Names That Mean Small, Little, or Tiny

A lyrical Welsh name with both poetry and ruggedness, Myfanwy can mean "my fine, delicate one", "my woman", or "my beloved", depending on whether you consider the second element as derived from manwy, banwy or annwyl. While the pronunciation (muh-VAHN-wee) wouldn't be intuitive to those unfamiliar with the Welsh language or with Welsh names, the name is given to a small handful of babies in its native Wales most years.
 
Notably appearing in a 19th-century song by Joseph Parry and a poem by Richard Davies, the name was also borne by the 14th-century noblewoman and poetic subject, Myfanwy Fychan. Other Myfanwys include poet Myfanwy Haycock and actresses Myfanwy Waring and Myfanwy Talog.

Myfanwy

The Narellan is the name of a river in New South Wales. From this name comes this quasi-French girls' name, which is quite common in Australia.

Narelle

Might be carrying things too far -- little little girl? -- though could freshen up this favorite.

Ninetta

Excellent candidate for use as an undiscovered surname name. Niven is the Anglicized spelling of the Irish name Naomhan, a diminutive of the word naomh which means saint. This handsome but unusual name was given to only six boys in the US last year. Your parents may be familiar with actor David Niven.
 
Other forms of the name include Nevan and Nevin.

Niven

The surname of the 44th US President has been been adopted as a first, for girls as well as boys, by admiring parents around the world. And the O beginning even makes it fashionable. Though Barack Obama's name derives from the Luo people of Kenya, Obama is also a Japanese place name and a surname that means "little beach."

Obama

Could work for a blended Japanese-Irish family. 

Ohara

Perfect for a child of Japanese Irish heritage. 

The name of the son of the legendary Finn McCool is often Anglicized to Ossian, but the original has recently been revived in Ireland and is currently among the most popular boys' names there.

Oisín

Mythological spirit of the waters; spelled Undine, she was an Edith Wharton heroine. 

Ondine

This Irish saint's name sounds like a lopped-off Lorna. 

Orna

Aban is the Persian word for the month of October, derived from the Avestan apes, meaning "the waters".

Aban

Orsola is chic in Italy in a way that Ursula is not in the U.S.  And English speakers will inevitably hear this chic, sleek name as Ursula, condemned to purgatory as the name of the hideous sea-witch who terrorized Disney's Little Mermaid.

Orsola

This name relates to Oisin, a famous ancient Irish poet, the son of Finn MacCool.

Ossin

This operatic Italian name -- it appears in Mozart's "The Magic Flute" -- is a more unusual route to the nickname Pam/Pammy. 

Pamina

Panya is a Russian diminutive that sounds a tad feminine to the Western sensibility.

Panya

Parkin

Likable choice for history-minded parents who might want to honor Irish patriot Charles Parnell. 

Parnell

Paulana is an unusual feminine form of Paul or may be considered a combination name, smooshing Paula and Ana. It sounds international without truly being attached to any particular culture. As Paul and Paula's fashion stars have faded, there's little to compel a parent to choose Paulana over the more established Pauline, for instance, if honoring an ancestral Paul. 

Paulana

Perkin sounds a bit Hobbit-ish as a full name, but it might make a good honor name or nickname for a boy called Peter.

Perkin

Also spelled as Piran, this Cornish saint's name is thought to have derived from the Irish Ciaran. Borne by a 5th-century monk who founded a monastery, it also appears as a place name in Cornwall, as part of Perranporth. This form can be pronounced as PEH-run, while Piran is said as PEER-un or PIH-run.
 
This name shouldn't be confused with the French Perrin (derived from Pierre and Peter) or Perun, a Slavic name meaning "thunder".

Perran

Names meaning little or tiny probably first came into being as a way to describe someone small or short in stature. Today, that original meaning is all but, well, meaningless.

The top name meaning small or little is Logan. Along with Logan, other 

baby names meaning small or tiny in the US Top 1000

 include Paul, Aiden, Lane, Brooke, Roan, and Kiera.

unusual but usable names with small meanings

, including Fiorella, Oisin, Sweeney, and Sonnet.

Baby names that mean small can be found in 

 and range from common American names to truly one-of-a-kind choices. But despite their meaning, they convey big personality.

Here, our collection of baby names with tiny meanings.

Baby names that mean small, little, or tiny, for girls and boys, with origins and popularity. (Page 10)