Name Spellings, Initials and Sounds
Three Letter Names
Across 13 pages
of 13
Kya
Spelling variation of Kaia, Latin, Scandinavian, or Hawaiian
"to rejoice or sea"
Kya, a variation of the popular Kaia, the feminine form of the also-popular gender-neutral name Kai, was one of the fastest-rising girls' names of 2023. Names starting with the ky (rhymes with by and…
Zay
Zay is a concise masculine name with multiple potential origins. It may function as a shortened form of longer names such as Isaiah, Zachariah, Xavier, or Zayn. In Arabic, 'Zay' is the name of a…
Zai
Invented name
A modern invention in the style of Kai. Long I is the hottest vowel sound right now, so Zai is destined for wider use.
Sid
Short form of Sidney, French
"Saint-Denis"
Sid originated as a nickname for Sidney, but we like it on its own, a la Sara Quin's and Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen's sons. Sid Vicious, member of the band the Sex Pistols, gives this name a punk…
Jet
Mineral and word name
This super-charged variation of Jett is on the rise -- along with the unlikely newcomer Jetson.
Rya
Arabic
"dream"
While many English sources say this name is a feminization of Ryan and give the pronunciation as Ryan without the final n, Rya is a genuine Arabic name for girls that rhymes with Mia and Leah. It is…
Rue
Botanical names or word name
"herb; regret"
Rue has gone from Golden Girls actress to Hunger Games heroine to a fresh alternative to beloved middle name Rose. This botanical name is also a coincidental double word name, meaning "regret" in…
Mak
Mak is a masculine name with multiple cultural origins. In Scottish and North English traditions, it functions as a short form of Marmaduke or Malcolm. In Southeast Asian contexts, particularly…
Ozi
Ozi is a short, distinctive masculine name with several potential origins. In Hebrew, it can be related to 'oz' meaning 'strength' or 'power.' It may also function as a diminutive of names like…
Nik
Nik is a short, masculine name that serves as a diminutive form of Nicholas or Nikolas, which derive from the Greek name Nikolaos, meaning 'victory of the people.' This concise variant maintains the…
Tim
Diminutive of Timothy, Greek
"honoring God"
Tim is a boyish short form occasionally given on its own. There were 37 baby boys named Tim in the US last year, versus over 1700 named Timothy.
Lex
Diminutive of Alexander
"defending men"
Cool short form of Alexander, fresher than Alex and less trendy than Xander... for now.
Fin
Fin is a concise, impactful masculine name with multiple cultural origins. In Irish tradition, it's a shortened form of Fionn or Finn, meaning 'fair' or 'white,' connected to the legendary Irish hero…
Kal
Kal is a concise, powerful masculine name with diverse cultural roots. In Norse mythology, Kal relates to 'cold' or 'frost,' while in Sanskrit it can mean 'time' or 'black.' The name also appears as…
Eko
English, Japanese, Georgian, Javanese
"echo, reverberation; blessing + child; pure; one, first"
A multicultural and unisex choice, Eko may be considered an English variation of the Greek Echo, a wordy choice from mythology borne by a nymph curse to only repeat what others said to her.…
Cru
Spelling variation of Crew or short form of Cruz or Crusoe
The short, clipped Cru is one of those modern names that's starting to find favor -- it was given to about 100 boys last year, while Crew has vaulted onto the Top 1000. One inspiration is undoubtedly…
Kye
Spelling variation of Kai
With the rising popularity of Kai, this more phonetic spelling has been gaining traction as well. Kye debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2015, and was one of the fastest-rising names of the year in 2016.
Cas
Short form of Casper, Persian
"Imperial"
This short-but-strong name is popular for boys in The Netherlands. While Cass is usually a female name in the U.S., it feels just as right for boys.
Ric
Ric is a short, punchy masculine name that typically serves as a diminutive of Richard, though it occasionally stands alone as an independent given name. Richard comes from Germanic elements meaning…
Les
Les is a masculine name that functions both as a standalone name and a familiar shortening of longer names like Lester, Leslie, or Leszek. Compact and straightforward, it carries a no-nonsense…