Names That Mean Small
Across 5 pages
of 5
Brogan
Irish
"small shoe"
Brogan is a cheerful Irish surname that would fit right in with the Logans and Br-starting names now trendy for boys. It's been on the pop list for the past three years, though it's sliding again.…
Pauline
French, feminine variation of Paul
"small"
Pauline had its moment of glory a century ago, when movie audiences were thrilling to the silent serial The Perils of Pauline , released in 1914. A Top 50 name in the US between 1908 and 1930, it…
Dalziel
Scottish
"the small field"
If you want a truly unusual name with authentic roots, this one certainly fits on both counts. Pronunciation may prove a stumbling block, however.
Del
English, diminutive
"small valley"
The kind of name last found in northern Wisconsin in the 1950s, and even then it was probably a nickname for Delbert.
Booth
English and Scottish
"small dwelling place, shed"
Short but not particularly sweet surname.
Bogart
Dutch surname
"orchard"
What it really means: you're a "Casablanca" fan.
Paolina
Italian and Portuguese, feminine variation of Paul
"small"
Turning Paul or Paol -- whether it's as Paolo, Paolina, or even Paola -- instantly makes it more romantic and appealing.
Loman
Irish or Serbo-Croatian
"small bare one or delicate"
Loman is one of those rare names that is at once simple and very unusual, with fewer than five baby boys given the name in the US in the most recent year. But Loman does carry a few less-than-optimal…
Newt
English
"a small salamander"
Rarely used on its own and irrevocably tied to former House Speaker Gingrich -- who was christened Newton.
Ohara
Japanese
"small field"
Perfect for a child of Japanese Irish heritage.
Lane
English
"a small roadway or path"
Lane is a unisex name equally accessible to boys and girls. Breezy, cool and contemporary, it might equally put in mind country lanes and banks of wildflowers. As a word name, Lane means "small…
Vaughn
Welsh
"small"
Vaughn, also commonly spelled Vaughan, has been used quietly over the years, reaching a peak of Number 349 in 1949. It is now in the process of rediscovery, being seen as a good Sean alternative or…
Vaughan
Welsh
"small"
This familiar but never popular Welsh surname name might be a good Sean alternative-- and we're starting to hear some berrybuzz about it. Vaughn is an alternate spelling. There have been three major…
Quintas
Spanish
"small estate"
Sounds a bit like an Australian airline.
Villette
French
"small town"
Charming Gallic name uncommon in France, and unknown in this country, with literary credibility as the title of a Charlotte Brontë novel.
Panya
Short form of Pavel
"small"
Panya is a Russian diminutive that sounds a tad feminine to the Western sensibility.
Pavel
Russian variation of Paul
"small"
Pavel may be widespread in the former Soviet Union, but it has a somewhat impoverished image here.
Tira
Hebrew
"small village"
Tyra would be a more modern pick.
Paolo
Italian, variation of Paul
"small"
Paolo is an irresistibly lush Italian name for boys , worlds more romantic than its spare English equivalent. Among noted bearers of the name are Renaissance painters Uccello and Veronese, architect…
Pasha
Russian, diminutive of Pavel
"small, humble"
Similar in sound to Sasha, Pasha is a Russian diminutive of the name Pavel, itself a form of Paul. Also used as a title for a high ranking officer in the (now historical) Ottoman military, and as the…