Super Search

Are miniature names growing on you? There have been Nameberry posts and discussion threads, and a steady uptick in birth announcements for children with very short names.

They’re not my style, but the more I hear them, the more I find them pleasing. I know a toddler called Royce and another named Nell. Then there are famous kids with bite-sized names, or nicknames – like Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey’s twins, referred to as Roc and Roe. Reducing an elaborate appellation like Araminta to something spare – Min, maybe? – feels rather elegant.

Mini names have their advantages. It is easier to fit Mia in a tweet than Isabella. Which reminds me – Twitter was founded by four men – Jack, Noah, Evan, and Biz. Biz is short for Christopher.

Are bare minimum names the next big thing? Hard to say, but they did seem to dominate baby name news this week.

Fia – Fiery Fiammetta is a lovely Italian option. Short form Fia shares something with two Top Ten favorites – Sophia and Mia. Sebastiane noted that Fia is a hit in the Faroe Islands. The islands are located halfway between Scotland and Iceland, making their given names an intriguing mix of Gaelic and Norse influences.

Mini-Names: When You Need Something Short

Posted June 15th, 2009

Post Categories:

Baby Names Advice

Choosing the Right Baby Name

Middle, Last and Nicknames

Spellings, Sounds and Initials

They’re the miniest of appellations, beloved by novelists and children first learning to write their names. A handful just two letters long, these are names that get right to the point.

Some are short – very short – forms of more elaborate names. Bea from Beatrice, for instance, or Jed from Jedidiah. Others are merely their short and sweet selves: Fay, Tai, Rex.

With a few exceptions, we skipped the obvious short forms: There’s no Jim, Ben, or Pam here. Also skipped some trendy favorites – Ava and Zac, for instance – that get so much play. We tried to be democratic, but to present a collection of names you might actually want to use.

But we’ve been talking long enough. Here, the shortest names in the book:

Two-letter Names

AL
BO
CY
DI
ED
EM
FE
HY
MO
OZ
PO
RY
TY
VI

Short forms