Updated October 2026
Across 74 pages
of 74
Short form of Alyssa or Greek mythological name
"anger, fury, rage"
Most contemporary English speakers will hear the name Lyssa as short for the long-popular Alyssa or Melissa. But Lyssa is a bona fide Greek mythology name, though not a very appealing one. The…
Catalan form of Blaise
"to lisp, stammer"
This saintly choice is an example of the Catalan trend for short, streamlined names.
French/Breton form of Matthew
"gift of God"
This gallicized spelling of Mazhe, itself a Breton version of Matthew, is currently popular for baby boys in France, where it ranks in the Top 100. But this is one European name that probably will…
Short form of ZULMA, Arabic
"healthy, vigorous"
Zuly is the spunky short form of Zulma, and is commonly used on its own, often in the Latino community.
Anglicized form of Irish Damhnait
"fawn"
Dymphna – also spelled Dympna – is the distinctive name of an Irish virgin martyr. According to the legend, she was a Celtic princess who fled to Belgium to escape the abusive attentions of her…
Spanish feminine form of Roman family name Tullius, meaning unknown
Tulia, rhyming with Julia, is one of several offshoots of the noble Roman family name Tullius, best known as the middle name of the philosopher Cicero. While the single L is considered the Spanish…
Welsh form of Edmund
Like Edmund, but with a double-take. (W is a vowel in Welsh.)
Basque form of Dolores
"sorrows"
Nekane is the decidedly modern, upbeat-sounding Basque form of the sorrowful and dated Spanish Dolores. Basque names, largely unknown in English-speaking countries, offer a fresh lexicon of names,…
Catalan form of Vincent, Latin
"conquering"
Welsh
"beloved friend"
Taffy, in addition to being a diminutive of Dafydd, is a slang term for Welsh people in general – probably from the River Taff. Too candy-like to be used in the US.
Hebrew, female form of Elul, month name
Elula, female derivation of Elul, the name of the sixth month on the Hebrew calendar, was used by Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen for their second daughter. The couple kept their unusual choice…
Welsh form of Eithne, Gaelic
"nut kernel"
If you were disappointed that Eithne is pronounced "Enya", you're in luck! The Welsh version really does sound as it looks.
Short form of Douglas, Scottish
"black water"
Dougie is one of those names that spotlights the huge gulf that can exist between US and UK naming trends. In England and Wales, Dougie is a trendy nickname-name, ranking all the way up at Number…
Short form of Cornelius, Latin
"horn"
Cornelius is one of the Ancient Roman names that is not quite making a comeback, despite having been a Top 200 name in the US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Blame Corny, a nickname that…
Short form of Gillian, feminization of Julian, Latin
"youthful"
Gill and Jill are both medieval short forms of Gillian or Jillian, a feminine form of Julian. The problem with the G spelling is that some people will pronounce it with a hard G, like Gil, the short…
English diminutive of Barbara, Greek
"foreign woman"
When the once-popular Barbara makes a comeback, so might Baba.
Short form of Melinda or Sanskrit
"knowledge, wisdom"
Minda is a simle, even familiar-sounding name that is nevertheless completely unknown. It might be a contraction of Melinda but it is a genuine Indian name with an appealing meaning.
Short form of Ferdinand
"bold voyager"
Dinand is popular in the Netherlands thanks to a local singing sensation. Dinand is one of many Dutch short forms that come from the middle or end of a name -- think Bas for Sebastian or Hans from…
Catalan form of Wilfred
"desires peace"
You'd be forgiven for thinking this is the Catalan form of Geoffrey, but it actually comes from a slightly different Germanic name — also with a peaceful meaning. It's a historical choice, belonging…
English word name
"to form a mental image"
If you like such uplifting New Age word names as Peace and Justice, the evocative and pretty Imagine should definitely be on your short list.