About TinyNest

Why we built TinyNest

Many name sites repeat the same short meaning from page to page, sometimes without saying where it came from or whether it is certain. Pronunciation is often left out, even though it is the first thing a name has to survive: at nursery, on the phone and in a second language at home.

We wanted a calmer place that treats each name as something with a history and a sound, not just an entry in a ranking. Somewhere you can compare a few favourites properly, and come away knowing why you like them.

What you will find here

• Meaning and origin, including names that have more than one history.
• Pronunciation as an easy respelling and in phonetic notation, with notes where a name is said differently across languages.
• Popularity over time, taken from official birth and name statistics. Each chart names its source.
• Variants, related forms and practical help with spelling a name aloud.
• Name lists with a clear idea behind them, and guides for pregnancy, the first months and family life.

How we think about names

• Facts and taste are kept apart. History, meaning and figures are things we can check; impressions of sound and style are opinions, and we write them as opinions.
• Uncertainty is said out loud. When the original meaning of a name is unknown or disputed, we say so instead of choosing the most appealing story.
• A name does not decide who someone becomes. We never claim a name makes a person strong, kind or creative.
• We do not invent numbers. If there is no reliable data for a name, we show no ranking rather than a guess.
• Every tradition gets the same care. Names from different languages and scripts are explained on their own terms, not measured against a single culture.