Names That Mean Small
Across 5 pages
of 5
Pavlin
Variation of Pavel, Russian
"small"
Pavlin ups Pavel's style quotient by giving it a surname feel.
Olletta
Latin, Greek, variation of Alletta
"small winged one"
Skylark
English
"small bird"
Isle
English
"small island"
Isla is a contemporary gem, so why not Isle? As an English word name, it takes you straight to the literal definition — a small island — which could have an appealing, aspirational ring to it, for…
Brook
English nature name
"small stream"
Brooke variation – or is the other way around? – that makes it more a nature name, less an eighties-style androgynous name.
Madyn
Irish
"small dog"
A variant of Madden or Madigan, cool surnames which ultimately derive from the Irish Gaelic word for "dog".
Paweł
Polish variation of Paul, Latin
"small"
Rivulet
English
"small stream"
Part River, part Beckett, part Ridge, part Reeves, the unusual Rivulet could have potential.
Pujols
Catalan surname
"small hills"
A Catalan surname connected to Albert Pujols, the Dominican-American baseball player most notably of the Los Angeles Angels. It might not make a great first name, but Pujols could make a meaningful…
Nori
Japanese, Norse
"doctrine or seaweed; north or small person"
Attractive, simple Japanese choice that, while not strictly unisex, could work even better for a girl, especially now that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West use it as the nickname for their daughter…
Laine
Variation of Lane
"a small roadway or path"
Unisex Lane is a hit for boys in the last few decades, remaining around the 200s in popularity. Laine may lean a bit more feminine, but still has that unisex feel.
Nore
Variation of Nori, Norse
"north, small person"
Nore comes from Nori, the Old Norse mythological name of the founder of Norway. As a feminine name, Nore is a variation of Nora popular in the Netherlands.
Isle
English
"small island"
Isle is a super rare nature name that sounds like an appealing unisex form of Isla.
Yarelis
Variation of Yareli, Native American, Spanish
"water lady; small butterfly"
Wren
English
"small bird"
Wren may not be as time-honored a bird name choice as Robin or even Lark, but it's more fashionable and fresh, with a gentle and earthy vibe. Given to just a handful of children a decade ago, in 2024…
Bannon
Irish
"descendant of the small white one"
This two-syllable Irish surname is as appealing as Nolan, Keegan et al, but much less common.
Brook
English nature name
"small stream"
Now that the popularity of Brooke is waning, and surname style variant Brooks is on the rise, Brook seems live a newly fresh nature-inspired option.
Konan
Japanese
"small south"
As a feminine name, Konan has Japanese origins. It is the name of a villainous character in the Naruto franchise.
Cove
English
"small bay"
Cove is an up-and-coming nature name whose cool sound and peaceful image saw it rising for both sexes... until COVID-19 hit. It remained steady in use for boys in 2021, but actually increased for…
Rivulet
English
"small stream"
Part River, part Violet, part Lettie, Rivulet is an intriguing word name with potential.