Names That Mean Little
Across 13 pages
of 13
Madden
Irish
"little dog"
Madden is an Irish surname relative of Madigan rising through the charts thanks to its trendy two-syllable, -en ending sound along with its appeal to Madden Football video game-playing dads. John…
Rowyn
Variation of Rowan, Scottish and Irish
"rowan tree; little redhead"
Rowan has been shooting up the charts on both the boys' and the girls' side, carrying the appeals of a trendy "o" vowel, a soft sound, and a nature connection to top it off. The modern variation…
Ryan
Irish
"little king"
This ultrapopular boys' name is rapidly becoming a hot name for girls ; admired for its buoyant Irish spirit. Ryan returned to the Top 500 for girls in 2015 and will no doubt continue to climb…
Marcel
French variation of Marcellus
"little warrior"
Marcel, despite distinguished namesakes including Proust and Duchamp, suffers from a terminal headwaiter image in this country. But along with its sister name Marcella and French variation (and…
Davina
Hebrew
"little deer"
A Scottish favorite that could make it here thanks to its similarity to the word divine. It's the most popular of several feminizations of David used in Scotland, including Davida, Davinia and…
Julietta
Spanish variation of Juliet
"little Julia"
Julietta feels newly fresh and friendly thanks to the growing familiarity of Juliet and French sister Juliette.
Kieran
Irish
"little black-haired one"
Kieran is a boys' name that could cross over, as an update of outmoded Karen or a variation on trendy Kiera (or Keira or Kyra). Keren Ann is an Israeli-born singer. The proportion of babies named…
Charty
English diminutive of Charlotte, French
"free man"
A Charlotte nickname heard much more often in Britain than here — American parents might prefer Charlie or Lottie.
Kiera
Irish
"little dark one"
Kiera entered the American popularity list in 1988, though it lags behind the alternate spelling Keira, largely due to the fame of actress Keira Knightley. The original Irish spelling is Ciara, the…
Ciara
Irish
"little dark one"
Ciara is very popular in Ireland, more familiar here as the Anglicized Kiera or Keira. The uninitiated will tend to pronounce Ciara as the Italian Chiara, a form of Claire—kee-AHR-a or even…
Bambalina
Italian
"little girl"
Better saved for a doll.
Fiorella
Italian
"little flower"
Not only are individual flower names more popular (and out-there) than ever, but so too are the more generic names like Florence and Flora. While brother name Fiorello became known via long-term New…
Fiammetta
Italian
"little fiery one"
Fiammetta, from the Italian word for flame, has both femininity and fire. Fiammetta could make a good alternative to more conventional Italian girls' names like Giovanna. Fiammetta has some romantic,…
Famke
Dutch
"little girl"
Famke was introduced to this country via Dutch-born actress Famke Janssen, but is not likely to appeal to many American parents.
Carlin
Irish
"little champion"
Stronger and more contemporary twist on Carla or Carly, Carlin was used just about equally for girls and boys in the US last year.
Arizona
Place-name from Papago Indian
"little springs"
We usually think of place-names as a modern invention, but in fact Arizona ranked on the US Top 1000 from its inception in 1880 until 1911, when it vanished below the surface. It peaked at Number 510…
Aidan
Irish
"little and fiery"
Aidan is an ancient Irish saint's name with a fire meaning that's mega popular for boys, most often spelled as Aiden. The name is occasionally used for girls, sometimes as Aidyn or Ayden, as well.…
Darren
Irish
"little great one"
Once-popular boys' name works better now for girls, as a kind of Dara/Karen blend.
Damita
Spanish
"little noblewoman"
Has a petite, dainty charm.
Carina
Italian
"dear little one"
Carina is a pretty delicately feminine name whose fall from popularity is not helped by its similarity to hurricane name Katrina or slang victim Karen.