Baby Name Meanings
Names That Mean Small, Little, or Tiny
Across 12 pages
of 12
Malin
Bulgarian, English
"raspberry; little warrior"
An international and unisex choice, Malin is a rare northern English name associated with the city of Sheffield. In this case, it would mean "little warrior". As a Bulgarian choice, it is a masculine…
Mannix
Irish
"a little monk"
An X -ending surname less common than the Jolie-Pitt-inspired Maddox. Grandparents might still associate it with the old TV crime show.
Marceau
French variation of Marcel
"little warrior"
Mime Marcel Marceau actually had two versions of the same name. Marcel, Marceau, Marcella, Marcus, Mark -- all are variation of the Roman mythological name Mars, the god of war.
Miv
Diminutive of Myfanwy, Welsh
"my precious little one"
If Liv can stand on it's own, why not Miv?
Musetta
Latin
"little muse"
A musette is both a dance and an antique instrument, but the name is most associated with the classic opera La Bohème .
Myfanwy
Welsh
"my fine one; my woman; my beloved"
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…
Narelle
Australian Aboriginal
"little river"
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.
Newt
English
"a small salamander"
Rarely used on its own and irrevocably tied to former House Speaker Gingrich -- who was christened Newton.
Ninetta
Italian and Spanish diminutive of Nina
"little girl"
Might be carrying things too far -- little little girl? -- though could freshen up this favorite.
Niven
Scottish
"little saint"
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…
Nizar
Arabic
"little"
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.
Nori
Japanese, Norse
"doctrine or seaweed; north or small person"
Attractive, simple Japanese choice that, while not strictly unisex, could work even better for a girl, especially now that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West use it as the nickname for their daughter…
Obama
Luo; Japanese
"bending or leaning; little beach"
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…
Odhran
Irish
"little pale green one"
Odhran, Anglicized as Oran, was the name of an ancient saint. Today, Odhran is among the Top 100 Irish names for boys in Ireland.
Ohara
Japanese
"small field"
Could work for a blended Japanese-Irish family.
Ohara
Japanese
"small field"
Perfect for a child of Japanese Irish heritage.
Oisin
Irish
"little deer"
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…
Oisín
Irish Gaelic
"little deer"
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.
Ondine
Latin
"little wave"
Mythological spirit of the waters; spelled Undine, she was an Edith Wharton heroine.
Oran
Hebrew, Irish, Scottish
"light, song, little green one"
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…