Dog Names That Start With C

Carey is a surname name that works equally well on babies of all genders: Jazz great Carey Bell and motorcross champion Carey Hart are just two examples of how handsome this name can be for a boy. Also spelled as Cary (as in Old-Hollywood actor, Cary Grant), it was popular for boys in the 50s and remained in the US charts from the 1880s to the 1990s. 
 
Usually considered an anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Ciardha, the name ultimately comes from ciar meaning "black". It is possible however that it may be used as a variant of the Welsh Carew ("fort on the hill!); a twist on the Irish mac Fiachra ("son of Fiachra, son of the crow"); a name from the Byronic root karɨd ("to love); or an anglicized for of the German Gehring ("spear").
 
While Carey is a unisex choice, it reached great heights for girls in the US back in the 1970s, likely thanks to its similarities with Carrie, Kerry, Cheri, and Caroline. These days, it's leaning masculine again, albeit in very small numbers: just 18 boys and 5 girls were given the name in a recent year.

Carey

While the lin ending is more commonly found in girls' names, Carlin is an authentic Irish male choice and was used just about evenly for both sexes in the US last year.

Carlin

Native to America, the coyote has long been associated with danger and independence and with the popularity of Fox, Tiger, and Wolf, plus that cool KAI sound, Coyote might have potential. Possibly still too associated with the film Coyote Ugly and Wile E. Coyote, the Looney Tunes character, it is certainly a strong statement name for American nature lovers.
 
Given to 19 boys in 2023 but only 8 in 2024, influencers Julia and Hunt Havens also chose Coyote for their son's middle name it 2025.

Coyote

Stronger and more contemporary twist on Carla or Carly, Carlin was used just about equally for girls and boys in the US last year.

Cece, all by itself, gained notice as the nickname of Jim and Pam's baby on television's The Office. On the show as in real life, Cece is often short for Cecelia or even Cecilia, but it can also be a short form of just about any C name. Cece -- or, less elegantly, CeCe -- can also be a stylish nickname name used all by itself, ala Coco and Lulu. If you really love <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/c">girl names starting with C</a>, this is one way to express your devotion every time you say your daughter's name!

Cece

Infinitely preferable to the tease-inspiring English version of the word. 

Cerise

Sounds more like a car than a baby name.  Some sources related it to the English surname Carter, which would be more stylish these days.

Cordero

One way to set up a superiority complex in your child is to call your child Czar as American actor Rockmond Dunbar did in 2016.

Czar

An appealing surname-name that sounds perfectly feminine, unless you consider the association to Vice President Dick.

Chaney

Caris is either a variation of the Carys, a modern Welsh name meaning "love", or a spin on the Greek Charis, meaning "grace, kindness", and used to describe the Three Graces collectively. It briefly made the England and Wales Top 1000 in the late 90s.

Caris

Cruz might be a sister for Concepcion and Corazon, although its masculine side was emphasized when the high profile David Beckhams chose it for their son. 

Cruz

Highly unusual but stylish-sounding occupational name, with a pleasant association with gardens. 

Carden

Following the trend of <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/numerical-names-one-to-ten-from-primo-to-decima">number names</a> for babies, Cinco has the potential to be a fast riser in the coming years. Even more so now that Cassie used it as the middle name for her daughter Sunny, born in 2021.
 
Fittingly, five baby boys received the name in 2019, the first year it appeared on the US charts.

Cinco

A presidential and place-name that's not a stand-out in either category. 

Cleveland

Corin was used by Shakespeare in As You Like It, an unusual name that could make a more distinctive alternative to Corey or Colin. It is a name used in the illustrious Redgrave family of actors.

Corin

Caprice is a word name with an appealing sound and a light-hearted meaning that may well put parents off. While it was given to just 10 girls in a recent year, the name did have a moment back in the late 60s and then again in the 90s. In England and Wales, it even made the Top 400 in 1997.
 
If you do like the sound of Caprice but not the impulsivity implied in its meaning, you could return to its Italian roots and see it as a form of capriccio. It then becomes a musical name, associated with lively, free form, and often short pieces of music, and an arty name, linked to a style of art or architecture that explores fantasy or blends the real with the imaginary. 
 
Alternatively, you could consider similar sounding options like Cerise, Capri, Clarisse, or Carys.

Caprice

A beaming, friendly Irish last-name-first-name waiting to be discovered, though anyone into American history might associate it with John C. Calhoun, a 19th century statesman who defended slavery. There are however plenty of places called Calhoun which might lessen that association.

Calhoun

Consuelo is a chic, highly sophisticated Spanish name that works well with Anglo surnames. It was regularly on the U.S. popularity list through 1983, reaching as high as Number 339 in 1930.
 The name is a reference to the Virgin Mary, as Nuestra Senora del Consuelo--our lady of consolation.
 Its most noted namesake in this country is Consuelo Vanderbilt, the beautiful only daughter of railroad millionaire William K. Vanderbilt. She was given the Spanish name in honor of her half-Cuban godmother. Another fashionable Consuelo was the American-born Italian countess Consuelo Crespi, the editor of Italian Vogue. In literature, Consuelo was used by George Sand for the title character of a novel about a beautiful Venetian singer. There have also been Consuelos in West Side Storyand Precious.
 Consuelo is still well-used in Spanish-speaking countries, and is especially popular in Chile. The unusual o-ending for a girl's baby name adds to her appeal.

Consuelo

With word names increasingly acceptable or even desirable, this Spanish word for heart, brought to the fore by Philippine president Corazon Aquino, may find more takers.

Corazon

In Roman mythology, Caelus was the god of the sky prior to Jupiter. It's one of the few names that's virtually one-of-a-kind yet fits in with current stylish choices such as Caius and Callum (neither of which Caelus is etymologically related to).

Caelus

Female dog names that start C with currently in the Top 100 dog names include 

Dog names currently trending on Nameberry include 

. Unique female dog names that start with C include 

Male dog names that start with C in the Top 100 dog names include 

. Unique male dog names that start with A include 

Male and female dog names that start with C, including origins and popularity (Page 14)