Dog Names That Start With Z

  1. Zen
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "meditation"
    • Description:

      A spiritual word name used by actor Zoe Saldana for her son as well as more recently Nick Cannon and Alyssa Scott for their late son. Zen has been trending in recent years along with other spiritual names such as Bodhi and Zion, and recently entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2022.
  2. Ziva
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "life"
    • Description:

      A zippy little international name. The Hebrew name relates to the month of Israeli independence. The Slavic Ziva (also spelled Živa and Siva) is a goddess of love, life and fertility.
  3. Zander
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Alexander
    • Meaning:

      "defending men"
    • Description:

      On the rise as an independent name: Zander and Xander are both widely used can increasingly be found as characters in movies and on TV.
  4. Zephyrine
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Zephyr, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "west wind"
    • Description:

      Zephyr may not be a name often heard in the U.S., but its variations are used throughout Europe. Zephyrine, a cousin in sound and feel if not in fact to such lovely names as Severine and Seraphina, has distinctive possibilities.
  5. Zaire
    • Origin:

      Place name
    • Meaning:

      "the river that swallows all rivers"
    • Description:

      An African place name—Zaire was a Central African state from 1971 to 1997—it comes from a Kongo term meaning "the river that swallows all rivers." A bold and wearable choice for a son.
  6. Zendaya
    • Origin:

      Shona
    • Meaning:

      "to give thanks"
    • Description:

      Zendaya has propelled her unusual African name into the spotlight and up the popularity charts. Zendaya is one of the major baby name influencers of our era.
  7. Ziggy
    • Origin:

      German, diminutive of names beginning Sig/Zig
    • Meaning:

      "victory"
    • Description:

      The ultimate nicknamey name, à la Ziggy Stardust or the comic-strip character Ziggy. Then again, there's Ziggy Marley, and most anything Marley is cool. It's used for a handful girls every year in England & Wales.
  8. Zari
    • Origin:

      Persian
    • Meaning:

      "golden"
    • Description:

      Shortened form of Zarin / Zareen.
  9. Zuri
    • Origin:

      Kiswahili
    • Meaning:

      "good, beautiful"
    • Description:

      Zuri migrated, at least to American sensibilities, to the feminine side when an Ohio zoo used it for a female giraffe. For either gender, Zuri is an attractive name with the usual Z-initial zest.
  10. Zadie
    • Origin:

      English variation of Sadie
    • Meaning:

      "princess"
    • Description:

      When aspiring British writer Sadie Smith decided to change her name to the more distinctive and zippy Zadie at the age of fourteen, this attention-magnet name was born. But though it might sound like a modern initial-switch, Zadie was actually Number 539 in 1881, remaining in the Top 1000 for almost thirty years.
  11. Zaria
    • Origin:

      African place-name and Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "rose"
    • Description:

      Zaria, the name of the Nigerian capital city, could be another Z name for parents to consider. It currently ranks lower than variations Zariah and Zariyah.
  12. Zephyr
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "west wind"
    • Description:

      Zephyrus was the Greek god of the west wind, and all names associated with him have a pleasantly gentle, breezy feel.
  13. Zuzu
    • Origin:

      Czech diminutive of Susan
    • Meaning:

      "lily"
    • Description:

      This sizzling nickname Zuzu is heard every Christmas as the name of Jimmy Stewart's little girl in "It's a Wonderful Life," but we love it all year round as a lively alternative to double names like Gigi and Bibi.

  14. Zenobia
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "force of Zeus"
    • Description:

      With historical roots as a beautiful and intelligent ancient queen and literary ties to Hawthorne and Edith Wharton novels, this rarity could appeal to adventurous parents seeking the romantically unusual. Tina Fey used it as her daughter Alice's middle name.
  15. Zia
    • Origin:

      Latin; Arabic; Italian
    • Meaning:

      "grain; light, splendor; aunt"
    • Description:

      A short and zippy name that would blend right in with but also stand out among a group of girls named Mia, Gia, Lia and Tia. If you're searching for girl names that work in many cultures, this is an accessible yet distinctive choice. One caveat though: in an Italian-American family it would be strange to have a baby named Aunt.
  16. Zeb
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Zebediah or Zebulon
    • Description:

      Short and to-the-point, it turns an ancient biblical name into a friendly cowboy.
  17. Zeus
    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name
    • Description:

      The supreme Olympian god represents a mighty image for a little fella to live up to, but more and more parents are beginning to consider it seriously. The Roman equivalent Jupiter has also come down to earth. And Zeus wasn't just the supreme god, he was also the god of the sky, thunder, lightning, and fate, among other weighty responsibilities.
  18. Zero
    • Origin:

      Italian from Arabic and Sanskrit
    • Meaning:

      "void"
    • Description:

      Zero has been documented as a given name before, but it's largely familiar as a stage name (such as Zero Mostel, born Samuel Joel Mostel) and comic book and anime characters.
  19. Zuleika
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "fair, brilliant beauty"
    • Description:

      Zuleika is a high-wire act of a name that might appeal to the intrepid baby namer, Like most 'Z'-starting girls' names, it projects a cool, strong aura, as exemplified by the character in Max Beerbohm's satirical 1910 novel, Zuleika Dobson, a heroine so gorgeous that the entire student body of Oxford University committed collective suicide at the sight of her.
  20. Zira
    • Origin:

      Berber, Tamazight
    • Meaning:

      "moonlight"
    • Description:

      Attractive but uncommon name which has been used as a character name in several movies, including The Lion King II and Planet of the Apes. Ziri and Tiziri are variants.