Ultimate List Of Short Names For All Genders

Georgia Stone
Feb 16, 2024 By Georgia Stone
Originally Published on Nov 30, 2020
Baby girl wearing yellow hat and dress
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Age: 0-99
Read time: 6.5 Min



Sometimes long names could be inconvenient, fuzzy, and frilly, so a nickname is provided to make it sound simple, short, and sweet.

Parents opting for short names have been on the rise lately. Before a baby is born, their parents might already have thought of the perfect baby names.

If you are looking for baby names regardless of gender, it is important to ponder upon the name and meaning attached to it. The special meaning and history behind your baby’s name will play a significant role as it is the first gift you will give to your baby.

As it says, the name of the baby reflects the baby’s character. Giving short names to babies is well-suited and easily accessible. We have listed 70+ short girl names, boy names, gender neutral names that you'll hopefully love.

You might also want to look at 3 letter girl names and 3 letter boy names for more inspiration, right here on Kidadl.

Short Names For Girls

Here is a list of short and the cutest names for girls that you might be interested in. The list also includes sweet baby girl names for your loved ones.

1. Alice (French origin), meaning “nobility”. A classic French name for a baby girl.

2. Amelie (French origin), meaning “hardworking or industrious”. Amélie Poulain is a famous French name or character from the movie 'Amélie'.

3. Angie (English origin), meaning “messenger of God”. If you are considering baby names for girls, this is a lovely choice.

4. Athena (Greek origin), meaning “goddess of wisdom and war”.

5. Ava (Latin origin), meaning “like a bird”.

6. Carah (Latin origin), meaning “darling" or "beloved". This is a short and sweet name for a baby girl.

7. Cassie (Greek origin), meaning “purity”.

8. Chloe (Greek origin), meaning “verdant, blooming”.

9. Claire (French origin), meaning “bright, clear”.

10. Ella (Spanish origin), meaning “young girl”.

11. Emma (Latin origin), meaning “universal”. Common nicknames also include Emmy or Emily which sounds cute for a sweet baby girl.

12. Eva (Hebrew origin), meaning “life, living one”. It could also signify full of life or mother of life.

13.  Grace (Latin origin), meaning “charm”.

14. Greta (Greek origin), meaning “pearl" or child of light".

15. Gwen (Welsh origin), meaning “white, holy”.

16. Judith (Hebrew origin), meaning “woman of Judea”. In the Bible, Judith is one of the Hittite wives of Esau.

17. Kat (English origin), meaning “pure”.

18.  Leia (Hawaiian origin), meaning “child of Heaven or heavenly flowers”.

19. Lily (English origin), meaning “lily flower”. Lily Allen is a famous singer, songwriter and author.

20. Maisie (Scottish origin), meaning “pearl”.

21. Ruth (Hebrew origin), meaning “friend”. This lovely name would suit your sweet baby girl.

22. Sophia (Greek origin), meaning “wisdom".

23. Zoe (Greek origin), meaning “life”.

Little girl with dog in white blanket

Short Names For Boys

If you are having a tough time looking for baby boy names, we have a list prepared for you to choose from. If you are expecting a baby boy, short and sweet names like Elwood and Aiden might just be perfect.

24. Aaron (Hebrew origin), meaning “exalted, strong”.

25. Adam (Hebrew origin), meaning “man of the Earth”. In the Bible, God created Adam first.

26. Aiden (Irish origin), meaning “little fire”. Other short names include Addie and Denny.

27. Alex (Greek origin), meaning “defender of the people”. Alexander the Great was an ancient Macedonian ruler who conquered an empire that stretched from the Balkans to modern day Pakistan.

28. Andrew (Greek origin), meaning “manly”. Andrew was one of Christ's apostles in the Bible, the brother of Simon Peter.

29. Ben (Hebrew origin), meaning “son of my right hand”. Other nicknames include Benny or Benji. Benjamin Franklin was a statesman and one of the founding fathers of the United States.

30. Calum (Scottish origin), meaning “dove”.

31. Charles (English origin), meaning “free man”. It is both an English and a French name.

32. Chase (English origin), meaning “hunter”.

33. Conner (Irish origin), meaning “descendant of hound, desire”.

34. Dave (English origin), meaning “beloved”. This name would perfectly suit your loved baby boy.

35. Eddie (English origin), meaning “wealthy guardian". Eddie is a nickname of names beginning with Ed like Edward or Edgar.

36. Elwood (English origin), “from the old wood forest”.

37. Ethan (Hebrew origin), meaning “firm, strong”. Ethan is a popular short name in the United States as well as abroad.

38. Fred (English origin), meaning “peaceful ruler”. It is a short name for Frederick.

39. Henry (German origin), meaning “rule of the home”. Uncle Henry is a fictional character from the series of Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

40. Jake (Hebrew origin), meaning “supplanter”. It is a short name for Jacob. Jake Gyllenhaal is a popular actor and producer.

41. Josh (Hebrew origin), meaning “God is my salvation”. It is a short name for Joshua who was chosen by God in the Bible to be the leader of twelve tribes.

42. Ken (Scottish origin), meaning “handsome”. Also, a Japanese name meaning “good health, intelligent”.

43. Kevin (Irish origin), meaning “handsome or beautiful”.

44. Leo (Italian origin), meaning “lion”.

45. Liam (Irish origin), meaning “with gilded helmet”.

46. Nick (Greek origin), meaning “victory of the people”.

47. Rob (English origin), meaning “bright fame”.

48. Theo (Greek origin), meaning “divine gift”. Short name for Theodore or Theodorus. Theo Van Gogh was the brother of the famous artist Vincent van Gogh.

49. Tom (Greek origin), meaning “a twin”. Short name for Thomas. In the Bible, he was an apostle of Christ.

Baby on beach wearing straw hat

Gender Neutral Short Names

Choosing short baby names could be confusing when you have a lot of choices thrown at you. Here is a list of sweet baby gender neutral short names to pick from.

50. Abby (Hebrew origin), meaning “my father’s joy”.

51. Akira (Japanese origin), meaning “bright” or “clear”.

52. Ash (English origin), meaning “ash tree”. It is a sweet and dashing short name for Ashton, Asher, or Ashley.

53. Blake (English origin), meaning “dark-haired”. It is a great unisex short name.

54. Brooke (English origin), meaning “small stream”. What a sweet baby name for parents considering gender neutral short names.

55. Casey (Irish origin), meaning “vigilant” or “watchful”.

56. Chris (Greek origin), meaning “follower of Christ” or “anointed”.

57. Elliot (English origin), meaning “the Lord is my God”.

58. Jesse (Hebrew origin), meaning “God’s gift”. It is indeed a sweet baby name.

59.  Kai (Hawaiian origin), meaning “ocean”. Kaia, Kaiko, Kaiser, Kaido are some gender neutral short names to name your sweet baby boy or baby girl.

60.  Keir (Irish origin), meaning “dark” or “black”. The name sounds closely similar to the word care.

61. Lee (English origin), meaning “field”.

62. Louis (French origin), meaning “famous warrior”. Kate and William’s third baby boy has been named Prince Louis Arthur Charles.

63. Nat (English origin), meaning “gift of God”. Short name for Natalie, Nate, or Natalia. It is a sweet baby name.

64. Noel (French origin), meaning “born on Christmas day”.

65. Rudy (American origin), meaning “famous wolf”.

66. Sam (Hebrew origin), meaning “God has heard”. It could be a short baby name for Samuel or Samantha.

67. Stormi (American origin), meaning “impetuous nature”. Stormi is a free-hearted soul. It is a cute baby name if you are looking for gender neutral short names.

68. Sydney (French origin), it is a French name taken from a place called St Denis in Normandy.

69. Tess (Greek origin), meaning “to harvest” or “to reap”.

70. Tracy (Irish origin), meaning “fighter” or “war-like”.

Kidadl has lots of great baby name articles to inspire you. If you liked our suggestions for Short Names, then why not look at one syllable dog names. For something different, look at names that mean smart.

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Written by Georgia Stone

Bachelor of Arts specializing in French with Film Studies, Bachelor of Arts (Year Abroad) specializing in Literature, History, Language, Media, and Art

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Georgia StoneBachelor of Arts specializing in French with Film Studies, Bachelor of Arts (Year Abroad) specializing in Literature, History, Language, Media, and Art

Georgia is an experienced Content Manager with a degree in French and Film Studies from King's College London and Bachelors degree from Université Paris-Sorbonne. Her passion for exploring the world and experiencing different cultures was sparked during her childhood in Switzerland and her year abroad in Paris. In her spare time, Georgia enjoys using London's excellent travel connections to explore further afield.

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