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I love the name Magdalena. You can use Maggie or Lena as a great nickname.

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Other suggestions:

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Penelope (nn Poppy or Penny)
Cornelia (nn Nellie)
Cordelia (nn Della)
Lucienne (nn Lucie)
Valerie (nn Val)
Avalon (nn Ava)
Veronica (nn Vera)
Miranda (nn Mir or Mira)
Gwendolena (nn Gwen or Lena)
Melody (nn Mellie)

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Tobias (nn Toby)
Lucian (nn Luke or Luca)
Valerian / Valentine (nn Val)
Maximilian or Maxwell (nn Max or Maxi)
Willem or William (nn Will)
Zachariah or Zacharias (nn Zach or Ari)
Nicolas (nn Nico or Nick)
Conrad (nn Connor)
Evander (nn Evan)

I love those kinds of names. Charlotte, Benjamin and Margaret are all on my list. I didn't read the other responses so sorry for repeats. I'll try to add some more unusual ones along with common ones.

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For Carly: Carolyn, Carlotta, Caroline
For Cali: Callista, Calliope

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Abraham - Bram, Abe
Gregory - Greg
Harrison - Harry
Jacob - Jake
Joseph - Joe, Joey
Matthew - Matt, Mattie
Michael - Mike, Mikey
Nicholas - Nick, Nicky, Nico
Samuel - Sam, Sammy
Steven - Steve, Stevie
William - Will, Willie, Bill, Billy, Liam
Zachary - Zach
Zachariah - Zach
Beauregard - Beau
Ellington - Ell
Ezekiel - Zeke
Leonardo - Leo

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Most of these are likely further afield than you had in mind, and some are outright stretches but, for "fun" formal/nickname name ideas...

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Abraham "Bram"
Alastair "Sir"
Balthazar "Baz"/"Taz"
Bartholomew "Arlo"/"Bo"/"Tolly"
Clarence "Ren"
Dashiell "Dash"
Gregory "Rory"
Maximilian "Axel"/"Xan"
Sebastian "Baz"
Solomon "Solo"
Sterling "Sting"
Sullivan "Sonny"
Thaddeus "Dez"/"Taz"

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Bernadette "Bette"
Camellia "Cali"
Callidora "Cali"
Cassandra "Candy"
Deborah "Bee" (meaning)
Esmeralda "Meryl"/"Merry"
Genevieve "Eve"/"Genie"/"Neve"
Kerensa "Ren"
Melissa "Bee" (meaning)
Millicent "Missy"
Penelope "Nel"/"Poppy"
Rosamund "Romy"/"Sammy"/"Sunny"
Samantha "Anthe"
Scholastica "Scotty"

This message was edited 6/1/2016, 10:31 AM

Theodore - Ted, Teddy, Theo
Christopher - Kit
Alfred - Alfie, Freddie
Jonathan - Joe, Jonny, Nate, Nathan
Alexander - Alex, Lex, Xander
Archibald - Archie

Theodore - Ted(dy)
Elizabeth - Liz(zy)
Alexander/dra - Lex(y)
Gwendolen - Gwen
Gabrielle/a - Gab(by)
Josephine - Jo(sie)

I've always had Scarlet(t) as a go to full name for Carly. Or Calla/Calliope. And some of my favourite (less out there) full names with cool nicknames:

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Beatrix: Trixie or Bee
Demelza: Elzie or Elsie
Marigold: Mari, Ara, or Goldie
Georgiana (As George-ee-AH-nuh): Georgie, Jana (YAH-nuh), or Ana (AH-nuh)
Alexandria: Ria, Annie, or Exie
Hermione: Mimi, Mia, or Minnie
Arabella: Belle
Lavender: Enna
Olympia: Lolly, Molly, Pia, or Pippi
Odessa: Essie
Florence: Ren
Jessamine: Essie, Essa, or Amy
Arietta: Etta or Ettie
Thessaly: Sally, or Tessa
Henrietta: Etta, or Ettie
Annabeth: Annie, or Beth

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Nikolai: Kai, Niko, Niki, or Kolya
Lorenzo: Enzo, or Ren
Atticus: Atti, or Cit (Kit)
Lysander: Sander (Zander)
Leonardo: Leo, or Ardo
Alaric: Alec
Alasdair: Dare
Tennyson: Tenny, or Sonny
Francesco: Cesco (Chess-co)
Barnaby: Bear

This message was edited 6/1/2016, 3:23 AM

Cornelius - Corey or Neil
Patricia - Patty, Patsy, Pat, or Trish
Isabelle - Izzy or Belle
Miranda - Randi
Christine - Chris
Louise - Lou or Lulu
Daniel - Dan or Danny
Edward - Ed or Eddy
Howard - Howie
Harold - Harry
Mildred - Millie
Vincent - Vince

My favorites:
Alexandra "Xanna" or "Xandra"
Apollonia "Apple", "Pony", "Polly"
Artemisia "Mizzy", "Mimi", "Timmy"
Beatrix "Trixie", "Bea"
Felicity "Filly", "Fizzy", "Liz", "Lissy"
Jessamine "Jem"
Margaret "Greta", "Maisie", "Pearl"
Marguerite "Maisie", "Daisy"
Melissa "Meli", "Liz"
Mirabelle "Mira", "Bella"
Penelope "Penny"
Sophronia "Sophie", "Saffron"
Susannah "Suzie", "Sunshine"
Sylvia "Sylvie"
Verity "Vera"
Zipporah "Zippy", "Zora"

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Alexander "Xan", "Alex"
August / Augustus / Augustine "Gus", "Gusty"
Douglas "Dougie" (pron DOO-ghee)
Gilbert "Gil"
Isidore "Izzy"
Jasper "Jazz", "Jay"
Laurence "Lance"
Nicholas "Nick", "Nicky"
Robert "Robin"
Solomon "Sol"

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Although, really I like all of them as full names best.

Matilda Tilly
Natasha Tash
Natalia Nat or Talia
Cassandra Cassie or Sandra
Alexandra Sandy, Alex, Lexi, Sasha
Madeleine Maddy
Elisabeth Ellie, Beth, Lisa, Elisa
Katherine Kitty, Kate, Katie, Kathy

Carolina or Caroline for Carly/Cali?

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Some I like and would use in real life (they may not be your style):

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Ferdinand "Freddie"
Benedict "Ben"
Joachim "Joe" / "Joey"
Angus "Gus"

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Virginia "Ginger" / "Ginny"
Eugenia "Genie"
Marcella "Marcy"
Katarina "Kat"
Catherine "Cate"
Dorothy or Dorothea "Dottie"
Elisabeth "Bess"
Euphemia "Effie"
Melisande "Millie" or "Mel"
Winona "Winnie"
Josepha "Sephy"
Theresa "Terri" (though I prefer this without a nickname)

This message was edited 5/31/2016, 3:26 PM

I have a name that isn't commonly shortened and I always wished I had a name with a nickname. So I intentionally wanted to give my kids longer names with nicknames. They happen to be Benjamin and Margaret, actually. :) (Ben and Meg)

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I'm not adamant that the next kid have a longer name with a short nickname, but some names I like that do fall into that category and have a more classic feel are:
Elizabeth "Beth"
Rosalie "Rosie"
Virginia or Genevieve "Ginny"
Annemarie "Nan"
Alexander "Alex"
Jonathan "Jon"
Theodore "Teddy"
William "Will"

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Carly could be short for Charlotte, and Cali for Caroline.

I advocate Zan for Alexandra. Yes, Alexandra is overdone, but Zan is unusual so I think it makes the commonness of Alexandra more acceptable. And Alexandra is just so beautiful.

I think Carly works as a nickname for Charlotte!

I like Caroline as a full name for Cally / Cali.
For Margaret my favourite nickname is Meg.

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Other suggestions for boys:
Arthur - Art / Artie
Atticus - Attie
Cassidy - Cass
Edmund - Eddie / Teddy / Ted
Indiana - Indy
James - Jem / Jim / Jimi / Jamie
Rudolph - Rudy
Sebastian - Seb / Sebbie / Bas / Bastian
Sullivan - Sully
Tennyson - Tenny
Tobias - Tobey / Toby

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Other suggestions for girls:
Alexandra - Ally / Lexa / Lexie / Sandy
Alice - Ali
Arianna - Ari / Aria / Anna / Annie
Caroline - Cally / Carrie
Elena - Lena
Eve - E / Evie
Kimberly - Kim / Kimi
Margot - Meg
Matilda - Mattie / Tilly / Tilda
Natasha - Tasha / Natty
Octavia - Ottie / O / Taya / Tavia
Ramona - Mona / Romy
Winter - Winnie

I love Benjamin/Ben. I don't like Maggie at all, it sounds like a servant, but I do think it stands well enough on its own without Margaret. These days, a nn without a formal name is fairly common and won't be seen by employers and such as any kind of hindrance, unless it's a very babyish or silly nn, such as Bunny or Red.
I do think Charlie doesn't serve an adult woman well, it's very self-consciously tomboy and childish.

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Carly I think stands on its own too. Cali, not so much.
Caroline?
Carla?
Carlotta?
Carmella?