Baby Name Meanings
Names That Mean Small, Little, or Tiny
Across 12 pages
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Roan
Variation of Rowan, Irish and Scottish, Frisian, English word name
"little redhead; rowan tree; raven; animal with a coat of two interspersed colors"
Historically more popular for boys and generally less familiar than its sound-alike Rowan, Roan is a name with multiple meanings, origins, and pronunciations. Given to less than 10 girls back in…
Roan
Spelling variation of Rowan, Irish, Frisian, English word name
"little redhead; rowan tree; raven; animal with a coat of two interspersed colors"
This sleek, warm-hued spelling spin on Rowan was chosen by Sharon Stone for one of her three sons back in the 2000s and it has since risen in popularity in the US. While it remains a long way behind…
Rochelle
French
"little rock"
While Rochelle may sound like a twist on Rachel, it has a different origin entirely. Rather than having Biblical and Hebrew ties, it comes from the name of a city on the west coast of France, La…
Roisin
Irish
"little rose"
No, the pronunciation--ro-SHEEN--isn't immediately obvious to the non-Gaelic viewer, but the sound of this shiny Irish version of Rose is pretty enough to make it worth considering. Very popular in…
Rousseau
French surname
"little redhead"
Rousseau gives French flair to other red-haired names like Russell and Rory. It is associated with the influential eighteenth century philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, as well as the painter Henri…
Rowen
Spelling variation of Rowan, Scottish and Irish
"rowan tree; little redhead"
With its soft sounds, its unisex appeal, and its nature connection, Rowan has become a very popular name for both boys and girls, given to nearly four boys for every girl. The Rowen variation…
Roxana
Persian
"dawn; or, little star"
The name of the wife of Alexander the Great, more attractive than the better-known Roxanne. Roxana was first used in the English-speaking world in the 1600s and was popularized by Daniel Defoe's…
Roxanna
Persian
"little star"
Spelled with one 'n', this was the name of the wife of Alexander the Great, and is more attractive than the better-known Roxanne.
Ryne
Variation of Ryan, Irish
"little king"
Baseball player Ryne Sandberg's nickname is RYNO. Need we say more?
Sayuri
Japanese
"small lily"
Sonnet
English from Italian
"little song"
Could there be a more poetic name than Sonnet? Actor Forest Whitaker was inspired to choose it for his daughter. The word sonnet derives from the Italian sonetto , meaning 'little song.' And although…
Spurgeon
Norse
"little branch"
Spurgeon entered the mainstream name lexicon when it was chosen for their son by Ben Seward and wife Jessa Duggar, from the US reality show 19 Kids and Counting starring their large family. Spurgeon…
Suzu
Japanese
"little bell"
Well-used in Japan, this name refers to the suzu, a tiny metal bell often placed in a silk charm bag and attached to a girl's undergarment so that a lovely tinkling sound is heard as she moves, and…
Sweeney
Irish
"the little hero"
Friendly-sounding name with big "Sweeney Todd" downside.
Sweeney
Irish
"the little hero"
The double ' e ' gives this Celtic surname a genial sound. It derives from an old Irish name — Suibhne (SHEEV-ne) that was borne by several early saints and kings, including, unfortunately, one…
Talitha
Aramaic
"little girl"
Talitha appears in the Bible as words Jesus says to awaken a young girl whose parents feared she was dead. It has been used in the US since colonial times. Talitha is also the name of two stars in…
Talita
Brazilian Portuguese, from Aramaic
"little girl"
This form of Talitha is primarily used in Brazil, where it was consistently in the girls' Top 100 between the years 1980 and 2000. With its cute, sunny sound and the cool nickname Tali, Talita is an…
Teagan
Irish or Welsh
"little poet or fair"
Teagan is a cousin of trendy names Reagan and Keagan now given to girls about six times as often as boys. As an Irish name, it's a diminutive of the original Tadhg. Teagan may also be a variation of…
Tiernan
Irish
"little lord"
An old Irish surname cousin of Tierney that makes an unusual and appealing Irish gender switch.
Tiernan
Irish
"little lord"
Tiernan is the slightly edgier and sharper cousin of Kiernan. This is one Irish surname that is attractive but distinctive; Tierney is another, related, option. Tiernan was a popular name in early…