as this in The Hallmarked Man.
Diddy – Dave Polworth calls Strike this nickname, which refers to “didicoy,” the Cornish word for “gypsy.” Strike’s “endless comings and goings” from St. Mawes due to his mother’s itinerant lifestyle reminded Dave of how gypsies are.
Federico or Fed – Spanner calls Strike this name, and we don’t know why.
Hopalong – A nickname bequeathed upon Strike by Robin’s younger brother, Martin, whom Strike doesn’t actually meet until Lethal White.
Monkey Boy – This nickname is mentioned in a voicemail left for Strike and heard by Robin in The Cuckoo’s Calling.
Mystic Bob – Richard Anstis’ nickname for Strike. The “mystic” aspect of the name has to do with Strike’s sixth sense that alerted him to the IED that was about to explode in front of their vehicle in Afghanistan. His intuition prompted Strike to grab Anstis and haul him into the backseat with him, thus saving his life.
Oggy – Graham Hardacre and Nick Herbert are known to call him this. We don’t know why, but we suspect it has to do with the sporting Cornwall chant “Oggy! Oggy! Oggy!” “Oggy” is a nickname for a Cornish pasty that somehow ended up being chanted at Cornish rugby matches, political rallies and beyond.
Pubehead – A nickname given to Strike at school for having compact, curly hair.
Stick – Lucy’s nickname for her brother.
Sherlock Holmes – A few times in the series Strike has been called Sherlock. Lucy calls him Sherlock in The Cuckoo’s Calling after he asks her if she’s been shopping (she has shopping bags with her). In Career of Evil, Jeff Whittaker calls Strike “Sherlock facking Holmes” on bumping into him in Catford. In The Running Grave, when Robin catches him using a magnifying glass, Robin asks, “Sherlock Holmes, I presume?”
Sherlock Bigcock – Sam Barclay calls Strike this, once, during a joint surveillance job in The Ink Black Heart. Strike calls Barclay “Tartan Twelve-Inch”.