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

Dũng

Sino-Vietnamese word from 勇.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends G

Duy

Sino-Vietnamese word from 維.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends Y

Dýri

Inherited from Old Norse Dýri, derived from dýr (“animal, beast”), from Proto-Germanic *deuzą. Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål Dyre.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends I

Earl

From earl (“nobleman”).

Gender: mixed
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends L

Eda

From Old English ead (“riches”), also short for compound given names beginning thus, particularly Edith.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Eden

From Biblical Hebrew עֵדֶן (ʿḗḏen), perhaps from Sumerian 𒂔 (edin, “steppe, garden”).

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends N

Eder

From Basque Eder.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends R

Edna

From Hebrew עֶדְנָה (“pleasure; delight”); a variant of Eden in the Book of Tobit. In Ireland and Scotland it has been used as an anglicization of Eithne. a female given name…

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Edom

Via Koine Greek Ἐδώμ (Edṓm) from Biblical Hebrew אֱדוֹם (ʾĔḏōm).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends M

Edy

From Middle English Udy, Ude, Latinized as Udo and Odo.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends Y

Eero

a male given name from Old Norse, variant of Eerik, Eerikki, Erik, or Erkki, equivalent to English Eric

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends O

Eeva

From Latin Ē̆va, from Ancient Greek Εὔᾱ (Eúā), from Biblical Hebrew חַוָּה (ḥawwā́, literally “life”).

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Efa

a male given name from Hebrew חַוָּה, equivalent to English Eve

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Egon

From German Egon.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends N

Eila

Possibly a variant of Norwegian Eili, a rare form of Eli (“Helen”), or from English Eileen. Popularized by the novel Tuskaa (1907) by Väinö Kataja.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Eko

From Javanese Eko. A male variant of Eka, ultimately from Sanskrit एक (eka).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends O

Ektā

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit एकता (ekatā). Equivalent to एक (ek, “one”) + -ता (-tā, “-ness”).

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends Ā

Elan

A male given name from Hebrew, variant of Elon.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends N

Eli

From Hebrew עֵלִי (“ascent”); cognate to the Arabic-derived Ali. From Latin Hēlī, ultimately from Biblical Hebrew עלי. Borrowed from Latin Heli, from Hebrew עֵלִי.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends I

Elia

From Biblical Hebrew אליהו ('Eliyáhu, literally “Yahweh is my god”). Inherited from Latin Ēliās, with Greek accentation. Inherited from Latin or Borrowed from Latin Hēlia,…

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 3 syllables
Ending: ends A

Elie

Variously a form of Elijah used in Romanian, French, and some other languages, or short for names like Eliezer.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends E

Elio

Derived from Ancient Greek Ἥλιος (Hḗlios).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends O

Elma

From the 19th century. Likely from English Elma, Danish Elma or Italian Elma.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Elmo

From an Italian contraction of Erasmo, cognate with Erasmus. Also a German short form of Elmar. * By folk etymology seen as a short form of Elmer. From German Elmo, vernacular…

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends O

Eloá

Borrowed from Hebrew אֱלוֹהַּ (ʾélôah, “god”).

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends Á

Eloi

From French Éloi, from Medieval Latin Eligius, chiefly after Saint Eligius, from Latin ēligere (“to pick, to choose from”) + -ius (“-y: forming adjectives and names”).…

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends I

Elói

From French Éloi, from Medieval Latin Eligius. Doublet of Elígio.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends I

Éloi

From Late Latin Eligius, chiefly after Saint Eligius, from Latin ēligere (“to pick, to choose from”) + -ius (“-y: forming adjectives and names”).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends I

Elon

Borrowed from Hebrew אֵילֹן (ʼÊlōn, literally “oak tree”).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends N

Eloy

Borrowed from French Éloy or Éloi, a proper name which is a popular French variant of Latin Eligius, whence also Eligio.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends Y

Elsa

From German Elsa, contraction of Elisabeth, occasionally used in English after its appearance in Wagner's opera Lohengrin (1847). From Swedish Elsa, short for Elisabet and its…

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Else

From Danish Else. Borrowed from Danish Else.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends E

Elsi

From English Elsie, though it may be also be a Finnish diminutive form of Elsa.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends I

Elsy

From English Elsie.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends Y

Ema

Derived from German Emma.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Emer

From Old Irish Emer; cognate with Irish Eimhear and Scottish Gaelic Eimhir.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends R

Emil

From German Emil, from Latin Aemilius, a Roman family name possibly from aemulus (“rival”). Cognate with French Émile. a male given name from Latin, equivalent to English Emil…

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends L

Emir

Inherited from Ottoman Turkish امیر (emir), from Arabic أَمِيرْ (ʔamīr).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends R

Emma

Brought to England by the Normans; short form of compound given names beginning with a Frankish prototheme Ermin- or Irmin- "entire", from Proto-Germanic *ermunaz. From German…

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Enea

From Latin Aenēās, from Ancient Greek Αἰνείᾱς (Aineíās).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Enid

From Middle Welsh eneit (“spirit, life; purity”), from Proto-Celtic *anatyom, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁- (“to breathe, blow”). Cognate with Gaulish anatia (“souls (?)”)…

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends D

Enos

From Hebrew אֱנוֹשׁ (enósh, “mortal man”).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends S

Enzo

Borrowed from Italian Enzo (equivalent to English Hank), from German Heinz, a diminutive of Heinrich (English Henry), from Old High German Heimrih, Haimirich (heim (“home”) +…

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends O

Eoin

From Old Irish Iohain, from Latin Iōannēs, from Ancient Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (Yôḥānān, literally “God is gracious”). Doublet of Seán.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends N

Eòin

From Old Irish Iohain, from Latin Iōannēs, from Ancient Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (Yôḥānān, literally “God is gracious”).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends N

Eric

From Middle English Eric, from Old English Eoric, from Old Norse Eirríkr, Eiríkr (from ei (“always, eternal”, see aye) + ríkr (“ruler”)), or from Proto-Germanic *Aizarīkijaz…

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends C

Erik

A spelling variant of Eric, or directly borrowed from modern Swedish Erik. Variant of Eerik. Ultimately, from Old Norse Eiríkr.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends K

Érik

a male given name from Old Norse or the Germanic languages, variant of Éric

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends K

Erle

A rare spelling variant of Earl.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends E

Erma

A female given name from the Germanic languages, of rare usage, variant of Irma.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Ersa

From Ancient Greek Ἕρσα (Hérsa, literally “Dew”).

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Esau

From Ancient Greek Ἡσαῦ (Hēsaû), from Biblical Hebrew עֵשָׂו (ʿēśāw).

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends U

Esko

From Eskel, ultimately from Swedish Eskil, name of a medieval saint (an archbishop), from Old Norse Áskell.

Gender: masculine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends O

Esma

Inherited from Ottoman Turkish اسما, from Arabic أَسْمَاء (ʔasmāʔ, “names”), plural of اِسْم (ism, “name”), in reference to the 99 names of God in Islam.

Gender: feminine
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends A

Esme

Anglicized spelling of French Esmé.

Gender: mixed
Syllables: 2 syllables
Ending: ends E

Esmé

First recorded as a male given name in Scotland in the sixteenth century, probably from French esmé (“esteemed”), or confused with Aimé / Aimée. Clipping of Esmerelda or…

Gender: mixed
Syllables: 1 syllable
Ending: ends É