Names that mean “little”
73 fragments across 23 traditions carry this sense. 66 of them close a name against 7 that open one, so it usually lands as the second element.
Little names across the traditions
¶They are spread across 6 different families, from real world outward, which is the mark of a sense so basic that almost every tradition needs a word for it. French is among those carrying the most, with 23 separate fragments for it — a tradition that needs this many words for one idea is telling you something about what it cares about.
eau final · el final · elet final · elin final · elot final · et final · ichon final · in final · inet final · inot final · on final · ot final · elette final · eline final · elle final · elotte final · ette final · iette final · ine final · inette final · onne final · onnette final · otte final
- Laureau
Laur laurel + eau little
laurel little
- Ludeau
Lud renowned + eau little
renowned little
- Gereau
Ger spear + eau little
spear little
- Romel
Rom of Rome + el little
of Rome little
- Paulel
Paul small + el little
small little
- Thibel
Thib people + el little
people little
- Grimelet
Grim mask + elet little
mask little
- Lucelet
Luc light + elet little
light little
- Rayelet
Ray counsel + elet little
counsel little
- Gerelin
Ger spear + elin little
spear little
- Norelin
Nor north + elin little
north little
- Huelin
Hu mind + elin little
mind little
et final · in final · eline final · elle final · ette final · ine final · sette final · ain final · el final · ot final
- Waret
War guard + et little
guard little
- Walet
Wal rule + et little
rule little
- Giset
Gis pledge + et little
pledge little
- Aimin
Aim home + in little
home little
- Gunin
Gun war + in little
war little
- Warin
War guard + in little
guard little
- Wyneline
Wyn joy + eline little
joy little
- Avaeline
Ava desired + eline little
desired little
- Joheline
Joh grace + eline little
grace little
- Hildelle
Hild battle + elle little
battle little
- Mahelle
Mah might + elle little
might little
- Isenelle
Isen iron + elle little
iron little
an final · aun final · een final · in final · nat final · nait final
- Rigan
Rig king + an little
king little
- Began
Beg small + an little
small little
- Banan
Ban white + an little
white little
- Fiannaun
Fiann warrior band + aun little
warrior band little
- Fiachaun
Fiach raven + aun little
raven little
- Buaaun
Bua victory + aun little
victory little
- Faeleen
Fael wolf + een little
wolf little
- Brackeen
Brack speckled + een little
speckled little
- Suleen
Sul eye + een little
eye little
- Aenin
Aen one + in little
one little
- Lorcin
Lorc fierce + in little
fierce little
- Sulin
Sul eye + in little
eye little
an final · ie final · ock final · ag final · ina final
- Finan
Fin white + an little
white little
- Rossan
Ross headland + an little
headland little
- Conan
Con hound + an little
hound little
- Thorie
Thor thunder + ie little
thunder little
- Gealie
Geal bright + ie little
bright little
- Royie
Roy red-haired + ie little
red-haired little
- Somerock
Somer summer + ock little
summer little
- Rossock
Ross headland + ock little
headland little
- Torock
Tor mound + ock little
mound little
- Morag
Mor great + ag little
great little
- Gealag
Geal shining + ag little
shining little
- Gormag
Gorm blue + ag little
blue little
ella final · etta final · ine final · ick final · el final
- Tansella
Tans tansy + ella little
tansy little
- Grimella
Grim fierce + ella little
fierce little
- Myrella
Myr mire + ella little
mire little
- Soretta
Sor sorrel + etta little
sorrel little
- Myretta
Myr mire + etta little
mire little
- Dernetta
Dern secret + etta little
secret little
- Netine
Net nettle + ine little
nettle little
- Marine
Mar nightmare + ine little
nightmare little
- Nythine
Nyth night + ine little
night little
- Harick
Har hare + ick little
hare little
- Netick
Net nettle + ick little
nettle little
- Grimick
Grim fierce + ick little
fierce little
ig final · yn final · en final
- Coedig
Coed wood + ig little
wood little
- Penig
Pen head + ig little
head little
- Caeig
Cae field + ig little
field little
- Rhiyn
Rhi ruler + yn little
ruler little
- Gofyn
Gof smith + yn little
smith little
- Glasyn
Glas blue-green + yn little
blue-green little
- Bloden
Blod flower + en little
flower little
- Onnenen
Onnen ash tree + en little
ash tree little
- Auren
Aur gold + en little
gold little
elle final · ine final · sette final
- Sygaelle
Syga sigil + elle little
sigil little
- Azaelle
Aza deep + elle little
deep little
- Evraelle
Evra evening + elle little
evening little
- Isaine
Isa ice + ine little
ice little
- Maraine
Mara tide + ine little
tide little
- Galaine
Gala gall + ine little
gall little
- Lumasette
Luma lantern + sette little
lantern little
- Corasette
Cora heart + sette little
heart little
- Orasette
Ora gold + sette little
gold little
lette final · Poco initial
- Orialette
Oria dawn + lette little
dawn little
- Amaralette
Amara lasting + lette little
lasting little
- Odialette
Odia ode + lette little
ode little
- Pocoombra
Poco little + ombra shade
little shade
- Pocofiore
Poco little + fiore flower
little flower
- Pocorima
Poco little + rima rhyme
little rhyme
Le Petit initial · La Petite initial
- Le Petit Thyme
Le Petit little + Thyme aromatic herb
little aromatic herb
- Le Petit Grotto
Le Petit little + Grotto cave
little cave
- Le Petit Granary
Le Petit little + Granary grain store
little grain store
- La Petite Cinnamon
La Petite little + Cinnamon bark spice
little bark spice
- La Petite Pestle
La Petite little + Pestle grinding club
little grinding club
- La Petite Oyster
La Petite little + Oyster twin-shell
little twin-shell
kins final
- Russkins
Russ russet + kins little
russet little
- Sandkins
Sand fine grains + kins little
fine grains little
- Saltkins
Salt pale crystal + kins little
pale crystal little
ette final
- Xanette
Xan golden + ette little
golden little
- Rhoette
Rho rose + ette little
rose little
- Amarette
Amar undying + ette little
undying little
ina final
- Silverina
Silver pale metal + ina little
pale metal little
- Wrenina
Wren brown songbird + ina little
brown songbird little
- Sorrelina
Sorrel sour herb + ina little
sour herb little
let final
- Rushlet
Rush slender stem + let little
slender stem little
- Spriglet
Sprig twig spray + let little
twig spray little
- Hazellet
Hazel nut tree + let little
nut tree little
akis final
Fillia initial
- Filliapoppy
Fillia little + poppy red field flower
little red field flower
- Filliarue
Fillia little + rue bitter herb
little bitter herb
- Filliaholly
Fillia little + holly winter green
little winter green
et final
- Nimet
Nim nimble + et little
nimble little
- Rillet
Rill brooklet + et little
brooklet little
- Rueet
Rue bitter herb + et little
bitter herb little
iki final
- Kamakaiki
Kamaka eye + iki little
the little eye
- Keaoiki
Keao daylight + iki little
the little daylight
- Keolaiki
Keola life + iki little
the little life
Small initial
- Smallvoice
Small little + voice carrying sound
little carrying sound
- Smallhand
Small little + hand working hand
little working hand
- Smallmouth
Small little + mouth speech gate
little speech gate
Beag initial
- Beagwand
Beag little + wand rock wall
little rock wall
- Beagtop
Beag little + top hilltop
little hilltop
- Beagscaur
Beag little + scaur broken cliff
little broken cliff
illa final
- Rubilla
Rub red + illa little
red little
- Lucilla
Luc light + illa little
light little
- Ultimilla
Ultim last + illa little
last little
Lil initial
- Lil Horizon
Lil little + horizon sky's edge
little sky's edge
- Lil the Great
Lil little + the great of great renown
little of great renown
- Lil Verse
Lil little + verse lyric passage
little lyric passage
ling final
- Caskling
Cask barrel + ling little
barrel little
- Flickling
Flick light blow + ling little
light blow little
- Jagling
Jag notch + ling little
notch little
elle final
- Sevrenelle
Sevren severed + elle little
severed little
- Amrelelle
Amrel bitterness + elle little
bitterness little
- Averilelle
Averil turning + elle little
turning little
Senses that travel together
Each of these shares at least two traditions with “little”. Senses that keep turning up in the same sets usually belong to one semantic field — the small vocabulary a naming tradition returns to again and again.
Corpus under CC BY 4.0 — every fragment above has a stable anchor, so you can cite one entry rather than the whole site.