Names That Mean Little

An unusual, energetic surname choice that would make a good Madison alternative. Madigan was a typical police detective series of the 1970s, starring Richard Widmark.

Madigan

A bright and elegant Arabic name, Nouhaila might be considered a variation (or elaboration) of Naila, meaning "gracious" or "successful, attainer", a spin on Nuha, meaning "wisdom", a form of Nour, meaning "little light"; an alternative form of Nourallah ("light of Allah"), or perhaps a variant of Nawal, meaning "gift".
 
A notable bearer is Moroccan football player, Nouhaila Benzima.

Nouhaila

A bold name with a cutesy meaning, Veslemøy was coined by writer Norwegian writer Arne Garborg for the central character in his 1895 poem Haugtussa ("The Mountain Maid") which was later turned into a song cycle by Edvard Grieg. Literally taken from the Norwegian words for "little" and "girl, maiden", Veslemøy is a psychic with a great knowledge of local traditions and folklore. 
 
Given to at least 600 girls since Norwegian name records began, notable bearers include actress Veslemøy Haslund, journalist Veslemøy Kjendsli, singer Veslemøy Solberg, actress Veslemøy Mørkid, and musician Veslemøy Narvesen. Also appearing in the Oscar winning short film, The Danish Poet (2007), it was also one of the Top 100 names for cows in Norway in 1988.

Veslemøy

Derived from the old Gaelic surname O' Beigleighinn, Baglan was the name of a 6th-century Saint and missionary.

Baglan

The name of one of warring families in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Capulet might appeal to those who enjoy names that are literary and unique.
 
Capulet likely comes from the Italian capo, meaning "head", combined with the diminutive suffix, -let. Some sources suggest that the name could therefore mean "little leader" or "little chief", interpreting capo to mean "the head of" something. 
 Others associate it with the tradition of last names being derived from nicknames, and take capo to refer to someone headstrong. "Little headstrong one" or "descendant of a headstrong person" can be alternative meanings. 
 
Another possibility is that it comes from cappello meaning "hat", considering Shakespeare got the name from earlier works by Dante and Luigi da Porto who used Cappelletti for one of the warring families.
 
While rival name Montague likely has more "real world" potential, thanks to intuitive nickname Monty, Capulet is one to ponder, especially as nicknames Callie or Lettie might make it feel more usable.

Capulet

Spirited, sparky and fun, Flicka is a fun nickname for the likes of Felicity and Frederica, though you could probably make it work for Francesca or Florence if you wanted it to. Reminiscent of flickering lights, it coincides with a Swedish word meaning "girl" or "little girl" and has occasionally been used as a given name, in the same way the Dutch Søs ("sis") is being used.
 
It famously appeared in in the 1941 children's book, My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara, Flicka being a horse.

Flicka

Irish surname derived from the name Gairbhín, a diminutive of garbh, "rough". It's barely been used as a first name, but could be a similar-yet-different alternative to names like Nolan and Sullivan.

Garvan

Lilting and handsome, Celino can be used as a short form of Marcelino, or as the Spanish and Italian variant of the Ancient Roman name Caelinus. A rare choice that saw moderate use in Brazil in the 1940s and 50s, it is much less popular than its feminine counterpart, Celina, or its longer form Marcelino. 
 
If considered a variation of Caelinus, the name can mean "heavens" or "heavenly". As a short form of Marcelino, it is connected to Mars, the Roman god of war, giving it the more figurative meaning "little warrior".
 
The pronunciation of the name varies, depending on language and location. In Italian, it would be heard as cheh-LEE-no, while in European Spanish, it's theh-LEE-no. In Latin American, however, seh-LEE-no is most common, and likely how English speakers would say it too.

Celino

Long and gentle but with a zippy ending, Columbina is an elaborate diminutive of Columba. Derived from Latin name, it has the appealing meaning of "dove". While this ties it to a symbol of the Holy Spirit in Christianity and makes it saintly choice, Columbina is probably still far too close to Columbine to catch on in the US.
 
Appearing on a character in the 2020 video game, Genshin Impact, Columbina may also be associated with the columbine flower and with Colombina, a stock character used in Italian theatre: usually a servant, who falls in love with the mischievous Arlchinno, or Harlequin. 
 
Nicknames Dove, Birdie, Bee, Lumi, and Connie might work for this rare name which has never appeared in the US stats. Columba and Columbine have also been off the data since 2000 and 1933 respectively.

Columbina

Also appearing in the charts as Realtin, Reailtin, Réaltan, and Réiltín, this distinctive Irish name combines the word réalta with a diminutive suffix, giving it the sparkly meaning of "little star". This form was the most popular, given to 11 girls in Ireland in a recent year which did in fact place it in the Top 400.
 
It may be pronounced as RAYL-teen, REHL-teen, or sometimes REEL-teen, depending on which part of Ireland someone is from.

Réaltín

Velvel is an animal name in Yiddish, derived from the word volf. It is the Yiddish alternative to the Hebrew Zeev, though it is sometimes used as a diminutive form of the latter.

Velvel

Marciel could be a number of things: a variation of Marcel, relating it to the Roman god of war, Mars; a blend of Marie and Ciel, giving it meanings such as "beloved sky, beloved heavens", "bitter sky", or "drop of the sea and sky", depending on which meaning of Marie you choose to use; or a variation on the Portuguese name, Maciel, meaning "apple".


Marciel

A Celtic name of various origins and meanings, Brannoc could work as a surname style choice and an update on the likes of Brandon and Brendan.
 
As a Welsh name, it could combine the element Bran meaning "raven" with a diminutive suffix, making the overall meaning "little raven" or descended from the raven".
 Alternatively, it might be a diminutive of the Irish name Branan (or Brennan), meaning "raindrop, moisture", however, other sources suggest it comes from Breathnach, also Irish and meaning "Briton".
 
As a surname, it is possible that Brannoc originally referred to someone from a place called Brennath in Scotland called, whose name means "hazel tree". Brannoc or Brannock are later anglicizations. 
 
Borne by a 6th century Christian saint associated with the village of Braunton in the south of England, Brannoc is a simple yet distinctive name, despite its not so straightforward etymology.

Brannoc

Vintage Etta meets Ottilie and Amelie in this playful choice, with could be interpreted as meaning "little meadow" or "prosperous in battle", depending on whether you see it as a blend of Etta and Lee, or as a variation on the aforementioned Ottilie. It first appeared in the US stats in 2021.

Ettalie

Derived from the Slovenian word for "cinder", Pepelka is an alternative name for the fairy-tale character Cinderella. It's rarely used as a given name.

Pepelka

A literary name with a fairy-tale feel, Sirenetta appears in the 1921 prose poem, Notturno, written by Italian poet Gabriele D'Annozio when he was recovering from an eye injury. Translating to "little mermaid" in Italian, La Sirenetta is used in Italy as the name of the 1837 Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale and the Disney movies inspired by it. 
 
The name has been used extremely rarely, with just five people recorded to have had the name back in 2014.

Sirenetta

An alternative spelling of Lovett, a diminutive of Lovell or Lowell, ultimately from the French lou, this name has the cool meaning of "little wolf" or "wolf cub". First appearing in the US stats for girls back in 1948, it has been used quietly across the 20th-century and into the 21st, appealing perhaps because of its similarity to the phrase "love it" or the presence of "love" in the spelling more generally. In fact, it could even be considered an elaboration of Love.

Lovette

While Keir is typically used for boys, a small number of girls were given the name in the late 1960s and 70s, perhaps owing to the actor Keir Dullea starring in the 1968 2001: A Space Odyssey. Derived from the Irish Ciar or the Scottish Kerr, the name is more likely heard as a nickname for girls called Keira than as a stand alone name.

Keir

An Irish name with a sweet, saintly and virtuous meaning, Naomhán is Anglicized as Nevan. It would be pronounced NEEV-awn.

Naomhán

Also appearing as Biruta, this name was borne by the 15th century mother of the Grand Duke Vytautas of Lithuania and by Birutė Marija Filomena Galdikas, a Canadian scientist, anthropologist, and primatologist, known for her work with orangutans. It likely comes from birti meaning "to scatter, pour out", paired with a diminutive suffix. It could therefore be interpreted as meaning "little outpouring".