The article considers the modern type of anthroponyms, which is actively used in the youth environment. In modern communication on the Internet, there are lexemes with the function of naming a person-nicknames used as nicknames. This work is devoted to the study of these language units. The names of chats of Russian-speaking Internet communication users served as the material for our research. The linguistic creativity of modern Internet users when creating nicknames expands the scope of well-known classifications, as a result of which the criteria for their selection are supplemented. The basis for the classification of nicknames in this work are: features of appearance and character; preferences, Hobbies, occupation; symbolism associated with a particular animal, etc.; mythologems; graphics; wordplay; situational. These criteria cannot limit the classification, which remains open and is constantly updated. The allocation data and the new criteria due to linguistic and creative activities of users in the field of Internet communication.