Names That Mean Little

  1. Bechette
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "little spade"
    • Description:

      Pronounced Beshette, this unfamiliar French appellation sounds fresh and feminine.
  2. Perkin
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "little Peter"
    • Description:

      Sounds like a Hobbit.
  3. Aban
    • Origin:

      Persian or Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "October; the waters; clear, elegant"
    • Description:

      Aban is the Persian word for the month of October, derived from the Avestan apes, meaning "the waters".
  4. Xanthoula
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "little yellow one"
    • Description:

      Lively Greek diminutive of Xanthippi or Xanthe.
  5. Ninetta
    • Origin:

      Italian and Spanish diminutive of Nina
    • Meaning:

      "little girl"
    • Description:

      Might be carrying things too far -- little little girl? -- though could freshen up this favorite.
  6. Lytle
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "little"
    • Description:

      Lytle is a common English surname meaning, naturally, "little." Original bearers of the surname were small in stature or the younger of two connected people with the same given name.
  7. Cruzito
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "little cross"
    • Description:

      Spanish masculine diminutive of Cruz
  8. Fishel
    • Origin:

      Yiddish
    • Meaning:

      "little fish"
    • Description:

      Animal names are very hot right now, but we don't think Fishel is likely to make a comeback.
  9. Húni
    • Origin:

      Icelandic
    • Meaning:

      "little cub"
    • Description:

      This sweet-sounding Nordic name has a cute meaning to match.
  10. Meretlein
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Meret, German
    • Meaning:

      "little pearl"
    • Description:

      This rare literary name appears in Gottfried Keller's 1855 novel Der grüne Heinrich (Green Henry). Fiesty and beautiful Meretlein lived in the woods and was constantly causing trouble. Ultimately, she died an early death.
  11. Babe
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "little one, infant"
    • Description:

      Born George Herman Ruth Jr, baseball legend Babe Ruth was so nicknamed because of his youthful looks and because he was a raw talent and favorite of his first club owner Jack Dunn of the Baltimore Orioles. Babe was a common nickname in baseball at the time, given also to Babe Adams, who appeared younger than his age.
  12. Ossin
    • Origin:

      Irish, variation of Ossian
    • Meaning:

      "little dear"
    • Description:

      This name relates to Oisin, a famous ancient Irish poet, the son of Finn MacCool.
  13. Aydan
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Aidan
    • Meaning:

      "little fiery one"
    • Description:

      Aydan has been a popular alternate spellings of Aidan, though it has been declining in usage since 2008. It has also been seen as a girl's name.
  14. Drumlin
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little ridge"
  15. Roselil
    • Origin:

      Danish
    • Meaning:

      "rose + lily or little rose"
    • Description:

      Roselil is a sweet Danish name made famous by the song Roselil og hendes moder (Roselil and Her Mother) and the eponymous collection of children's fables written by author Josefine Ottesen. It is derived from a combination of the Danish word for "rose" plus the word for "lily" or "little".
  16. Anthoula
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "little flower"
    • Description:

      A lovely Greek floral name which is a diminutive of names containing the element anthos "flower, blossom", such as Anthea or Chrysanthe.
  17. Ulick
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little William"
    • Description:

      You lick. You like. We didn't think so.
  18. Jenkin
    • Origin:

      Flemish
    • Meaning:

      "little John"
    • Description:

      Possible (and offbeat) middle name twist when honoring a familial John.
  19. Aashvi
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit, Hindi
    • Meaning:

      "blessed and victorious; little mare"
    • Description:

      This beautiful name used in India is one of the many names of the Hindu goddess Saraswati. Aashvi, along with several other Hindu names, is currently on the rise.
  20. Zissy
    • Origin:

      Yiddish
    • Meaning:

      "little sweet one"
    • Description:

      Dimunitive of Zisel, from a Yiddish word meaning "sweet".