Short Baby Names

Lex is still used mostly for boys, but like Alex, may cross over with the rising popularity of all long forms of the name. Lexi is another, more feminine option.

Fierce meaning, gentle image. This name is very common in Israel, where an endearing pet form is Dubi.

In many minds this one belongs to Barbie, but with such positive meanings and international connections, can Ken make the transition to usability again?

The most minimalist of names, Ed is decidedly out -- though that usually means it's due to swing back in. More stylish these days: Ned or even Ted.

As Theo and Thea get more popular, so do Teo and Tea, short forms of the Latinate variations of Theodore and Matthew -- which include Dorotea and Mattea. But like Theo and Thea, Tea can stand perfectly well on its own and blends seamlessly into any Anglophone or European culture, if that is your aim. Some may argue that the Tea version is the prettiest and it's certainly the sleekest.

This name, more recognized as a short form of Sebastian, is perfectly usable a cool full name, and, in fact, ranks on the UK popularity list. Seb is getting lot of attention as the nickname name of the Ryan Gosling character in the hit film La La Land.

Tau, rhyming with cow, is a simple straightforward name with roots in two languages and cultures, the Kaurna language spoken by indigenous Australian people or the African Tswana language, a Bantu language spoken by five million people.

Old-time nickname that's following in the fashionable footsteps of cronies Jake and Sam. Abe feels both fresher and cuter -- which is maybe the same thing? -- than those choices right now. You can also get to Abe via Abel, which may prove a friendlier formal name than the gray-bearded Abraham.

The Old Testament Noah has been so popular for so long that variations are becoming popular too. Noe is a streamlined form used in Greek and Latin Bibles, and in Georgia too. Spelled as more often as Noé, it is also popular across France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Spain.

Fay, also spelled Faye, who had been napping quietly since the 1930's, has, like cousins May/Mae and Ray/Rae, sat up and started rubbing her eyes, ready for a mini-comeback, especially as a middle name. In 2014, Faye hopped back onto the US Top 1000, though Fay is used much more quietly as a first name.

Doe is a soft and gentle-eyed middle name possibility and, like Fawn, one of the few animal names open to girls.

Jen is a short, crisp feminine name that originated primarily as a diminutive of Jennifer, though it can also be a nickname for names like Jenna, Jenny, or Genevieve. The root name Jennifer comes from the Welsh 'Gwenhwyfar,' meaning 'white wave' or 'fair spirit.' Jen gained independent usage during the 1970s and 1980s when Jennifer was at peak popularity, with some parents choosing to put just 'Jen' on the birth certificate. Its simplicity and directness appeal to those preferring unpretentious, straightforward names. While Jen's popularity as a stand-alone name has declined since the 1990s, it maintains appeal for its brevity and friendly, approachable quality. The name carries a casual confidence and remains recognizable without being overly common as a formal name.

Despite its biblical pedigree and popularity in Israel, it has far too many ties to the lethal submachine gun to find many fans here.

Jan, not short for Janet or Janice but standing on its own, ranked in the Top 200 throughout the 1950s but dropped off the Top 1000 in the 1980s and now is a truly extinct name, given to fewer than five baby girls in the US each year.

Hip new middle-name choice, conjuring up the gothic tales of Edgar Allan, and current single-named pop singer Poe. As a first name, it's radically underused, given last year in the US to only five baby boys and no baby girls.

So simple, yet so unique: a prime candidate for export. Pronunciation is like the English pair or pear.

Concise, multicultural, and well travelled, Lin is a deceptively simple looking choice with its roots in a variety of languages.

As a Chinese name, it is a unisex option, pronounced as LEEN, and typically attributed either the meaning "forest" or "fine jade, green gem", associating the name with the color green in both its transcriptions. From its Arabic roots however, it is a variation of the pretty Lina, meaning "soft, tender". As above, it would be pronounced as LEEN.

Pronounced zheel, it's a dashing conquistador; as gill, it's the nice and slightly boring guy down the street.

A unisex Hebrew name often found in combination with others, as in Tal-El and Tal-Or.