Genealogy / Nickname of poy-yotz [4]

I was told my step-grandfather, Grampa Shorty, was from the old country. That's all I really know about him except that he was really nice to me. He passed when I was 7.

I am the youngest of 5 kids. I was very tiny, with white hair and green eyes.
He had a nickname for me. I don't know how it's spelled, but it sounded like "poy-yotz". Can anyone tell me please what it means and if I'm pronouncing it correctly?