Bobak

Bobak is the Persian word for the steppe marmot, a small, sun-loving creature that became a term of endearment for a sturdy child. The name has folk warmth rather than courtly polish, something like calling a son "little bear" in English. Two bright syllables, both vowels open, the finish a soft click of the tongue. It appears throughout Iran and the diaspora, rarely traveling into Anglophone registers, which gives it an appealing freshness in those contexts. Bobak is affectionate without being sugary, a name that already sounds like a nickname while being perfectly complete.