This past week, I focused on writing about mini names: Mia, Io, Jeb, and Fae. I was certain that names were getting shorter, and convinced that I could provide statistically defensible evidence.
But … not so much.
On pure letter count, there’s not any convincing evidence that suggests we’re seeing a trend.
What might have had me fooled?
- Single syllable names feel quite stylish – but plenty of them are five or six letters long. Think Claire and Gwynne and Graham.
- We’re more comfortable than ever putting a diminutive form on the birth certificate, but for every Kate, there’s a Hattie or a Bella – not frilly, elaborate names, no, but also not any shorter than popular names of years past in terms of letter count.
A few years ago, I’d compiled a list of my favorite single-syllable names for boys, along with a less robust list of single-syllable names for girls, and eventually another list of Slim, Trim Names for Girls. Rather than reboot either of those posts, I settled on a new challenge.
I decided to really think about my favorite short names for girls – and a name can be very short and still be two syllables – or more! So, the rule for this list is simple: all names must be four letters or less, regardless of numbers of syllables.
Here’s my list of my favorite short names for girls – and I would love to know yours, too!
A – Anya
There are so many variations on Ann. Ana is shorter than Anya. Anne has a slim, French appeal. And yet, it is Anya that has long made my list. Also spelled Ania and Anja, it is the Slavic and Scandinavian form of the evergreen Ann.
Another one I love: Alix, a medieval French form of Alice.
B – Bess
My heart belongs to the literary, cheerful Blythe – but while she’s just one syllable, Blythe comes in at six letters. Another favorite of mine, Blair, had to be cut from the list for the same reasons. But I do adore Bess, likely as a nickname for Elisabeth. But in our age of Tess, she could stand on her own, too.
C – Cora
I’m torn between Cate – yes, with a C – and Cora. But Downton Abbey has really sold me on Cora’s vintage charm. She’s dignified, romantic, strong. And longer forms of Cora are stunning – Cordelia, Coraline, Coralie, Corisande.
Of course, there’s Clio, too – my darling daughter, and so really my #1 C name, and top 4-letter name for a girl. I’m fond of Cleo, too. But it felt like cheating to repeat a name that is obviously already topping my list.
D – Dru
Lately I’ve been drawn to obscure D names: Dulcinea, Danuta, Drusilla. The famous Ms. Barrymore has made Drew a possibility for a daughter, but Dru – borrowed from the ancient Drusilla – is shorter and strikes me as more distinctive.
E – Edie
There are lots of brief E names to entertain: Esme, Evie and Eva, plus Frozen’s delightful Elsa. And yet, I keep coming back to Edie. She’s traditionally short for Edith, but works for Eden, too. And in our age of Sadie, I can see her on the birth certificate, too.
F – Fern
I have been tempted by Fawn and Fae, but Fern calls to me. Blame it on Charlotte’s Web. Or on my fascination with nature names. There’s nothing showy about Fern, but she’s got a strength about her. You expect Fern to be capable and reliable – nice qualities in a name.
G – Gray
Or maybe even Grae. The middle name of the moment is Grace, and I’m drawn to Greer – but they’re both too long for this post. Subdued color name Gray is much less dramatic than Scarlett or Lavender, but I like her gentle sound. I’d only use it in the middle spot, as in Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin’s Amelia Gray, but former child star Jenna von Oy has a daughter named Gray Audrey.
I’m a sucker for all of the -ay names, actually. Not just Gray, but Bay, Day, and Mae in all of her spellings, too.
H – Hera
There are so many H names that I love, from surname names like Hadley to traditional picks like Harriet. And yet none of them work for this post. Goddess name Hera fits, so even though she’s not in my Top 5 H names for girls, I’ll include her on this list. I do think she’s a great choice – less expected than Emma, more wearable than Venus.
I – Io
The ultimate mini name, just two letters – but still two syllables. She’s thoroughly stylish. And while short isn’t really for me, I could happily consider Io.
J – Juno
The indie flick with this name made a star of Ellen Page, and turned Juno from a goddess to an everygirl. Sure, there are oodles of short names for girls starting with the letter J: Jane, Joan, Jeanne, June, Jules, Joy, Jewel, even Jem, hold the Holograms … but Juno is my favorite of them all.
K – Kit
Move over, Kate. She’s a fellow nickname for Katherine, or possibly for Christopher and company. Kit isn’t a name you hear a lot in 2014, but there’s no reason this brief, complete name wouldn’t work. It’s not as kitten as calling yourself Cat – though that’s not unthinkable, either. And there are plenty of examples of celebrated Kits – Christopher Marlowe was known by the nickname, as was frontiersman Kit Carson. American Girl’s Kit Kittredge pushes the name back to the girls’ side, but her given name was Margaret.
L – Lena
Oh, how I love Lucy and Lulu, too. But ever since Girls debuted – a show I’m not even watching – the buzz surrounding Lena Dunham has made me rethink this name. Pre-2012, Lena was a culture-spanning possibility that was neither dated nor stylish. Now she’s a versatile feminine name with a double scoop of cool.
M – Maud
I could have gone with Mary or Mae, but I’ll stick with Maud. Some lament her resemblance to maudlin, but I like her vintage vibe. Design Mom has a Maude who sometimes answers to Mimi, which seems like a very wearable compromise for a child. Plus there’s the Tennyson poem and more than one royal Maud. Honestly, I think I might like Maud better than her more popular form, Matilda.
N – Nell
For me, Nell is a nickname for Helena, Penelope, or maybe even Antonella. Traditionally, she’s an affectionate form of Eleanor or other El- names, from the phrase mon Eleanor – my Eleanor – eventually blurring the ‘n’ sound with the ‘el’ to create Nell. (Nan has a similar origin story.) But she might just stand on her own, and in our age of Ella and Stella, I’ve also heard Nella in use.
O – Opal
Opal immediately came to mind for letter O, and then I found myself thinking: do I really like Opal? After some pondering, I’ve concluded that yes, indeed I do. She’s as pretty and understated a gemstone name as Pearl, as quirky as Olive, as unexpected as Thora.
P – Plum
Novelist Plum Sykes was born Victoria, and I’ll admit – I find that far more reasonable than putting Plum on the birth certificate as a given name. But Plum strikes me as an interesting middle name, along with some other quirky P names: Pimm, Pax, or Penn, maybe? I adore the combination used by James at Bleubird: Milla Plum.
Q – Quin
Is Quin with just one n cheating? I prefer the double ‘n’ Quinn spelling, and I like it better for a boy. But Quin comes in under the four letter limit, and I don’t mind this name on a girl.
R – Romy
Yes, there’s Rose. And the loyal Ruth. But my heart belongs to the German Romy, a contracted form of Rosemary and the name of German-born screen legend Romy Schneider. The Prix Romy Schneider is given to the most promising young actress in French film, while a gold statuette based on Ms. Schneider is the Romy, bestowed for achievement in television by Austrian newspaper Kurier.
S – Siri
Like the letter B, I had my name picked out: Sloane, the effortlessly stylish girlfriend of Ferris Bueller. But she’s six letters, five even if you lop off the last ‘e’ – which I’m not inclined to do. So S had me stumped, until I started brainstorming. There’s Svea, a popular name in Sweden. And then I thought of Siri. Before she was Apple’s ever-present personal assistant, Siri was short for the Scandinavian Sigrid, a frills-free name derived from Old Norse words for ‘victory’ and ‘beauty.’ So Siri is my pick.
Another possibility: Sea. It’s so simple, and yet such a rich name. We hear Ocean and River, but never Sea. Why not? And my guilty pleasure bonus middle of the moment: Swan.
T – Thea
Tons of T names call to me, but my favorites exceed this post’s letter limit: Thora and Theda and Thisbe and Tamsin and Thomasina. There’s Tess and Tate, but they’re not quite for me. But how ’bout Thea? There’s also Tea, as in Leoni, but isn’t it tempting to respell it Taya? Which would ruin it for me. So Thea, with her clunky, funky Th earns my top spot.
U – Uma
Say Uma and I instantly add Thurman. It might make this glittering goddess name tough to wear, and yet it is tempting.
V – Vrai
I’m also tempted by Vail and Vera, but Vrai – the French word for true, as in c’est vrai – has long been a favorite of mine. I love the pronunciation – at once impossible and obvious – and the look of it. It’s slightly less virtuous than True or Truly or Truth, but still meaningful.
W – Wren
My daughter’s bonus middle, a name I do adore. While there are lots of great W names, this is the only that really stands out for me – in fact, it has triggered a minor obsession with avian names.
X – Xiu
I could happily name a daughter Xanthe. But Xara, Xola, Xena and company all seem too fanciful, as if the X was swapped in for a Z at the last second. I found myself looking at Chinese names. The pronunciation is tricky – as best I can tell, it sounds something like shee YOU. It means beautiful. There’s also Xue, which can mean snow, and has an even more elusive pronunciation. So not in the first spot, but maybe as a middle name, especially if there were a story to tell.
Y – Yara
I’ll admit it: this is something of an invention. In Hebrew, Yaara means honeysuckle, and can be used as a personal name. But Yara is not a spelling variant – I spotted Yaara on a list, and dropped the ‘a’ to make the letter limit.
But wouldn’t you know it? There’s also Yara from Game of Thrones – she’s Asha in the novels, but her name was changed for the television adaptation. It also sees some use in Arabic. In the mythology of native peoples in Brazil, Iara is a sort of mermaid/water nymph, a green-haired temptress. Yara has also seen some use in Brazil.
Z – Zora
As with X, many Z names are tempting. But they can feel too invented or creative. Zofia – the Polish form of Sophia, and a family name for my husband – has long made the edges of my shortlist, with Sosie and Zoe as short forms. So Zoe almost got the Z spot. But then there’s Zora, with her equally Slavic roots, and her lovely meaning – dawn. Add in the literary accomplishments of Zora Neale Hurston, and this is definitely my #1 Z name within the letter limit.
These are my favorites, A to Z. How about you? Can you choose 26? Or just a few favorite girls’ names that are 4 letters or less?
A- Asa or Aya
B- Baz or Bek
C- Crew or Cami
D- Dax or Dali
E- Evis or Elm
F- Fadi or Fini
G- Guur or Gem
H- Hank or Hila
I- Idan or Illy
J- Joss or Jaya
K – Kit or Keya
L – Lod or Ludi
M – Mitt or Mor
N – Nir or Nili
O – Oz or Ora
P – Prem or Pell
Q- Qi or Quint
R – Raz or Rea
S – Sim or Sila
T – Tal or Tari
U – Udi or Ula
V – Venn or Viva
W – West or Wila
X- Xabi or Xian
Y – Yair or Yam
Z – Ziah or Zivi
A- Asa or Aya
B- Baz or Bek
C- Crew or Cami
D- Dax or Dali
E- Evis or Elm
F- Fadi or Fini
G- Guur or Gem
H- Hank or Hila
I- Idan or Illy
J- Joss or Jaya
K – Kit or Keya
L – Lod or Ludi
M – Mitt or Mor
N – Nir or Nili
O – Oz or Ora
P – Prem or Pell
Q- Qi or Quint
R – Raz or Rea
S – Sim or Sila
T – Tal or Tari
U – Udi or Ula
V – Venn or Viva
W – West or Wila
X- Xabi or Xian
Y – Yair or Yam
Z – Ziah or Zivi
Thinking that if I redid my list today, Noa might edge out Nora. Most people I’ve mentioned it to, however, object violently to the idea of “ruining” Noah for the boys.
Anna
Bea
CeCe
Dot
Edie
Faye
Gwyn
Hela
Iris
Jane
Kay
Lucy
Mae
Nell
Orla
Peg
Rose
Sue
Thea
Vera
Wynn
A – Ayla, Aven
B – Bea, Bina,
C – Cala, Cela
D – Demi
E – Essy
F –Fina
G – Gaia, Gem
H – Hope
I – Inge
J – June
K – Kyra
L – Lena
M – Miri, Mina
N – Nora
O – Osey
P – Prim, Penn
Q – Quel
R – Remi
S – Sosi
T – Tris
U – Udel
V – Vali
W – Wren
X – Xana
Y – Yona
Z – Zini
This was FUN! I made a boy’s list, too… neat challenge!
Auda
Bo
Cass
Dove
Enid
Fria (prefer Frida, but this works too)
Gull (middle name?)
Hedy
Ida
Joan
Kari
Leah
Mae
Nora
Orla
Pris
Qila (apparently it’s a name from Greenland meaning “spirit”)
Runa
Siv
Tova
Ute — not really a favorite, but it’s my husband’s Step-mom’s name 😉
Vida
Wynn
Xia
Yael
Zion
Oh, this is fun!
A- Ada/Alba/Asta
B- Belle
C- Cora
D- Dawn
E- Etta/Elsa/Esme/Eva/Eve
F- Fern
G- Greta/Gwen
H- Hana/Hope
I- Iris/Isis
J-Jane/Jade/Joy/June
L-Lila/Liv/Leah/Luna
M-Mabel/Mary/Mika
N-Neve
O- Opal
P- Pippa (short for Philippa)
R- Ren/Rose/Ruth/Ruby
S- Sky
T-Thea
V-Viola/Vera
X-Xia
Y-Yuki
Z- Ziva/ Zora
Oh god, I ADORE short names for girls. Short names in general, really. Uma has been a favorite for years.
Anna
Bree
Coco
Drew
Eva
Fern
Gigi
Hedy
Ivy
Joy
Keri
Lark
Mist
Nora
Orla
Pina
Roma
Shea
Tess
Ula
Vera
Whim (middle only!)
Xoe
Yvie (EE-vee)
Zada
I Like
A- Alce or Afra (aphra) or Ada, Aldo, Axel, alec, Arlo
B-Beau or Bell Or Bert or Bay or Brie, Bryn, Bram, Boyd
C- Cora or Coco, Cain, Colm
D-Doe and Dova or Duz or Dous or my favorite Dusa
E-Enid or Enya or Enzo
F- Fig or Flor , Fulk and I instictively want to add Fable but Fable doesn’t make the cut sadly 🙁
G-Gina or Gwen or Guy
H-Hero/a or Hebe my personal favorite, Hans, Hugh, Hugo
I-Isis, Ian, Ivor
J-June or Jane
K-Kat, Kai, Keir, Kurt
L- Luna, Lola or leda or Leta
M-Mia or Mila or my personal favorite Mira
N-Nora or Nola
O-Orna or Ona ( I’ve heard this be shorten from Iona)
P- Pam, Puma, Prue, Pia , Posy and Poet- Poet is my favorite
Q-none, I’m not fond of names with q sounds so none to come to mind
R-Rita, Rain, Rory or Roxy
S-I immediately think of Satin, but Sky, Sela, Sena and Suvi
T-Thea
U-Una
V- Vera
W-Whit or Win or Wess but I like wren too
X-Xen
Y-Yale, Yuki, Yule, Yoko
Z-Zoe and Ziva, Zeta, Zora ( I think of the t.v. show that aired in 90’s)
These are the ones that I can come up with stike my fancy or have heard of…
Ooh… Can’t do the whole alphabet but some I like (some repeats obviously).
Alba/Ada
Bea
Cora
Eve/Eira
Fia/Faye
Gwen
Hope
Iris/Isis/Ione
Jaye
Kate
Lea/Lyra/Lumi
Mia/Maia/Mary
Nia
Opal
Pia
Romy/Rosa/Rose
Thea
Una
Vera
Wren
Zoe
What a great idea! Maybe a boys list next?
A- Aroa
B- Bree
C- Cora
D- Dove. Almost went with Dora
E- I have so many 4-letter E names that I was shocked. Going with Enid, but I almost went with Eira.
F- I’m also torn between Fae and Fern, but I’m going with Fae.
G- Don’t have any
H- Hero or Hope? I suppose Hope.
I- Iris
J- Juno
K- Kiku
L- Lark, Lumi, or Lyra? I’ll go with Lark.
M- Meri, finnish for sea
N- Noor or Noel (happens to be my middle name)
O- Orla
P- Peri or Pia
Q- None
R- Rika
S- Too hard. Snow, Sora, or Suvi
T- Tavi
U- Uli
V- Vie?
W- Wise
X- None
Y- Ysa
Z- Zali
In Holland the top names have been getting shorter every year for about a decade, so I will list here some top 4 letter names or shorter (just the ones I think would work in English or simply are English)
A- Anna, Anne
B- Bibi
C- Cato – Yes it is girl name here prn the A like in Zara – short form of Catherine/Catriona
D- Demi, Dewi (second one prn. like Day-we), Dana
E-Evi/Eva/Evy/ Emma
F-Faye
G/H-none
I-Iris, Ilse – You might make Ilsa out of that and Indy
J- Jill, Jade
K-Kiki, but do not think that would work in English
L-Lisa, Liv, Lois, Luna, Lana, Liz, Lara, Lina, Lena, Lola, Lily,Leah,Liza,Lucy – feeling sorry for kindergarten teachers with so many sound a likes.
M-Mila, Maud, Mia, Mara, Maya
N- Noa, Noor, Nina,Nora
O- none
P-Puck (hate that name), Pip(pa) is up and coming because of you know who
Q-none
R-Romy, Rosa
S-Sara,Suze
T-Tess,Tara
V-Vera
W- none that work in English
X- none
Y- Yara (top 50 here)
Z-besides Zara saw Ziva sometimes and new born royalty Zita
That’s it 😉
Personally could go for Romy as a nn, Rosa, Maya/Maja, Vera, Noor/Nora
if I had to choose from this list.
Yara is in the Top 50? And I thought I was stretching …
Ziva is gorgeous! And doesn’t Zita have history as a royal name, too? Intriguing.
Love Cato – so interesting to think about Cato as short for Catherine. Totally works …
Puck? No to Puck! But I do love Huck.
And oh my goodness – I thought we were mad for L names, but it sounds like that’s everywhere!
Yara got fashionable only about 10 years ago and rose quickly (now double the number compared to when it became popular).
It is on trend with short names being IT nowadays. Not sure how long the trend will last. Some say (or just hope) that we will start seeing longer names again in the charts in the next couple of years.
The newest royal is named after a relation called Zita who was the last Empress of Austria, Queen of Hungary, and Queen of Bohemia.
When I hear yara, I instantly think of yaro the pottery. So it would be a no go for me.
A – Alma & Andi (athough I cheat with this one, usually prefer Andie).
B – Bet (Bette) Short for Elizabet
C – Cass
E – Edie (I gotta agree with you on this one)
G – Gail
H – Hen (short for Henrietta?)
I – Isla or Indy
J – Joan or Joey
L – Liv or Lucy (my niece’s name)
M – Mali (although I prefer Molly)
N – Nana (A guilty pleasure)
P – Prim or Pryn
R – Roz or Rue
S – Sage
T – True
V – Vana or Vivi
W – Wynn (I adore Winifred)
Z – Zoey
Prim! True! Liv! So many great names on this list …
Clea, my daughter’s name.
Isn’t there an Alix on NPR’s This American life?
I love short names but they need to feel complete in my own mind – I’m not a nickname-name person. Hoist on my own petard, I love Cat, Bee, Dru, Kay, & Vivi, but don’t think I could bring myself to put them on a birth certificate.
A – Amy, Ada, Ayla. Amy is the simplest, because I only like Ada with the short a first, almost like “odd-a” and I like Ayla best said the Turkish way, eye-la.
B – Bina. (bee-na) Probably not up to being a first name, but it means ‘wisdom’ and is an interesting alternative to Sophia.
C – I love tons of C names but all are at least one letter over or they’re nicks.
E – Eve is sleek. Not sure I’d really use it though.
F – Fern, so green and magical.
G – Gwen. I don’t know why it’s fallen out of use.
I – Ivy! Love Ivy. I like Ida too, but it clunks.
J – Jane. Is there any short name that feels as classic and complete as Jane?
L – Lily & Lila are current as can be, yet still beautiful. I have a soft spot for plain Lee, too. Dark-horse candidate for most adorable: Libi.
M – Mae and Mara for me. Mae is sassy and Mara is somber, but I love both.
N – Nyx for gothic striking power, Nora for Art Deco class.
O – Opal’s on our actual short (see what I did there) list.
R – For a middle, Rain. For a first, Rose. I also LOVE Rue – ‘herb of grace’ but with the ‘regret’ meaning, is Rue usable? I wish it was. Rae I like a lot, but my husband finds it deeply hillbilly.
S – Sian
W – Wynn is pretty, but I miss my -e. 😉 Wren is lovely.
Y – Yael is the easy pick for me. I adore Yael.
Z – Zara & Zvia.
How did I forget Iris and Ione? Ione breaks my heart, I can never use it. But Iris is lovely AND I could. Is it any less clunky than Ida, though?
I’d say Iris is the tiniest bit less clunky than Ida – if only because of the floral connection. Then again, I know a little Ida, and she’s downright adorable, so I can completely see it on a kid, too.
How I love seeing these lists! 🙂