Two Letter Boy Names

A two-initial nickname occasionally used on birth certificates.

A two-initial nickname occasionally used on birth certificates.

Si is an intriguing antique nickname for Simon and Silas, and we’ve also heard it as a short form of names that contain the "sigh" sound, like Josiah and Osiris.

The most minimalist of names, Ed is decidedly out -- though that usually means it's due to swing back in. More stylish these days: Ned or even Ted.

A two-initial nickname occasionally used on birth certificates.

Ib, though it sounds insubstantial here, is actually a pretty common name in Denmark.

The sacred syllable of Buddhism, used when meditating. This short, sweet and spiritual choice has taken off in the last twenty years, and is in regular, though not highly popular, use in the US.

A two-initial nickname sometimes used on birth certificates — although these initials have a slang meaning you may prefer to avoid.

Were boys really named Wm at the turn of the last century, or was the old-timey abbreviation of William simply what was noted on the official records? We're guessing the latter, but as the Social Security Administration counts each spelling of a name in its tally and doesn't presume to change Wm into William (or Bryleigh into Briley, or is it Brylee?), this name stands as is through the ages.

A two-initial nickname occasionally used on birth certificates, with a disco vibe.

Initial nicknames have a cool, casual sound, but you'd have to be bold — or really want to leave your kid's options open — to put just the letters on the birth certificate.

Musician Ry Cooder brought this short form into the lexicon -- his full name is Ryland -- and it feels more familiar now that more Ry- beginning names such as Ryder and Riley are, ahem, riding up the ranks. The Rye spelling makes it more of a word or a nature name and less of a nickname.

This unusual Catalan name demonstrates just how short mini-names can get.