User-created list
3 letter names!
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Rae
English, diminutive of Rachel, Hebrew
"ewe"
All the old ae/ay middle names for girls are back — Kay, Fay, Mae/May — and Rae is one of the coolest, used as such by celebrities as Mark Wahlberg and Daniel Baldwin. Even more popular in the…
Ray
Diminutive of Rachel or Raymond; word name
Most female Rays used to spell their names Rae, but now the Ray Charles, ray-of-sunshine way is cool for both genders. Ray was used for 26 baby girls last year in the US - compared to over 300 boys.…
May
Diminutive of Margaret and Mary; month name
May is a sweet old-fashioned name that hasn't been on the national charts in several decades, but is definitely sounding fresh and springlike. Parents are beginning to see it once more as one of the…
Kay
English, diminutive of Katherine, Greek
"pure"
Kay, a cigarette-smoking, nightclubbing name of the 1930's, could be ready for a comeback along with cousins May/Mae and Ray/Rae. Kay has been out of sight since the mid-eighties, but was in the…
Jay
Latin
"jaybird"
While Jay has been long used as a stand-alone boy name, it has more recently been used as one for girls. Otherwise, it has largely been seen as a pet form of any J name, or as a singular middle name.
Ros
Ros is a feminine name with multiple origins. It can be a diminutive of names containing the element 'ros', which means 'rose' or 'horse' in various languages. In Celtic traditions, it derives from…
Kat
English diminutive of Katherine, Greek
"pure"
We're hearing Kat more and more being used by Katherines who are tired of Kathy, Kate and Katie. Katti or Kattie is another possibility.
Cat
Diminutive of Catherine, Greek
"pure"
May be the most modern, stylish Catherine nickname: more unusual than Kate or Cate, with an animal and word name edge. Cat Power is a trendy folksinger.
Ell
Ell is a feminine name that functions as a diminutive form of names beginning with 'El' such as Eleanor, Elizabeth, or Ellen. Of Old English and Greek origins, it means 'light' or 'bright one.'…
Ela
Turkish
"terebinth tree"
A sweet, simple mini-name that fits into many cultures. The only drawback is the potential for confusion with Ella, Ayla, and other similar names.
Tia
Diminutive of names ending -tia
A short, bright name which originates as a short form of names including Tiana, and Tatiana. Not as popular as Mia – a plus if you're seeking a short and pretty but less common name. In Spanish and…
Fay
English
"fairy"
Fay, also spelled Faye, who had been napping quietly since the 1930's, has, like cousins May/Mae and Ray/Rae, sat up and started rubbing her eyes, ready for a mini-comeback, especially as a middle…
Via
Nickname name
Could be a short form of Sylvia, Olivia, or any other similar name. Or a vivid Italian word name.
Ema
Variation of Emma, German, Japanese
"universal; favor, benefit + flax"
Streamlined and succinct, Ema is a multicultural choice with wide-reaching appeal and versatility. From its German roots, Ema is a form of the classic Emma, used in Spanish, Portuguese, Slovene,…
Elm
English word name
"elm"
For tree huggers.
Oak
Nature name
Ten times as many boys are named Oak as girls: about 50 boys last year to five girls. Of course, nature names don't have any traditional gender identification the way names like John and Mary do, so…
Ann
English variation of Hebrew Hannah
"grace"
Ann, the name of the sainted mother of the Virgin Mary, was among the top girls’ names for centuries, in both the original English Ann spelling and the French Anne. Both left the Top 100 around 1970…
Lin
Chinese, Arabic, Burmese, Korean, English
"forest; jade, green gem; soft, tender; clear, bright; neighbor; pretty, lake"
Concise, multicultural, and well travelled, Lin is a deceptively simple looking choice with its roots in a variety of languages. As a Chinese name, it is a unisex option, pronounced as LEEN, and…
Bel
Bel is a short, feminine name with multicultural origins. It can be derived from the French word 'belle' meaning 'beautiful,' function as a diminutive of names like Isabel, Belinda, or Annabel, or…
Bay
English word, Old English
"an inlet of the sea where the land curves inward; berry"
One of the most usable of the pleasant, newly adopted nature/water names (like Lake and Ocean), especially in middle position. It's gentle, slightly whimsical, but grounded by its similarity to May…