Names That Mean Small, Little, or Tiny

If Isla feels too mainstream.

If you like the Irish surname feel, there are loads of more congenial options.

Charming Gallic name uncommon in France, and unknown in this country, with literary credibility as the title of a Charlotte Brontë novel.

This name may mean "little" but there is nothing small about a name that has so many notable bearers, including Syrian poet and feminist Nizar Qabbani.

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

Has a petite, dainty charm.

To honor an ancestral Peter.

Consistently among the top 5 girls' names in Greenland for the past four decades, Pipaluk has one of the most adorable meanings going, and could make for a quirky route to Pip or Pippa. A famous bearer in Greenlandic-Danish author Pipaluk Freuchen.

A perky African name with a downright charming meaning.

Glyn is a pretty, glimmery name that is heard much less often than Welsh sisters Gwen and Bryn. It is also used for boys and might make a good honor name for an ancestral Glenn.

Once-popular boys' name works better now for girls, as a kind of Dara/Karen blend.

You lick. You like. We didn't think so.

This is an obscure spelling of the banana girl name.

Pronounced Beshette, this unfamiliar French appellation sounds fresh and feminine.

A term for a type of Dutch sailing ship that might be an interesting way to get to Gal, as in Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot.

Tyra would be a more modern pick.

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.

A possible addition to the Ava / Ada / Adah collection, with a Jewish twist.

A Charlotte nickname heard much more often in Britain than here--American parents might prefer Charlie or Lottie.