Name Spellings, Initials and Sounds
Short Baby Names
Across 9 pages
of 9
The names
Jas
Abbreviation of James or short form of Jasper
Lua
Portuguese
"moon"
Properly spelled Luã, this is a light and bright alternative to mega-popular Luna, with the same celestial meaning. Lua is also an attractive choice for tech-heads, with Lua being a popular…
Lux
Latin
"light"
This name of a character played by Kirsten Dunst in the movie Virgin Suicides , originally a novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, is gaining attention, also thanks to the heroine Lux, Lady of Luminosity in…
Ivo
Germanic, Slavic
"yew wood, archer; God is gracious"
Succinct, stylish, and catchy, Ivo has the energetic impact of other names ending in -o . It is a multicultural choice with two distinct origins, and, as such, is familiar across a variety of…
Irv
Irv is a masculine name primarily used as a diminutive of Irving, which has Old English origins meaning 'green water' or 'sea friend.' This short, punchy name gained modest popularity in the early to…
Zvi
Hebrew
"deer"
An alternative transcription of Tzvi, the latter of which is a Top 100 pick in Israel. It's a cool, sharp-sounding micro name which would make for a great distinctive alternative to Levi.
Mel
Diminutive of Melanie
"black, dark"
Not one but two Spice Girls are named Mel, which led to it briefly being more popular for girls than boys in the 90s and early 00s, but it has now fallen out of favor for both sexes.
Io
Greek mythology name
Io may be one of the slightest names in the book, but there aren't many two-letter names with as much substance as this Greek mythological example. Io, a name used for the largest moon of Jupiter,…
Mik
Dutch, from English
"who is like God?"
This Dutch spelling of Mick, a diminutive of the classic Michael, has seen small but steady use in the Netherlands. The streamlined Mik variant has a cool edge over the friendly original.
Min
Chinese
"quick"
Puts the -min in diminutive.
Nev
Diminutive of Yaniv, Hebrew; Neville, English; or Nevin, Irish
"he will prosper; new town; holy"
Short and strong multicultural option for a son. Nev Schulman (born Yaniv) is the creator of the MTV series Catfish .
Gal
Hebrew
"wave"
This unisex Israeli name, which rhymes with ball, is sure to receive more serious international attention now that actress Gal Gadot is the new Wonder Woman.
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…
Fons
Dutch
"noble, ready"
A short form of Alfons that feels more modern and approachable than the original, Fons is a Dutch named used most commonly in Belgium, where it has made the Top 200 for the last 5 consecutive years.
Fia
Irish, Portuguese, Italian
"wild, weaver"
Fia may be most notable at this moment as the Anglicized version of the Irish Fiadh, one of the fastest-rising names in the Republic of Ireland. The meaning of Fia or Fiadh is sometimes given as…
Nur
Arabic
"light"
Oak
English tree name
"tree from the genus Quercus"
Oak, a symbol of solidity, strength, and longevity, is joining Cedar and Pine as a viable name, one that would work especially well in the middle. If you'd prefer to take the longer route to the…
Lib
Diminutive of Elizabeth or Liberty
"pledged to god; freedom"
A concise and zippy short form of Elizabeth, Liberty or similar, used for the main character in the novel and film adaptation of Emma Donoghue's The Wonder about a nurse sent to observe a girl who is…

