Three Letter Names for the Gays
- Kye
Origin:
Spelling variation of KaiDescription:
With the rising popularity of Kai, this more phonetic spelling has been gaining traction as well. Kye debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2015, and was one of the fastest-rising names of the year in 2016.
- Fox
Origin:
Animal nameDescription:
Fox is one animal name backed by a longish tradition, and then popularized via the lead character Fox Mulder on X Files. Fox is simple, sleek, and a little bit wild, and could make an interesting middle name.
- Lou
Origin:
Diminutive of Louis or Lewis, French and GermanMeaning:
"renowned warrior"Description:
Lou, all by itself, is become fashionable for girls, which usually makes a name LESS fashionable for boys. But Lou, like Bill or Jim, is rarely used on its own for boys anyway. (You wouldn't name a boy Frederick Lou the way that girls are named Mary Lou or, in the case of Keri Russell's new baby, Willa Lou.) Long form Louis is getting cool again and, with the Lewis spelling, is the Number 2 name in Scotland.
- Jon
Origin:
Variation of John or JonathanMeaning:
"God is gracious; or gift of Jehovah"Description:
Streamlined version of the classic boys' names, sometimes a short form of Jonathan, which is in fact an entirely different name from John attached to a different Biblical personage. Jon feels more modern than the traditional John, but some may find it an overly slight variation on an already slim name. Jon Snow is a popular character on HBO's Game of Thrones.
- Ned
Origin:
English, diminutive of EdwardMeaning:
"wealthy guardian"Description:
Ned is a gently old-fashioned Nancy Drew-Bobbsey Twins-era short form for Edward that sounds cooler than Ed and is enjoying a small style renaissance.
- Sal
Origin:
English, diminutive of Salvador or Salvatore, LatinMeaning:
"savior"Description:
The sidekick in almost every movie or TV show with an Italo-American setting, this once common name has now fallen onto the endangered list, given to fewer than 50 baby boys each year.
- Taj
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"crown"Description:
Taj is a cool-sounding name reflecting the magnificence of the seventeenth-century Indian Taj Mahal, chosen by Aerosmith's Steven Tyler for his son.
- Ted
Origin:
Diminutive of Theodore or Edward, Greek or EnglishMeaning:
"gift of god; rich guard"Description:
Like Ed, Eddie and Teddy, Ted is rarely used as an independent name – in the US, at least. In the UK, Eddie ranks just outside the Top 200, Teddy ranks just outside the Top 30, and Ted is a Top 200 pick.
- Tom
Origin:
Diminutive of ThomasMeaning:
"twin"Description:
Just like Sam and Ben, Tom could be revived as a simple, well liked name on its own. Tom, just Tom, is one of the Top 100 Boy Names in France
- Abe
Origin:
Diminutive of Abraham. HebrewMeaning:
"father of multitudes"Description:
Old-time nickname that's following in the fashionable footsteps of cronies Jake and Sam. Abe feels both fresher and cuter -- which is maybe the same thing? -- than those choices right now. You can also get to Abe via Abel, which may prove a friendlier formal name than the gray-bearded Abraham.
- Alf
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"elf counsel"Description:
Short form of Alfred that had fallen out of favor, but could come back alongside Alfie and other clunky old-style nicknames like Gus and Ike.
- Bea
Origin:
English diminutive of Beatrice, LatinMeaning:
"she who brings happiness"Description:
Bea is a former old lady name that's cute again as a short form — and is now beginning to stand on its own. Bee is a variation that, like Bea, can work as a diminutive for any name that starts with the letter B, or in the middle. Bea actually stood alone on the popularity lists for four years at the beginning of the twentieth century — and it could happen again.
- Red
Origin:
Color nameDescription:
Fiery but slight middle name choice; much more apt to be a redhead's nickname.
- Geo
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"earth"Description:
Geo is of ancient origin but cutting-edge modern sound. It is starting to rise in popularity, partly for its cool science vibe, and partly as a soundalike for popular Italian diminutive Gio.
Geo is also a traditional written short form for Geoffrey.
- Mat
Origin:
Short form of Mathew or Matthew, HebrewMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
This short form of the biblical Matthew relates most directly to the shorter, rarer spelling Mathew. (About 7000 baby boys were named Matthew in the US, versus about 250 called Mathew.) Nearly 50 baby boys were named just Matt, though none were given this spelling as a standalone.
- Edd
Origin:
Short form of Edward, EnglishMeaning:
"weathy guardian"Description:
Edd is a shortened form of Edward, a classic English name derived from Old English elements meaning 'wealthy guardian' or 'prosperous protector.' While Edward has been borne by kings and remains consistently popular, Edd represents a more casual, approachable variation.
- Ron
Origin:
Short form of Ronald, NorseMeaning:
"ruler's counselor"Description:
Ron is a masculine name that functions both as a standalone name and as a shortened form of longer names like Ronald, Aaron, or Byron. Ronald, its most common source, derives from the Old Norse 'Rögnvaldr,' meaning 'ruler's advisor' or 'decision maker.'
- Gil
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"happiness"Description:
Pronounced zheel, it's a dashing conquistador; as gill, it's the nice and slightly boring guy down the street.
- Sol
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"sun"Description:
Although pinochle-playing partner Sam came out of retirement, we don't see it happening to Sol. Near soundalike Saul has more of a shot.
- Gus
Origin:
Diminutive of Augustus, Angus, Gustave, Augustin, Augusten, Augustine, AugustDescription:
Gus is a homey grandpa nickname name that can work as a short form for any of the above or stand on its own as a cutting-edge replacement for Max and Jake--though it was off the Top 1000 from 1978 until 2016, when it squeaked in at Number 999.
The Nameberry App Is Live
Find your perfect baby name together in our app, now available on the App Store and Google Play.
- 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.
