Demi

Demi can be a short form of Demetria, a name connected with the Greek goddess Demeter. The same spelling also resembles the French word demi, meaning half. Those are different routes, so “half” should not automatically be assigned as the origin of every person named Demi.

Actor Demi Moore helped make the name familiar to many English-speaking families. Demi can stand independently or remain an informal form of Demetria. The shorter form changes the rhythm considerably without requiring a new meaning. A family choosing it for a relative can explain the longer-name connection rather than relying only on the coincidental French word.