Names That Mean Little
Across 13 pages
of 13
Floortje
Dutch
"little flower"
This Dutch girls' name meaning little flower is one of the more common Dutch-origin names used in the Netherlands today.
Riaan
Variation of Ryan or Hindi
"little king"
South African adventurer Riaan Manser introduced this name to the American and European world. After bicycling the entire coast of Africa and rowing with his girlfriend from Morocco to New York, he…
Fiametta
Italian
"little flame"
Fiametta is the pseudonym Italian Renaissance writer Bocaccio gave to his muse in his writing; her real name was most likely Maria d'Aquino. It was also the title of a ballet in the 19th century.…
Gwenno
Welsh
"little bright one"
Gwenno originated as a diminutive of Gwenllian, Gwynhwyfar or Gwendolen, but it is increasingly being bestowed as a full name, with between 10 and 20 births a year in England & Wales. Musician…
Lillemor
Scandinavia
"little mother"
Lillemor is a relatively recent coinage in Scandinavia, where it was most popular in the 1930s and '40s, especially in Sweden. As such, it is considered rather dated in Scandinavia, but it would…
Nizar
Arabic
"little"
This name may mean "little" but there is nothing small about a name that has so many notable bearers, including Syrian poet and feminist Nizar Qabbani.
Calendula
Flower name, from Latin
"little months"
Calendula is a species of English marigold, deriving from the plural of Latin calends "the first of the month", because it blooms for most of the year. It would be a romantic and extravagant name for…
Gladiola
Flower name, from Latin
"little sword"
An attractive update to Gladys. Gladiola is a character in the 1991 novel and 1995 film How to Make an American Quilt
Cendrine
French
"little ashes"
Cendrine derives from Cendrillon, the French form of Cinderella. It's quite uncommon, even in France, but if the fairy tale made a big impression on you, it could be a sweet tribute.
Lillebror
Swedish
"little brother"
Originally a nickname, this has become a given name in Sweden, albeit rare. It's much more common as a middle, however.
Miv
Diminutive of Myfanwy, Welsh
"my precious little one"
If Liv can stand on it's own, why not Miv?
Alona
Variation of Alana, Irish
"little rock, or harmony, concord"
Variation of Alana.
Pipaluk
Greenlandic
"sweet little thing who belongs to me"
Consistently among the top 5 girls' names in Greenland for the past four decades, Pipaluk has one of the most adorable meanings going, and could make for a quirky route to Pip or Pippa. A famous…
Realtin
Irish
"little star"
Properly written with accents: Réaltín. This increasingly popular Irish name is derived from réalta , meaning "star". Réiltín is a variant spelling.
Reiltin
Irish
"little star"
Variant of Realtin
Maudette
Elaboration of Maude, American
"little Maud"
This French-style name is, in fact, an American creation with only a handful of documented uses throughout history. Maudette combines the mini-name Maud — a medieval short form of Matilda, meaning…
Meeko
Algonquian Native American
"little mischief"
The name of the mischievous raccoon in Disney's Pocahontas is adorable for a pet.
Nicêhis
Cree
"my little heart, my dear heart"
Húni
Icelandic
"little cub"
This sweet-sounding Nordic name has a cute meaning to match.
Meretlein
Diminutive of Meret, German
"little pearl"
This rare literary name appears in Gottfried Keller's 1855 novel Der grüne Heinrich ( Green Henry ). Fiesty and beautiful Meretlein lived in the woods and was constantly causing trouble. Ultimately,…