Names That Mean Small

Perfect for a child of Japanese Irish heritage.

A possible addition to the Ava / Ada / Adah collection, with a Jewish twist.

Could work for a blended Japanese-Irish family.

If Isla feels too mainstream.

Panya is a Russian diminutive that sounds a tad feminine to the Western sensibility.

Loman is one of those rare names that is at once simple and very unusual, with fewer than five baby boys given the name in the US in the most recent year.

A variant of Madden or Madigan, cool surnames which ultimately derive from the Irish Gaelic word for "dog".

This Irish saint's name makes an attractive alternative for Dylan or Donald.

Asella is ultimately derived from the Latin word asinus, meaning "donkey." As a word, asella would have been used to refer to a small female donkey.

A variant of Madden or Madigan, cool surnames which ultimately derive from the Irish Gaelic word for "dog".

Skylar may be mainstream now, but Skylark is fresh and offbeat. With Lark gaining more attention as a name — following in Wren's footsteps — Skylark feels fashionable yet distinct. Skylark debuted on the US charts in 2022.

Nore comes from Nori, the Old Norse mythological name of the founder of Norway. As a feminine name, Nore is a variation of Nora popular in the Netherlands.

An unusual and appealing Scottish family name that would work as well for a girl as a boy.

Brooke variation – or is the other way around? – that makes it more a nature name, less an eighties-style androgynous name.

This two-syllable Irish surname is as appealing as Nolan, Keegan et al, but much less common.

Sounds a bit like an Australian airline.

Pavlin ups Pavel's style quotient by giving it a surname feel.