Short Adorable Girl Names

Tessa

Diminutive of Theresa

"to reap, to gather"

Tessa is one of those golden names that's been popular but not TOO popular for several decades now. Tessa has ranked in the Top 500 in the US since 1981 but has risen only once above Number 200.…

Zuri

Swahili

"good, beautiful"

A Swahili name with a positive meaning, Zuri came to the attention of American parents when an Ohio zoo used it for a female giraffe. It subsequently shot up the charts in 2010, peaking in 2022 when…

Winnie

English diminutive of Winifred

"holy peacemaking, gentle friend"

This pet form of such names as Winifred and Edwina and Gwendolyn has loads of vintage charm, a la Millie and Maisie, with a decidedly winning vibe. And it just got celebrity cred as the baby daughter…

Ari

Diminutive of Ariel, Hebrew

"lion of God"

In 2010, baby boys named Ari outnumbered baby girls 4 to 1; today, there are nearly equal numbers of boys and girls named Ari. And that's only counting the babies who receive Ari as a full name. Ari…

Hana

Hebrew, Hawaiian, Maori, Japanese

"grace, work, glow, flower"

Many things to many peoples: a flower name, also spelled Hanae, to the Japanese; a Czech and Polish short form of Johana; and an alternate form of the biblical name Hannah in the US. It also means…

Chana

Hebrew

"grace"

Variation of Channah and Hannah making multiple appearances in the US popularity charts during the latter portion of the twentieth century, Chana has now remained in the Top 1000 since 2008.

Abby

Diminutive of Abigail, Hebrew

"my father is joyful"

Gently old-fashioned stand-alone nickname that owes its popularity to mega popular Abigail.

Lou

Short form of Louise

"renowned warrior"

Lou is usually a short form of Louise, Louisa, or Lucy in English-speaking countries, when Lou is used for girls at all. But in France and Germany, it's a fashionable choice all on its own, sure to…

Scout

Word name

"one who gathers information covertly"

Scout, a character nickname from To Kill a Mockingbird (her real name was Jean Louise), became a real-life possibility when Bruce Willis and Demi Moore used it for their now-grown middle daughter,…

Asa

Hebrew, Japanese, or Scandinavian

"healer; morning; of the gods"

A male Biblical name meaning healer, Asa is also an international gem. In Japanese, it means "(born in the) morning". And in Scandinavia, where it's generally spelled Åsa or Ása and pronounced O-sa,…

Ciel

French

"sky"

This simple yet evocative French word name was chosen for her daughter by model Niki Taylor. While Ciel may be pronounced in French with two syllables, many will pronounce it as "seal" and there may…

Coco

Spanish and French pet name

Coco came to prominence as the nickname of the legendary French designer Chanel (born Gabrielle) and has lately become a starbaby favorite, initially chosen by Courteney Cox for her daughter Coco…

Kiri

Maori

"tree bark"

The name Kiri was made famous by New Zealand soprano Kiri Te Kanawa, whose original name was Claire. Cute but slight, Kiri is close to several other names from Kiriah to Keira to Kyra and its…

Lexa

Lexa is a feminine name with multiple origin possibilities. Most commonly, it's considered a shortened form of Alexandra, which derives from Greek elements meaning 'defender of mankind.' It also…

Lilou

Occitan pet form of French Liliane, or French compound of Lili and Louise

"lily; lily + renowned warrior"

Sweet, enchanting Lilou is considered both a pet name from the Occitan language (spoken in Provence in the south of France), and a compound name, blending floral Lili with classic Louise. It peaked…

Lumi

Finnish

"snow"

Lumi may be a rare girls' name in the USA and England, but it comes in the Top 50 in Finland, where it means snow. Given the popularity of Winter, Holly, Ivy and many other wintery-christmassy names,…

Mal

Mal is a versatile feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In French, it derives from names like Malorie or Mallory, while in Irish it connects to Máire or Molly. In Vietnamese, Mal (often…