User-created list
Short and Sweet
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Doc
English word name
A boy with this name is certain to be bombarded with "What's up, doc?" every day of his life. Even Doctor would be preferable.
Shaw
English
"dweller by the wood"
With the current taste for last names first, this sounds a lot cooler than Shawn; it also has creative connections to the great Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw, novelist Irwin Shaw, and Big…
Rick
Diminutive of Richard, Frederick
Last cool when Bogie roamed Casablanca.
Rice
English nature name
As nature names get more popular, parents look to undiscovered nature words and terms that can be turned into baby names. Rice is certainly undiscovered, but may not make the transition from word to…
Jam
Short form of Jamal, Jamil, James, and similar, Arabic, English, Hebrew, Persian mythology
"beautiful; the supplanter; twin"
Jam might feel like a sweet and playful nickname choice — and it can be just that — but it is also a multicultural choice that has its roots in Persian mythology and a variety of different names.…
Sue
Diminutive of Susan
Much-used midcentury diminutive, now fallen far from favor even as a middle name.
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.
Wynn
Welsh
"fair, blessed"
Wynn is an attractive Welsh name, originally male but now also used for girls outside of Wales. The authentic feminine version would be Gwen, which derives from the same very productive gwyn element,…
Peg
Diminutive of Margaret, Greek
"pearl"
Peg is a nostalgic turn-of-the-last-century nickname, sociable but slight. Like near-identical twin Peggy, Peg is in mothballs.
Prue
Short form of Prudence, English virtue name
"caution"
After a long time in limbo, Prudence is now so clunky it'a cool, and it's starting to make a comeback, along with other Puritan virtue names like Mercy, Patience, and Constance. Its short form, Prue,…
Mare
Variation of Maria and Mary
"drop of the sea; bitter; beloved; love"
A variation of Maria and Mary, used as a diminutive in Estonia, Croatia, Macedonia, The Netherlands, and Slovenia, and occasionally as a respelling of the Irish Máire. In the first instance, it may…
Dom
Diminutive of Dominic, Latin
"belonging to the Lord"
A bit slight to put directly on the birth certificate, but Dom is a pleasant nickname for a boy or a girl.
Bran
Diminutive of Brandon
"broom-covered hill"
A little heavy on the fiber content; we prefer Bram. But Bran is also the Celtic god of the underworld, whose symbol is the raven. It's probably not a coincidence that George R.R. Martin chose this…
Cort
German
"brave"
Short and curt.
Brom
Diminutive of Bromley, English
"broom meadow"
Attached to one of the heroes of Christopher Paolini's megapopular fantasy novel Eragon , this name sounds strong yet sensitive. Paolini's character is named after another bestselling fantasy author…
Rye
Diminutive of Ryder or Riley or word name, English
"cavalryman, messenger; rye"
Rye has the potential to become the masculine version of Rue—a short and sweet name for nature lovers (and whiskey fans too!). Rye might be short for Ryder or Riley or Rylan or any Ry-beginning name,…
Hob
English, diminutive of Robert
"bright fame"
A Robert nickname out of use for hundreds of years, but now sounds cooler than Bob or Rob for a modern boy.
Vin
Diminutive of Vincent, Latin
"conquering"
Minimalist nickname via XXX star Diesel (born Mark Vincent).
Vince
Short form of Vincent, Latin
"conquering"
Vince is not a short form that often stands alone on the birth certificate, the way Jack or even Joe does, but it has certain credibility as the name always used for football great Vince Lombardi.…
Vaughan
Welsh
"small"
This familiar but never popular Welsh surname name might be a good Sean alternative-- and we're starting to hear some berrybuzz about it. Vaughn is an alternate spelling. There have been three major…