Name Spellings, Initials and Sounds
Short Baby Names
Across 9 pages
of 9
The names
Poe
English
"peacock"
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…
Po
Italian river name
A river (in Italy), a writer (Bronson), a Teletubby: the Bo of the new millennium.
Dru
English diminutive of Drusilla, Latin
"fruitful"
Flimsier than Drew spelling.
Ren
Japanese, Latin
"water lily, lotus, romantic love, move forward; reborn"
A very popular unisex name in Japan, Ren is a concise and versatile choice that could work across multiple languages. A rising star in England and Wales where it ranks in the Top 1000, it is also on…
Dov
Hebrew
"bear"
Fierce meaning, gentle image. This name is very common in Israel, where an endearing pet form is Dubi.
Dom
Diminutive of Dominic, Latin
"belonging to the Lord"
A bit slight to put directly on the birth certificate, but Dom is a pleasant nickname for a boy or a girl.
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…
Rye
Diminutive of Ryder or Riley or word name, English
"cavalryman, messenger; rye"
Rye has the potential to become the masculine version of Rue—a short and sweet name for nature lovers (and whiskey fans too!). Rye might be short for Ryder or Riley or Rylan or any Ry-beginning name,…
Doe
English
"a female deer"
Doe is a soft and gentle-eyed middle name possibility and, like Fawn, one of the few animal names open to girls. The Ballad of Baby Doe is a modern American opera based on the story of Elizabeth…
Sea
English word name
With River and Ocean becoming mainstream, why not consider Sea?
Seb
Egyptian
"God of the earth"
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…
Di
English diminutive of Diana, Latin
"divine"
Fans of the late Princess Diana might remember an early nickname, Shy Di. Di was more commonly heard in the middle of the last century, when Diane and sisters were in top vogue. Today, people may…
Cy
Diminutive of Cyrus, Persian
"sun"
This evocative short name is suddenly chic — it was recently chosen by Jennifer Lawrence for her baby boy. JLaw's son's name honors Cy Twombly, the influential mid-century American artist. Born Edwin…
Cia
English or Swedish diminutive of Cynthia, Greek, or Cecilia, Latin
"moon goddess, woman from Kynthos; blind"
What's Cia short for? Cynthia or most any other C -name. Stylish in its sleek Mia-Nia minimalist feel, but may remind some of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Cat
Diminutive of Catherine, Greek
"pure"
May be the most modern, stylish Catherine nickname: more unusual than Kate or Cate, with an animal and word name edge. Cat Power is a trendy folksinger.
Cam
Diminutive of Cameron or Camilla
A Pam for the modern age, improved by a harder edge and a tad less prissiness.
Tau
Indigenous Australian or Tswana, Sotho
"dusk, twilight; lion"
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…
Bix
Modern nickname
Bix is a cool and jazzy nickname name, thanks to that final x. It's largely associated with the legendary and influential cornet player (and inspiration for the novel Young Man With a Horn ), Bix…
Bay
English word, Old English
"an inlet of the sea where the land curves inward; berry"
One of the most usable of the pleasant, newly adopted nature/water names (like Lake and Ocean), especially in middle position. It's gentle, slightly whimsical, but grounded by its similarity to May…
Bas
Dutch, diminutive of Bastiaan and Sebastian
"person from the city of Sebastia"
Bas is a fashionable name in its own right in the Netherlands, where it's been in the Top 10. Used throughout Europe, it may have a future here as a straightforward-but-charming nickname name. Baz is…
