Help! ''Minimalist'' Baby Names?

Girl Names
1

Hey again!
(let me just begin by saying i’m very picky and confused when it comes to names so if i sound like i don’t know what i’m talking about, i don’t know what i’m talking about haha)

I’m on my journey to find a baby girl name. I find it very difficult so i try to see patterns and limit my choices. I’m a very mystic and down to earth person, i like minimalism and the idea of ‘‘less is more’’
So i look for short and straight forward names. If you have seen my last post i mentioned how i like the spelling [name_f]Mya[/name_f] instead of [name_f]Maya[/name_f] (simply because the spelling [name_f]Maya[/name_f] contain more letters than it need to be) I don’t like it complex.

‘’[name_u]Chase[/name_u], [name_f]Chloe[/name_f], [name_f]Emma[/name_f], [name_m]Knox[/name_m]‘’
Could be spelled as [name_m]Case[/name_m], [name_f]Cloe[/name_f], [name_f]Ema[/name_f], Nox and arrive at the same pronunciations. Which i try to avoid. (sorry for the bad examples i just try to explain myself)
Names like [name_m]Alexander[/name_m], [name_m]Edward[/name_m], [name_f]Victoria[/name_f] are longer names but each letter has a purpose, no silent letters or redundancy.

I hope that you understand what i mean, I look for minimalist straight forward names that are short (up to 5 letters & not too common)
comment any suggestions please :slight_smile:

2

[name_f]Eva[/name_f], [name_f]Eve[/name_f]
[name_f]Anna[/name_f], [name_f]Anne[/name_f]
[name_f]Liv[/name_f]
[name_f]Rose[/name_f]
[name_f]Joy[/name_f]
[name_f]Grace[/name_f]
[name_f]Hope[/name_f]
[name_f]Kate[/name_f]
[name_u]Rey[/name_u]
[name_f]May[/name_f]
[name_u]Sage[/name_u]
[name_u]Page[/name_u]
[name_f]Ada[/name_f]
[name_f]Beth[/name_f]
[name_f]Ruth[/name_f]
[name_f]Fern[/name_f]
[name_f]Jade[/name_f]
[name_f]Jane[/name_f]
[name_u]Lane[/name_u]
[name_u]Clare[/name_u]

I kind of see what you mean about the extra letters… like, [name_u]Emlyn[/name_u] as opposed to [name_f]Emmeline[/name_f]. Is that what you are thinking? Good luck!

3

Well, I am no language expert but I will point out that in many cases the “extra” letters ARE needed. For instance, [name_u]Chase[/name_u] and [name_m]Case[/name_m] are not, in fact, pronounced the same way. I would also point out that not of the letters in [name_m]Alexander[/name_m], [name_m]Edward[/name_m] or [name_f]Victoria[/name_f] are superfluous. Things like silent E’s affect the sound of a word, even if you don’t pronounce it. For example, [name_f]Alice[/name_f] and Alic would not be pronounced the same way, because the silent E makes the C soft rather than hard. My point is that while there is no reason [name_f]Maya[/name_f] can’t be spelled [name_f]Mya[/name_f] or [name_m]Knox[/name_m] spelled Nox, I would be careful about removing letters willy-nilly, because you may end up complicating the name further.

That being said, a few suggestions:

[name_f]Eve[/name_f]
[name_f]Ann[/name_f]
[name_u]Clair[/name_u]/[name_u]Clare[/name_u] (Not Clar, because that would be a short A sound)
[name_f]Alys[/name_f]
[name_f]El[/name_f]
[name_f]Lily[/name_f]
[name_f]Kya[/name_f]
[name_f]May[/name_f]
[name_u]Ruby[/name_u]
[name_u]Rue[/name_u]
[name_f]Lora[/name_f]/[name_f]Nora[/name_f]/[name_f]Cora[/name_f]
[name_f]Kate[/name_f]

4

[name_u]Chase[/name_u] and [name_m]Case[/name_m] are pronounced quite differently, the double M in [name_f]Emma[/name_f] has the purpose of not making the E a long one (Ee-ma).
And dream.create’s example also only makes sense with the pronunciation mentioned; however, many others pronounce it em-muh-line or em-muh-leen.

Anyway, how about:
[name_f]Clara[/name_f], [name_u]Vida[/name_u], [name_f]Ada[/name_f], [name_f]Anna[/name_f], [name_f]Cleo[/name_f], [name_f]Cora[/name_f], [name_f]Daisy[/name_f], [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Elsa[/name_f], [name_f]Esme[/name_f], [name_f]Etta[/name_f], [name_f]Eva[/name_f], [name_f]Iris[/name_f], [name_f]Ivy[/name_f], [name_f]Juno[/name_f], [name_f]Lea[/name_f], [name_f]Lola[/name_f], [name_f]Lila[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], [name_f]Mabel[/name_f], [name_f]Maud[/name_f], [name_f]May[/name_f], [name_f]Minta[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Pippa[/name_f], [name_u]Ruby[/name_u], [name_f]Tess[/name_f], [name_f]Tessa[/name_f], [name_f]Thea[/name_f], [name_f]Vera[/name_f]

My personal favourite would be [name_f]Nora[/name_f], it’s one of the most straight-forward names to me, very streamlined and clear.

5

(dream.create) Yeah thats what i mean! Thank you for your suggestions :slight_smile:

6

Yeah i get what you guys mean i just tried to explain what i mean haha, to put it short i like it when each letter is pronounced. :slight_smile:

7

[name_f]Ava[/name_f]
[name_u]Bryn[/name_u]
[name_f]Cora[/name_f]
[name_f]Eliza[/name_f]
[name_f]Iris[/name_f]
[name_f]Lila[/name_f]
[name_f]Lyra[/name_f]
[name_f]Mae[/name_f]
[name_u]Sky[/name_u]
[name_f]Una[/name_f]

But I have to disagree with you on the pronunciation of some of your examples. [name_u]Chase[/name_u] as [name_m]Case[/name_m] are different words entirely (like a case of wine). Other names such as [name_f]Cloe[/name_f] or [name_f]Ema[/name_f] maybe pronounced as [name_f]Chloe[/name_f] or [name_f]Emma[/name_f], but would most likely confuse someone looking at the spelling of the name - is it Cl-low or E-ma? While the CH or the extra M may seem redundant they help most people say the name correctly.

8

I really like [name_f]Cleo[/name_f] in my suggestions, DH name is [name_m]Cole[/name_m] so we have thought about making it easy for us and just play around with his letters

9

I can only think of [name_f]Lia[/name_f] ([name_f]Leah[/name_f]).

10

[name_f]Ela[/name_f]
[name_u]Quin[/name_u]
[name_u]Eden[/name_u]
[name_f]Rose[/name_f]
[name_u]Clair[/name_u]/[name_u]Clare[/name_u]
[name_f]Ziva[/name_f]
[name_f]Ava[/name_f]
[name_f]Mae[/name_f]/[name_f]May[/name_f]
[name_f]Lily[/name_f]
[name_f]Eva[/name_f]
[name_f]Lia[/name_f]
[name_u]Drew[/name_u]
[name_f]Aria[/name_f]
[name_u]Bo[/name_u]
[name_f]Livia[/name_f]
[name_f]Mila[/name_f]
[name_u]Lou[/name_u]
[name_f]Eve[/name_f]
[name_f]Lila[/name_f]
[name_f]Ivy[/name_f]
[name_f]Hana[/name_f]
[name_f]Noa[/name_f]
[name_f]Ada[/name_f]
[name_f]Liv[/name_f]
[name_f]Noor[/name_f]

11

Here are some more suggestions that fit your criteria:

[name_f]Marin[/name_f]
[name_u]Malin[/name_u]
[name_f]Kaia[/name_f]/[name_f]Caia[/name_f]
[name_f]Gaia[/name_f]
[name_f]Laura[/name_f]
[name_f]Cora[/name_f]
[name_f]Lara[/name_f]
[name_f]Kira[/name_f]/[name_f]Kyra[/name_f]
[name_f]Freya[/name_f]
[name_f]Mary[/name_f]
[name_f]Mari[/name_f]
[name_f]Rose[/name_f]
[name_f]Lark[/name_f]
[name_f]Rose[/name_f]
[name_f]Maple[/name_f]
[name_f]Joy[/name_f]
[name_u]Sage[/name_u]
[name_f]Io[/name_f] (by your definition, the most minimalist name ever. 2 syllables, 2 letters! also, [name_f]Iona[/name_f] and [name_f]Ione[/name_f])
[name_f]Lux[/name_f]
[name_f]Ava[/name_f]
[name_f]Aria[/name_f]
[name_f]Erin[/name_f]
[name_f]Fiona[/name_f]
[name_f]Celia[/name_f]
[name_f]Lise[/name_f]
[name_f]Agnes[/name_f]
[name_u]Fable[/name_u]
[name_u]Aspen[/name_u]
[name_f]Elsa[/name_f]
[name_f]Alina[/name_f]
[name_f]Lea[/name_f]
[name_f]Katia[/name_f]
[name_f]Cara[/name_f]/[name_f]Kara[/name_f]
[name_f]Hera[/name_f]
[name_f]Lyra[/name_f]
[name_u]Lyric[/name_u]
[name_f]Lyla[/name_f]
[name_f]Zoe[/name_f]
[name_f]Posy[/name_f]
[name_f]Plum[/name_f]
[name_f]Arwen[/name_f]
[name_u]Reese[/name_u]
[name_f]Nova[/name_f]
[name_f]Peony[/name_f]
[name_f]Vera[/name_f]
[name_f]Snow[/name_f]
[name_f]Viola[/name_f]
[name_f]Talia[/name_f]
[name_f]Zelda[/name_f]
[name_f]Vita[/name_f]
[name_f]Zara[/name_f]
[name_f]Anouk[/name_f]
[name_f]Suvi[/name_f]
[name_f]Audra[/name_f]
[name_f]Aster[/name_f]
[name_f]Ivy[/name_f]
[name_f]Briar[/name_f]
[name_f]Liana[/name_f]

I have to agree with the others though, that letters aren’t always superfluous just because they aren’t pronounced, because they can change the pronunciation of other letters or make the pronunciation clear (e.g. [name_f]Ella[/name_f] is definitely ell-ah, but [name_f]Ela[/name_f] could be ell-ah or ee-lah). That being said, there are lots of names with letters that really don’t make a difference sound-wise (e.g. [name_m]Knox[/name_m] and Nox in your example), and I hope I’ve given you some good ideas :slight_smile:

12

My favorites are:
[name_f]Enid[/name_f]
[name_u]Rue[/name_u]
Mila
Tate
[name_u]Rhys[/name_u]

Others:
Ero -[name_m]Arrow[/name_m]-
Klai
[name_f]Lea[/name_f]
[name_u]Lou[/name_u]
[name_m]Cale[/name_m]
[name_u]Wren[/name_u]
[name_u]Sage[/name_u]
[name_f]Elle[/name_f]

13

I also think you should consider the ‘recognizability’ aspect of names - sure, the letters in some names may seem superfluous despite their implications phonetically (like the silent Es, double letters, as discussed), but your child will constantly need to spell their name out to people if you remove letters willy nilly.
For example, if you decided to name a daughter [name_f]Ema[/name_f] because you feel thats the most efficient spelling, upon hearing what most people know as “emma”, people will assume her name is spelled that way. I imagine that would get annoying. Especially for slightly longer names.

I would go with something that is a recognised name with a recognised spelling, that also happens to fit your bill in terms of ‘streamlined’ spellings/names. Personal recommendation is [name_f]Io[/name_f], as a PP listed - a spectacular and underused name that seems to tick all the boxes in terms of what you want.

14

[name_f]Gwen[/name_f] was my first thought, it’s short and chic.

15

A bit of confusion with pronunciation on this thread. There’s a difference between Swedish and English pronunciations and therefore difference in what letters are ‘‘needed’’. For instance [name_f]Anne[/name_f] and [name_f]Ann[/name_f] are the same in English but not in Swedish; [name_u]Chase[/name_u] and [name_m]Case[/name_m] are the same in Swedish but not in English. There’s a lot of cross-linguistic stuff too that’s quite complex, to do with semiotics and recognisability of names which will change the interpretations of altered spellings. English spelling is more about recognition than actual phonetics (unlike Scandinavian and other European languages) so altering a spelling will diminish recognition and throw people, therefore is counter intuitive for a minimalist vibe. I’m just mentioning this to clear up some misunderstanding I’ve seen here!

Lots of Scandinavian names feel stylistically minimalist to me probably for this reason, but also because of wider stylistic associations I guess. Anyway. These feel fresh and clean cut with minimal lettering (feels oddly satisfying, I agree!)

[name_m]Per[/name_m]
[name_f]Lil[/name_f]
Fen
[name_f]Esme[/name_f]
[name_f]Sela[/name_f]
[name_u]Luca[/name_u]
[name_f]Flo[/name_f]
Eme
[name_f]Hebe[/name_f]
[name_f]Aura[/name_f]
[name_f]Ivy[/name_f]
[name_f]Isolde[/name_f]
[name_f]Nina[/name_f]
[name_u]Isa[/name_u]
[name_f]Yara[/name_f]
[name_m]Jura[/name_m] / [name_f]Jora[/name_f]
[name_u]Kit[/name_u]
[name_f]Rona[/name_f]
[name_u]Nev[/name_u]
[name_m]Lyon[/name_m]
[name_f]Nona[/name_f]
[name_f]Meta[/name_f]
[name_f]Lily[/name_f]
[name_f]Mercy[/name_f]
[name_f]Anya[/name_f]
[name_f]Tyra[/name_f]
[name_f]Anwen[/name_f]
[name_f]Fia[/name_f]
[name_u]Ren[/name_u]
[name_f]Maris[/name_f]
[name_f]Tilda[/name_f]
[name_f]Betsy[/name_f]
[name_u]Vale[/name_u]
[name_f]Cerys[/name_f] / [name_f]Carys[/name_f]
[name_u]Seren[/name_u]
[name_u]Rian[/name_u]

[name_u]Love[/name_u] the suggestions of [name_f]Enid[/name_f] and [name_f]Io[/name_f].

16

Also just came across this post which might help you;

:slight_smile:

17

I agree with previous posters regarding the difference in pronunciation when some letters are removed.

[name_f]Mya[/name_f] would be pronounced my-a. If you spell it [name_f]Maya[/name_f], I would say may-a. Both are cute names, but be aware of the difference!!

That being said, here are some short, no frill girl names.

[name_u]Lex[/name_u]
[name_f]Lux[/name_f]
[name_f]Nora[/name_f]
[name_f]Lia[/name_f]
[name_f]Ro[/name_f]
[name_f]Bea[/name_f]
[name_f]Zara[/name_f]
[name_f]Hana[/name_f]
[name_u]Quin[/name_u]
[name_f]Evy[/name_f]
[name_f]Mia[/name_f] (note: pronounced “mee-ah”)
[name_f]Emy[/name_f]
[name_u]Jan[/name_u] (note: this is not pronounced the same as “jane”)