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 4 of 18. Origin labels follow the cited name sense; earlier roots and uncertain meanings are explained on each name page.

Chi

Sino-Vietnamese word from 芝 or 枝.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends I

Cian

From Old Irish Cían, from cían (“long, distant, lasting”).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends N

Cir

From Latin Cȳrus.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends R

Ciro

From Latin Cyrus, from Ancient Greek Κῦρος (Kûros), from Old Persian 𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁 (ku-u-ru-u-š /⁠Kuruš⁠/). Learned borrowing from Latin Cȳrus, from Ancient Greek Κῦρος (Kûros),…

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends O

Cleo

Shortened from Cleopatra or a variant of Clio. The rare male name derives from names of Ancient Greek origin such as Cleon and Cleopas.

Gender: mixed
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends O

Clio

From the Ancient Greek Κλειώ (Kleiṓ). The award and car model were named after the goddess. From Ancient Greek Κλειώ (Kleiṓ).

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends O

Cloe

A female given name from Ancient Greek, an alternative spelling of Chloe.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends E

Cnut

From Middle English Knout, from Old English Cnut, from Old Norse Knútr.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends T

Coen

* (Jewish): Variant of Cohen. * (given name): As a modern given name, also a variant of Koen.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends N

Colm

From Irish Colm, from Late Latin Columba (literally “dove”), the name of a sixth century saint, one of the patron saints of Ireland and Scotland. Doublet of Calum. From Middle…

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends M

Công

Sino-Vietnamese word from 公. Sino-Vietnamese word from 功.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends G

Cora

Apparently brought up in English literature by James Fenimore Cooper in The Last of the Mohicans (1826), but compare a female heroine of this name in Jean-François Marmontel's…

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Core

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κόρη (kórē, “maiden”).

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends E

Cúc

Sino-Vietnamese word from 菊.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends C

Curt

A male given name from the Germanic languages, an anglicized spelling of Kurt

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends T

Dag

From Old Norse dagr (“day”), with identical meaning in modern Swedish. A runic name revived since 1863.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends G

Đài

Sino-Vietnamese word from 台.

Gender: neutral
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends I

Dakṣ

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit दक्ष (dákṣa).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends Ṣ

Dale

Borrowed from English Dale.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends E

Dan

From Hebrew דָּן (Dan). Dimunitve of Danjell (“Daniel”), Daniel (“id”) and Daniell (“id”). From Latin Daniēl (from Ancient Greek Δᾱνῑήλ (Dānīḗl), from Hebrew דָּנִיֵּאל).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends N

Dần

Sino-Vietnamese word from 寅. Cognate with Northern Thai ᨿᩦ᩵, Lü ᦍᦲ (yii), Isan ยี่, Lao ຍີ່ (nyī).

Gender: neutral
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends N

Đan

Sino-Vietnamese word from 丹.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends N

Dane

From Middle English Dane, from Old Norse danir or Old English Dene. Both forms ultimately descend from Proto-Germanic *daniz.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends E

Đào

Sino-Vietnamese word from 桃.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends O

Dara

An Irish saint's name, from Irish Dáire. From Persian دارا (dārā), equivalent to Darius.

Gender: mixed
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Dari

Borrowed from Latin Dārius.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends I

Dật

Sino-Vietnamese word from 逸.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends T

Đạt

Sino-Vietnamese word from 達.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends T

Daud

Inherited from Malay Daud, from Arabic دَاوُد (dāwud), from Hebrew דָּוִד (Davíd). From Arabic دَاوُد (dāwud), from Hebrew דָּוִד (Davíd).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends D

Dāūd

Borrowed from Classical Persian داود (dāwūd), from Arabic دَاوُد (dāwud), from Biblical Hebrew דָּוִד (dāwīḏ). Doublet of डेविड (ḍeviḍ).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends D

Dave

Borrowed from English Dave, diminutive of David.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends E

Davi

From Old Galician-Portuguese Davi, from Latin Dāvīd, from Ancient Greek Δαυῑ̈́δ (Dauī̈́d), from Biblical Hebrew דָּוִד (dāwiḏ). Doublet of David and Deivid.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends I

Daya

Borrowed from Sanskrit दया (dayā, “pity, mercy, compassion”).

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Dayā

Borrowed from Sanskrit दया (dayā).

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends Ā

Dedë

Believed to be derived from Latin dominicus or Latin theodorus. An alternative form of Dodë (cognate to Gheg Albanian Ded, Dod). Derived from Dedalij, the name of a figure in…

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends Ë

Dev

Borrowed from Hindi देव (dev). Learned borrowing from Sanskrit देव (deva), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *daywás, from Proto-Indo-European *deywós, from *dyew- + *-ós.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends V

Devi

Borrowed from Sanskrit देवी (devī́, “goddess, female deity”).

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends I

Diên

Sino-Vietnamese word from 延.

Gender: neutral
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends N

Điệp

Sino-Vietnamese word from 蝶.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends P

Diệu

Sino-Vietnamese word from 妙. Sino-Vietnamese word from 耀.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends U

Dina

Equivalent of the biblical name Dinah in several European languages, ultimately from Hebrew דִּינָה. Borrowed clipping of longer names in many languages, such as Italian Dina.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Định

Sino-Vietnamese word from 定.

Gender: neutral
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends H

Dino

Borrowed from Italian Dino.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends O

Dion

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Δίων (Díōn). Also a medieval English and French diminutive of Dionysius (Dennis).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends N

Dīp

Borrowed from Sanskrit दीप (dīpa).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends P

Dīpā

Borrowed from Sanskrit दीपा (dīpā). By surface analysis, दीप (dīp) + -आ (-ā).

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends Ā

Dirk

Borrowed from Dutch and North German Dirk.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends K

Diśā

Borrowed from Sanskrit दिशा (diśā), from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ-.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends Ā

Disu

From Arabic إِدْرِيس (ʔidrīs).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends U

Diti

Borrowed from Sanskrit दिति (diti).

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends I

Diyā

Inherited from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀤𑀻𑀯 (dīva), from Sanskrit दीप (dīpa). Cognate to Punjabi ਦੀਵਾ (dīvā), Nepali दियो (diyo), Gujarati દીવો (dīvo), Marathi दिवा (divā). Doublet…

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends Ā

Dīyā

Inherited from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀤𑀻𑀯 (dīva), from Sanskrit दीप (dīpa). Doublet of दीप (dīp) and दीपक (dīpak).

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends Ā

Đoan

Sino-Vietnamese word from 端.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends N

Đông

Sino-Vietnamese word from 東.

Gender: neutral
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends G

Dora

A diminutive of Dorothy used since early 19th century. Sometimes also short for Theodora or Isidora.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Drew

From Anglo-Norman Drew, Drieu, Drue, from Old French Drogon, Dreus, Drues (made popular by Charlemagne's son Drogo) from Old Dutch Drogo, of uncertain ultimate origin. Possibly…

Gender: mixed
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends W