Names That Mean Small, Little, or Tiny

  1. Keira
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little dark one"
    • Description:

      Keira is an attractive girls’ name that's gotten a huge boost from the meteoric rise of Keira Knightley. Original spelling Kiera, which relates more directly to the male Kieran, was the more popular form until the rise of Keira Knightley reversed the order. Both are Anglicized versions of the Irish Ciara.
  2. Aidan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little and fiery"
    • Description:

      Aidan was originally a pet form of the Irish name Aodh (pronounced 'ee'), the name of the old Celtic god of the sun and fire. The name was borne by numerous early Irish saints, one of whom was noted for his kindness and generosity.
  3. Oisin
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little deer"
    • Description:

      Oisin is one of the most popular Irish baby names in its native land, though largely unknown in the US. The original Oisin was the mythological son of Finn McCool and Sadb, the goddess who was changed into a deer. A legendary war hero and poet, Oisin had a name that is also reminiscent in sound of the ocean. Pronounced correctly, this name has an attractive sheen.
  4. Vaughn
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "small"
    • Description:

      Vaughn, also commonly spelled Vaughan, has been used quietly over the years, reaching a peak of Number 349 in 1949. It is now in the process of rediscovery, being seen as a good Sean alternative or an updated way to honor an ancestral Paul (which also means small).
  5. Davina
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "little deer"
    • Description:

      A Scottish favorite that could make it here thanks to its similarity to the word divine. It's the most popular of several feminizations of David used in Scotland, including Davida, Davinia and Davidina, which have less of a chance in the U.S. It reentered the US Top 1000 for the first time in two decades in 2016.
  6. Oran
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, Irish, Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "light, song, little green one"
    • Description:

      A calm and gentle multicultural choice. Oran is popular in Ireland, where its Gaelic form is Odhrán, meaning "little green one". In Scottish Gaelic, the name means "song", and in Hebrew, it's a combination of Or "light" + Ran "singing".
  7. Brooke
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "small stream"
    • Description:

      Brooke has long projected an aura of sleek sophistication, and can also be seen as a stylish water name.
  8. Conan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little wolf"
    • Description:

      The fierce image of the Barbarian made a complete turnaround thanks to amiable talk show host O'Brien, making Conan one of the newly desirable Irish choices, a perfect alternative to Conor/Connor.
  9. Lane
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "a small roadway or path"
    • Description:

      Lane is a unisex name equally accessible to boys and girls. Breezy, cool and contemporary, it might equally put in mind country lanes and banks of wildflowers.
  10. Carina
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "dear little one"
    • Description:

      Carina is a pretty delicately feminine name whose fall from popularity is not helped by its similarity to hurricane name Katrina or slang victim Karen.
  11. Ursula
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "little female bear"
    • Description:

      A saint's name with a noteworthy literary background, including uses by Shakespeare in Two Gentlemen of Verona and Much Ado About Nothing, by Ben Johnson, Walter Scott, Longfellow, D. H. Lawrence and Neil Gaiman. In real life, her two most well known representatives are writer Ursula Le Guin and actress Ursula Andress. In literature, there is also Ursula Iguaran, a key, long-lived character in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's major work, One Hundred Years of Solitude.
  12. Darren
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little great one"
    • Description:

      Darren and wife Sharon shop for fifties memorabilia on eBay. The Connecticut place-name Darien might offer an update.
  13. Ryan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little king"
    • Description:

      This ultrapopular boys' name is rapidly becoming a hot name for girls; admired for its buoyant Irish spirit.
  14. Logan
    • Origin:

      Scottish surname
    • Meaning:

      "little hollow"
    • Description:

      Logan, with its appealing Scottish burr, is a very hot boys' name—it's in the national Top 10 and heading for Number 1 in some states—and can also make a rich and resonant choice for a girl. Jason and Jordan Mewes have a daughter named Logan Lee.
  15. Reagan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little king"
    • Description:

      A strong, straightforward Irish unisex surname, with a merry glint in its eye, Reagan has been leaping up the popularity lists, to become one of the top girl names starting with R. Some will inevitably link it to President Ronald, but spell it Regan and it's a Shakespearean name: a daughter of King Lear.
  16. Kiera
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little dark one"
    • Description:

      Kiera entered the American popularity list in 1988, though it lags behind the alternate spelling Keira, largely due to the fame of actress Keira Knightley.
  17. Sonnet
    • Origin:

      English from Italian
    • Meaning:

      "little song"
    • Description:

      Could there be a more poetic name than Sonnet? Actor Forest Whitaker was inspired to choose it for his daughter.
  18. Ciara
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little dark one"
    • Description:

      Ciara is very popular in Ireland, more familiar here as the Anglicized Kiera or Keira. The uninitiated will tend to pronounce Ciara as the Italian Chiara, a form of Claire—kee-AHR-a or even see-AHR-a, like the American singer-songwriter Ciara. In the US, Ciara peaked in 2005, when it was the Number 150 name; it's since fallen down to Number 882.
  19. Madden
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little dog"
    • Description:

      Madden is an Irish surname relative of Madigan rising through the charts thanks to its trendy two-syllable, -en ending sound along with its appeal to Madden Football video game-playing dads. John Madden is a former pro football player who went on to coach the Oakland Raiders and become a popular NFL commentator. Madden is also the surname of groovy Nicole Richie baby daddy Joel Madden.
  20. Ciaran
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little black-haired one"
    • Description:

      Extremely popular in Ireland, Ciaran is also well used in England and is beginning to be adopted by parents in the U.S., though usually via the more American-friendly Kieran spelling. The Irish spelling is, however, becoming more familiar on this side of the Atlantic, due to the rising popularity of Belfast-born actor Ciaran Hinds.

Introducing the Nameberry App

Nameberry App
Find your perfect baby name together with our new mobile app.
  • Swipe through thousands of names with your partner
  • Names you match on are saved to your shared list
  • Get personalized recommendations that learn based on your and your partner's preferences
  • Partner with friends and family to find names you all love
  • Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data around name preferences.
Sign up to be notified when the app launches and to receive a discount on full access.
Nameberry App Logo