Short and Sweet
- Bit
- Boz
- Cade
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"round; or, barrel"Description:
Strong, ultramasculine, and modern, Cade shot up the popularity lists around the millennium—it was as high as Number 201 in 2001—along with cousins Caden and Cale, and has drifted along in the middle of the US Top 1000 ever since.
- Case
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
A brisk and unconventional name that could be a style stand-in for confederates Casey, Chase, Cale, and Cade.
- Cash
Origin:
Word name; also diminutive of CassiusMeaning:
"hollow"Description:
With the popular 'ash' sound and a contemporary feel, Cash is a widely used name in the US. Used occasionally before the 2000s, Cash really took off in 2003, following the death of American musical legend, Johnny Cash.
- Cass
Origin:
Diminutive of Cassandra or CassiaDescription:
Ties to the unfortunate Mama are now unraveling, leaving Cass or Cassie to stand on its own as a fresher sounding Cathy or Kate. But with so many lovely long forms, we'd advise keeping this as a nickname.
- Chess
- Chet
Origin:
Diminutive of ChesterMeaning:
"fortress, walled town"Description:
Chet is an old-fashioned short form that, ala Ned and Joe, is starting to sound cool again.
- Clem
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"mercy"Description:
Once a cowboyish old man name, Clem is now more commonly heard as a nickname for the fashionable Clementine, meaning "merciful one". Clemency, Clemence and Clementia are other possible long forms.
- Cleve
Origin:
Diminutive of ClevelandDescription:
Appealing short form of the stuffy Cleveland, occasionally used on its own.
- Cliff
Origin:
Topographical name or short form of Clifford or CliftonDescription:
Cliff is a familiar, timeless short form -- never too popular, yet widely known -- that you might also think of as a geographical name ala Vale or Field.
- Clive
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"lives near a high cliff"Description:
Clive started life as a surname for someone who lived near a cliff, making it a secret outdoorsy name.
- Colt
Origin:
Word nameMeaning:
"young horse"Description:
Colt is the kind of unconventionally macho name that is so trendy right now, because of or in spite of its association with horses and guns.
- Cort
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"brave"Description:
Short and curt.
- Crow
Origin:
Bird nameDescription:
From Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore, the story of a boy named Kafka -- crow in Czech.
- Cy
Origin:
Diminutive of Cyrus, PersianMeaning:
"sun"Description:
This evocative short name is suddenly chic — it was recently chosen by Jennifer Lawrence for her baby boy. JLaw's son's name honors Cy Twombly, the influential mid-century American artist. Born Edwin Parker Twombly Jr., both Cy Twombly and his father shared a nickname after baseball player Cy Young (himself born Denton True Young).
- Cim
- Dane
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"from Denmark"Description:
Dane is a more masculine Dana alternative, with added style edge. Dane has been on the US Top 1000 for more than seventy years, having entered the list in 1945.
- Doc
Origin:
English word nameDescription:
A boy with this name is certain to be bombarded with "What's up, doc?" every day of his life. Even Doctor would be preferable.
- Dom
Origin:
Diminutive of Dominic, LatinMeaning:
"belonging to the Lord"Description:
A bit slight to put directly on the birth certificate, but Dom is a pleasant nickname for a boy or a girl.