6000+ Dog Names

You've got the red-nosed reindeer to transcend, but there are other distinguished personages named Rudolph, Rudolf, and Rudy.

The y makes it seem more like a name and less like an animal, but it's still not as appealing as several Leo choices.

Now that the Irish Ciaran and Ciara -- aka Kieran and Kiera -- are becoming more popular beyond their native shores, the short and strong Ciar might find some favor. As of now, more than 160 baby girls were named Ciara in the US last year, with half that many boys named Ciaran, but so far no baby boys named Ciar, though 17 were called Keir.

Abbreviated form of Harley that might also be spelled, for girls, Arleigh or Arlee.

Patton is an attractive name in the fashionable Haden-Peyton mold, though there is that association with the severe wartime general.

Diarra has a nice meaning, but we could see it leading to possible teasing re association with a certain digestive problem.

Historically, Sire was a formal term for addressing male royalty, particularly a king. Sire can also mean "father" or "senior" as both a noun and a verb. Now, like Prince, Sir, Messiah, and Saint, this title is now a name on the rise.

A royal name in ancient Egypt that's never quite made it to the modern world, though nickname Cleo is widely used. Other now-extinct Cleopatra diminutives, including Cleora and Cleola, achieved some popularity in the early 20th century when there was a crazy for all things Egypt-related as the ancient tombs were opened and artifacts displayed. In the US, Cleopatra became a popular silent film in 1917 starring Theda Bara.

Solar is a new gender-neutral word name used nearly evenly for boys and girls. With both a weather and a heavenly bent, it's a name that's just warming up.

Another culture's slant on Mark, sometimes associated with former president of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos and his shoe-collecting wife, Imelda.

Before there was esteemed actress Anne Hathaway, there was Anne Hathaway, wife of Shakespeare — the former being named after the latter.

Dacey is a delicate and lacy Irish name with real possibilities.

Seinfeld's George threatened to name his future child Seven, and then singer Erykah Badu actually did it.

A name that's appeared out of thin air, in the same vein as such mystical favorites as Destiny and Nevaeh.

Great Irish middle name choice for Shakespeare lovers.

Stark is an ancient surname derived from the Old English word stearc, meaning firm and unyielding. In modern parlance, stark means severe or plain. But Stark's use as a first name -- 15 boys were named Stark in the US in 2017 -- stems from its prominence in Game of Thrones, which has inspired so many new baby names. House Stark is a ruling family on GoT; its motto is fittingly "Winter is coming," so Stark and other names from the show might make creative names for winter babies.

She may have been an appealing Chinese heroine in Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, but her name won't translate for a modern American girl. Better choices: Snow, or Flora.

Smart and preppy, but with plenty of heart, Hartley is a surname style name that could work as an alternative to the popular Harley, Harlowe, Harper, and Hadley. Quietly used for boys throughout the 20th century, Hartley took off for girls in 2010 after both Sugar Ray singer Mark McGrath and baseball player Matt Cain used the name for their daughters.

This is the kind of strong one-syllable boy's name many parents are seeking these days. The more musical Chord was introduced by hot young actor Chord Overstreet.