Names That Mean Short
Across 5 pages
of 5
Neele
German short form of Cornelia
"horn"
Cute tomboyish diminutive that's popular in Germany but has not spread far. An interesting choice for the parent who wants an elaborate feminine proper name with a modern short form.
Thijs
Dutch short form of Matthijs
"gift of God"
Usually pronounced to rhyme with nice — though others may rhyme it with Jace — Thijs is a popular Dutch name short for that country's form of Matthew. Matt Lauer's half-Dutch son is called Thijs.
Zelie
French
"noble"
A cute, zippy French saint's name that's picking up in popularity there, and starting to in the US as well. Zélie originated as a short form of Azélie, thought to derive from Adelaide via the Occitan…
Gijs
Dutch short form of Gilbert or Gijsbert, Germanic
"bright pledge"
Currently in the Top 30 in the Netherland, Gijs is s short form of Gijsbert, itself the Dutch form of the Germanic Gisbert and Gilbert. Said to rhyme with nice , the G is pronounced like the end…
Jurre
Dutch and Frisian short form of Gerard
Gerard, Gerry, and Jerry may be so far out they may never come back in the U.S., but Jerry-equivalent Jurre is a Top 100 name in The Netherlands.
Cru
Spelling variation of Crew or short form of Cruz or Crusoe
The short, clipped Cru is one of those modern names that's starting to find favor -- it was given to about 100 boys last year, while Crew has vaulted onto the Top 1000. One inspiration is undoubtedly…
Faas
Dutch short form of Bonifaas or Servaas
The Dutch love using short forms as full names, and so the popular name here is Faas -- who knows or cares what it was originally short for. In the US, this would be a very original name indeed -- it…
Juul
Dutch diminutive of Julia, Latin
"youthful"
This Dutch version of Jules is used for both girls and boys. The association with the vaping product of the same name (but different pronunciation) makes this one a no-go in the US.
Pleun
Dutch
"of the sun god"
Pleun is a unisex Dutch name deriving from Apollonius or Apollonia, although now it ranks far higher for girls in its native land than the original form. In 2024, it ranked in the Top 140 in The…
Zaley
Feminine variation of Zale, invented nickname-name, or short form of Azalea
All baby names can be made more "creative" by putting a Z at the beginning instead of what's conventionally there: B or C or H, for instance. Zaley is an adorable entry in this group, also spelled…
Aleida
Dutch diminutive of Adelaide or Latin
"noble; small, winged one"
This Latin name, also spelled Alida, has come into focus via the interesting character of Aleida Diaz on Orange is the New Black , the mother of Dayanara. In real life, Che Gueverra named a daughter…
Oana
Romanian short form of Ioana
"God is gracious"
An lesser-known member of the John-Joan family, though popular in its native habitat, has never emigrated, possibly due to its non-intuitive pronunciation.
Fiete
German short form of Friedrich or Frederick, German
"peaceful ruler"
Fiete is an extremely popular German name for boys that has not migrated to the English-speaking world. But it ranks among Germany's Top 100 boy names.
Rust
Color name or short form of Russell
Rust is one of the few color names for boys, sometimes short for Russell. As a diminutive for Russell, it's much more modern and cooler than Rusty. Whether you use it as a nickname or it stands on…
Cay
Spelling variation of Kai or short form of Cayden, Cayson et al
There were no baby boys named Cay born in the US last year, but there's no reason why there couldn't be, especially with the rise in popularity of the similar Kai as well as the nouveau proper names…
Raz
Hebrew, short form of Raziah
"the Lord's secret"
Raz is one of the many modern Israeli unisex names. It's simple and sleek and translates easily to English.
Toma
Feminine short form of Thomas or form of Tamar, Hebrew
"date palm tree"
If you're looking for an honor name for grandpa Tom, this could be a good choice. It's also used as a male short form of the name in Eastern Europe.
Scilla
Botanical name and short form of Priscilla
"ancient"
Scilla are little woodland flowers in a beautiful bright blue color. Scilla can also be a short form of Priscilla, from Prisca "ancient".
Wat
English antiquated short form of Walter, German
"army ruler"
Walter is an old school boys' name that is gently on the rise again. Short forms include Walt (as in Disney) and Wally, but Wat was once commonly used in England as a diminutive of Walter.
Vasil
Slavic short form of Basil, Greek
"royal"
Basil and all his brothers and sisters have a meaning related to royalty, sometimes cited as king, queen, royal, regal.