User-created list
Fresh Spunky Short Names
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Nyx
Greek mythology name
"night"
Nyx is the name of the Greek goddess of the night, and while it does lean feminine in the US, 27 boys did receive the name in a recent year compared to 69 girls. Short, snappy, and distinctive in…
Ode
Word name or medieval English form of Otto, German
"a lyric poem; wealthy"
Ode could be part of the extended Otto/Otis family, or it might be a literary term, referring to an elaborate lyric poem, such as Keats's Ode to a Nightingale. .
Ori
Hebrew
"my light"
Friendly but substantial.
Pax
Latin
"peaceful"
Pax, one of the variations of names meaning peace that are newly popular in these less-than-peaceful times, got a lot of publicity when chosen by Brad & Angelina for their Vietnamese-born son.…
Psi
Qai
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…
Roux
French from Latin
"russet"
Roux is the name of the dashing Johnny Depp character in Chocolat . Roux is French from a Latin word meaning russet or brownish red; it's also a cooking term for a mixture of flour and butter that…
Rui
Portuguese diminutive of Rodrigo
"famous ruler"
This charming mini name began life as a nickname for Rodrigo but has since taken on a life of its own, ranking as an independent name in Portugal, it’s country of origin. If you’re looking to honor a…
Rune
German and Swedish
"secret"
Name with connotations both mystical and tragic, newly popular in Europe. For English speakers, though, this name might be ruined by its homonym ruin.
Shin
Japanese
"true, extend, heart, humility"
Common name among Japanese men that can be written with a variety of kanji, giving it different meanings.
Saff
Sen
Sian
Tyce
Tyce is a modern masculine name with multiple possible origins. It may be a variant of Tice, which originated as a medieval diminutive of names like Matthias or Matthew. Alternatively, it could be…
Tyr
Norse, God of law and heroic victory
Tyr is a very early embodiment of a Norse god, typically thought to guide the law, justice, war and victory.
Uri
Hebrew
"my flame, my light"
This short but strong name, commonly heard in Israel, has a lot of crossover potential, and is among the most usable on the minuscule menu of U names. The are two Uris in the Old Testament--the…
Vik
Variation of Viktor, Scandinavian, Russian
"conqueror"
This short and striking Viktor nickname is more popular than the fuller form in the Netherlands, where it currently ranks in the Top 200.
Viv
West
Word name
West is the most fashionable of what you might call the direction names, with North and East (or Easton and Easter) coming up behind, and South not yet on the map. Country singer Randy Houser named…