Boy Dog Names That Start With Q

Quinn is an engaging Celtic surname that is still on the rise for girls but beginning to flag for boys. As a female name, Quinn is in the Top 100, used for over 3000 baby girls last year, but toward the bottom of the Top 500 for boys, given to 700 baby boys.

Quentin, an offbeat name with lots of character, relates to the Latin for the number five and is by far the subtlest and most usable of the Latin birth-order names, masculine as well as stylish and distinctive. It was borne by a third-century saint and came to England with the Normans.

Quirky in the way that all Q names are quirky, Quincy was once a buttoned-up, patrician New England name, an image countered in recent years by the talented and ultracool musician Quincy Jones (middle name: Delight; nickname: Q).

Quinton is among several attractive Q-beginning, n-ending two-syllable names for boys, that also includes Quentin (the most popular iteration) and Quenton. They only suffer from their similarity and possible spelling confusion, ala girls' names Kristin, Kirsten and sisters.

Quill is a unique possibility for the child of writers -- even if they do use computers rather than pens; could also serve as a rhyming tribute to an ancestor named Gil, Phil, or Bill (or Jill).

A name that looks intriguing and masculine on paper, but is, unfortunately, a homonym for a girl's name.

Clint with a glint; used for flinty characters in old TV westerns and soap operas.

Add an s and you've got squirt.

The spoiled only son of the richest family in town in a fifties movie.

If you like Dylan, Quinn, or Leo but find them too popular, Quillan could be a distinctive and interesting alternative. It is sometimes connected to the zodiac sign of Leo, making it a cool way to honor a someone born under the lion sign, or to mark your baby's birthdate if they're born between July and August.

Cute, or maybe qute, nickname for the upstanding Enrique.

The names may sound the same, but they have different origins and meanings. Take your pick.

Quirinus is the Roman god of thunder and lightning, believed by some to be the Sabine god of war. While this is an intriguing and distinctive classic name, it also might provoke some middle school teasing.

A literary name figuring in the story of Ben Hur and the novels of Anthony Trollope that has the feel of Roman antiquity that is beginning to appeal to many parents. Quintus was one of only about twenty male first names in ancient Rome, and was often (though not exclusively) used for fifth sons.

Tied to the hero of the classic Spanish novel Don Quixote, likely to produce a quixotic daydreamer.

Has the offbeat quality and macho feel -- like Stone and Flint -- that appeals to increasing numbers of modern parents.

The girls have Apple, Plum, Peaches, Cherry, and Berry: here's one variety of fruit suitable for a boy.

This may be a bit quirky to make it as a name, especially in first place. If you love it, you might try it in the middle.

A multicultural option, visually similar to Quinn or Quentin and similar in sound to Kenneth, Cal, and Kelvin. As a French name, it relates to someone who lives near oak trees, while as a Nahuatl name, it is associated with remedies and solving a problem. There is also the possibility it has been used as an inventive honor name for a Quentin or a Quin.

We can think of two drawbacks to this name: the slightly feminine el ending, and the resemblance to the delicate dumpling called a quenelle.

Cool new Q-starting possibility which suggests a sense of curiosity and purpose.