short names

Short names are compact, easy to scan, and often useful for middle-name pairing.

Documented languageCountry of recorded useLanguage origin

Country filters use published naming records, currently mainly US data. Language origin is separate: a French-origin name can be recorded in many countries.

1,027 names · Page 3 of 18. Origin labels follow the cited name sense; earlier roots and uncertain meanings are explained on each name page.

Asia

From Middle English Asia, Asie, from Old French Asie and Latin Asia, from Ancient Greek Ᾰ̓σῐ́ᾱ (Ăsĭ́ā), from Mycenaean Greek 𐀀𐀯𐀹𐀊 (a-si-wi-ja /⁠aswijaː⁠/), in turn probably…

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Asim

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish عاصم (âsim), from Arabic عَاصِم (ʕāṣim).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends M

Asīm

Borrowed from Sanskrit असीम (asīma).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends M

Āsim

Ultimately from Arabic عَاصِم (ʕāṣim, “protector”).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends M

Āśīṣ

Borrowed from Sanskrit आशीष् (āśīṣ), a variant stem form of आशिस् (āśis).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends Ṣ

Asmo

Early 20th century creation, probably from Latin Erasmus (via German Asmus), or from Old Norse Ásmundr, a Scandinavian equivalent of English Osmund.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends O

Asta

From Old Norse Ásta, sometimes also used as a pet form of Augusta or Anastasia.,

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Asu

From Old Japanese, first attested in the Kojiki (712 CE). Various theories exist regarding the ultimate derivation: * Possibly a shift from verb 明かす (akasu, “to pass”). *:…

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends U

Āśu

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit आ॒शु (āśú).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends U

Aṭal

Borrowed from Sanskrit अटल (aṭala).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends L

Atto

Perhaps from Gothic 𐌰𐍄𐍄𐌰 (atta).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends O

Atul

From अ- (a-, “un-”) + तुल (tula, “equal, comparable”). Doublet of अतुल्य (atulya).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends L

Aune

Spoken form, attested since the 17th century, of Latin Agnes, from Ancient Greek Ἁγνή (Hagnḗ, “pure, chaste”).

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends E

Aura

Shortened from Aurora.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Ava

A female given name from Hebrew, a variant of Eva.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Avi

From Hebrew אבי (Ávi, “father”), chiefly as a diminutive of אַבְרָהָם (Avrahám, “Abraham, lit. father of a multitude or exalted father”) and אַבְנֵר (Avnér, “Abner, lit. father…

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends I

Avni

Borrowed from Sanskrit अवनि (avani).

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends I

Axel

From Danish Aksel, first used for the bishop and statesman Absalon Hvide (1128–1201), from biblical Absalom. Some sources suggest that the bishop was originally named Áskell,…

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends L

Aya

Borrowed from Japanese あや (Aya).

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends A

Ayşe

From Arabic عَائِشَة (ʕāʔiša).

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends E

Ayub

From Arabic أَيُّوب (ʔayyūb). From Arabic أَيُّوب (ʔayyūb).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends B

Āyuṣ

Borrowed from Sanskrit आयुष (āyuṣa).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends Ṣ

Azat

Inherited from Ottoman Turkish آزاد (âzâd, “free”), from Classical Persian آزاد (āzād).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends T

Aziz

From Arabic عَزِيز (ʕazīz, “dear”).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends Z

Bắc

Sino-Vietnamese word from 北 (“north”).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends C

Bali

Borrowed from Sanskrit बलि (bali).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends I

Bản

Sino-Vietnamese word from 本.

Gender: neutral
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends N

Bảo

Sino-Vietnamese word from 保, or Sino-Vietnamese word from 寶.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends O

Bdek

Latin Benedictus, from benedictus (“blessed, well spoken of”), from benedīcō (“to bless, speak well of”).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends K

Beat

Ultimately from Latin beatus.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends T

Bera

From Old Norse Bera, from bera (“she-bear”).

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Bhīm

Borrowed from Sanskrit भीम (bhīma).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends M

Bích

Sino-Vietnamese word from 碧.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends H

Bình

Sino-Vietnamese word from 平.

Gender: neutral
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends H

Blas

Semi-learned borrowing from Latin Blasius.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends S

Blue

From the German surname, Americanized from Blau or its French cognate bleu.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends E

Bo

Either borrowed from modern Danish Bo or Swedish Bo, or a spelling variant of the male given name Beau. From Old Norse Búi (“dweller, long-time resident”), originally a…

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends O

Boaz

From Biblical Hebrew בֹּעַז (Bṓʿaz).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends Z

Bob

Borrowed from English Bob. First used to mean "dedicated driver" in 1995 campaigns by Belgisch Instituut voor de Verkeersveiligheid ("Belgian Road Safety Institute") and since…

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends B

Bond

* As an English occupational surname, from the noun bond, bondman, reinforced by Old Norse bóndi (“peasant, farmer”). Also as a variant of Band. * As a Swedish surname, variant…

Gender: neutral
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends D

Boyd

From Scottish Gaelic, either buidhe (“blond, yellow, fair”), or a habitational surname from the Isle of Bute in Scotland.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends D

Bram

Short for Abraham.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends M

Bríd

From Old Irish Brigit, from Proto-Celtic *Brigantī (“high, exalted”). Cognate with Scottish Gaelic Brìghde and Manx Breeshey.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends D

Bryn

From Welsh bryn (“hill, mound”), or Cumbric *brınn (“hill”) in the Greater Manchester place-name.

Gender: mixed
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends N

Buck

* For both the English surname and given name, originally a nickname for someone who resembled a buck. * Also as an English topographic surname, from Middle English buk (modern…

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends K

Budd

From Old English Budda, a nickname of uncertain meaning.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends D

Búi

From Old Norse Búi, from búi (“dweller”), from búa (“to dwell”).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends I

Cain

From Hebrew קַיִן (Káyin, “craftsman”), present since Old English.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends N

Caio

From Latin Caius, variant of Gaius. From Latin Caius, variant of Gaius. From Latin Caius, variant of Gaius.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends O

Cầm

Sino-Vietnamese word from 琴.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends M

Cẩm

Sino-Vietnamese word from 錦.

Gender: neutral
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends M

Carl

From Germanic, cognate with English Charles. * From German and other north European Carl and Karl. * From Latin Carolus.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends L

Cāru

Borrowed from Sanskrit चारु (cāru).

Gender: neutral
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends U

Cato

From Latin Cato. A cognomen made particularly famous by Cato the Elder and Younger, members of the gens Porcia.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends O

Ceit

From English Kate.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends T

Cem

Inherited from Ottoman Turkish جم (Cem), from Classical Persian جم (jam).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends M

Cenk

From cenk (“war”).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends K

Chad

From Middle English Chadde, from Old English Ċeadda, of obscure meaning; name of a seventh-century Anglo-Saxon saint, revived in the 20th century. The sense of “alpha male”…

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends D

Cham

a male given name from Hebrew, variant of Chāmus

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends M

Châu

Sino-Vietnamese word from 珠 (“pearl”).

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends U

short names

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