The Wolfe spelling shifts this name from animal name to surname-name, aggressive to aristocratic, much like Wilde does for Wild. Some sources suggests that the original bearers of the Wolfe family name were all fierce and cunning, or worked as hunters of wolves, though it may be worth bearing in mind that "Wulf" was used as an element in a number of Old English given names too.

This powerful old name can actually be traced back to two distinct sources. As an Old German name, Wolfram (borne by the medieval poet Wolfram von Eschenbach) derives from a combination of wolf + hraben "raven".

A fierce nature name which could give cool short form Nash.

If there are too many Connors in your neighborhood, this name is equally authentic and much more unusual. Spelled Conal or Conall, it's a prominent name in Irish history, borne by a number of kings and heroes.

Lupine (spelled Lupin outside of North America) is a flower related to sweetpeas. It was given its wolfish meaning because the plant was said to deplete the soil. Comedian Jenny Slate used it as a middle name for her daughter Ida in 2020.

Ubbe or Ubba was a 9th-century Viking and one of the commanders of the Great Heathen Army that invaded Anglo-Saxon England in the 9th century. It ultimately has its roots in either the Old Norse Úlfr, meaning "wolf", or the word úfr meaning "unfriendly". Also spelled as appearing as Ubbi, it may also be used as a diminutive of Urban ("city dweller").

One of the top Icelandic girl names. It's very pretty — if you know how to pronounce it.

Sure, he'd probably get a certain amount of red-nosed teasing around the holiday, but a boy named Rudolph could probably take it. Besides, he's got other, more distinguished namesakes -- the great ballet dancer Nureyev, silent screen Lothario Valentino and 9-11 Mayor Giuliani.

Ylva may look like it belongs with the Eva family of names, but it actually derives from Ulf, a name meaning "wolf." It's not a very intuitive name to English-speakers, and likely won't get picked up in the US anytime soon. At last count, it was only given to five American baby girls.

Also related to the word for wolf, this name has a first syllable that's not appealing to the American ear. Better ic-ending choices: Dominic, Frederic, Eric.

While the most famous Channing is the very male Channing Tatum, the name is now given about a third of the time for girls. Television executive Channing Dungey is a well-know example of a female Channing. It makes an attractive surname-name for either gender.

A common Scandinavian name, but hard to imagine being used elsewhere.

Rudy has been heard as a feminine name before — most notably on Rudy Huxtable, the young girl on The Cosby Show. This spelling makes it a bit girlier, although it's occasionally used for boys as well.

An interesting possibility if you're looking for a highly unusual animal name.

This softer version of Adolf is sadly still off-limits due to the connotations with Hitler.

This striking mini-name comes with a fierce animal edge — vuk is the Serbian word for "wolf".

Notable Wolfs like Blitzer, Mankowitz, and Kahn give this name a masculine bent, but nature names are inherently unisex, so we see no reason why Wolf can't be used on a baby girl.

Historically Wolf has been more common among German (where it's pronounced Vulf) and Jewish families, occasionally as a nickname for Wolfgang.

The nickname Wolfie softens and feminizes Wolf, while Wolfe turns it into a surname.

Kennelly could be an upbeat modern namesake for a Grandpa Kenneth; it can also be spelled Kenneally.