Pet Names · Dog Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 5 pages
of 5
English
"wealthy protector"
The sophisticated Edmond and its nearly-identical twin Edmund are coming out of mothballs now that Edward, inspired by Twilight, is once again a hot name. Parents looking for an alternative might…
Diminutive of Alexander
"defending men"
Cool short form of Alexander, fresher than Alex and less trendy than Xander... for now.
Russian diminutive of Alexander
The energetic Russian nickname name Sasha is being used increasingly on its own, though since the prominence of the First Daughter, more than 90% of the American babies named Sasha are girls. Sacha…
Variation of Cleo, Greek
"glory"
Khloe : Chloe :: Kleo : Cleo
Diminutive of Sandra or Alexandra, Greek
Nickname name in the era of Grease . Sandy fits well in the era of boyish nicknames for girls - a la Scottie and Stevie - or as an alternative to the rapidly rising Goldie. While it peaked in 1960,…
Dutch and Scandinavian, diminutive of Alexander
Sander is a more conventional form of Zander or Xander, heard frequently on its own in Europe. It is now a Top 20 name in Norway, and is also popular in Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Russian, Greek
Alexei could well join the legion of Alex names popular in the US. There are countless opportunities to liven up Alexander, and Alexei (or Alexey) is one of the most straightforward and appealing.
Diminutive of Wilhelmina
"resolute protection"
In the US, Wilma is appears to be eternally fossilized in Bedrock as Fred Flintstone's wife, but in Sweden it's a Top 10 hottie. It did have its moment in the US--from 1912 to 1940 it was a Top 100…
Irish variation of Raymond
"wise protector"
We love this partly for purely personal reasons, since it is one of our surnames. We used it as the middle name of a son –and it can make a good first choice too. Redmond – also found as Reamann or…
German variation of William
This dignified German form of William belonged to two German Emperors and Kings of Prussia, as well as a host of other important historical figures. These include composer (Wilhelm) Richard Wagner,…
Spanish diminutive of Alejandro
Another appealing member of the Alexandrian clan.
Greek
Very popular on its native turf, foreign-sounding here.
English, diminutive of William
Most Bills today are dads...or grandpas. The younger Williams are usually nicknamed Will, or called by their full names.
German
"powerful protector"
Richmond is a place-name — it's the capital of Virginia, US, and a town in London, UK — that makes a fresh way to honor an ancestral Richard.
Hindi
"protector"
Name of one of the three main Hindu gods.
Scottish diminutive of Alexander
Sanders is one of the S-ending surnames gaining traction as a first name for boys in the US. It jumped nearly 2000 points in popularity this year.
"divine protection"
Once too tightly tied to the aging musical clan featuring Donny and Marie, Osmond may now be able to escape that association and join the cooler group of Os and Oz names, which include Osgood, Ozias,…
German variation of Sasha
"defending warrior"
In Europe, this name is mostly male, but here it's more fashionable for girls. It's a diminutive of Alexander.
Short form of Jalmari, Finnish
"helmet protector"
Sleek modern short form of a classic Scandinavian name .
English, diminutive of Melvin
"council protector"
Though most Mels are playing pinochle with Murray and Morris, there was a notable Saint Mel. He is one of the earliest Irish saints, a nephew of St. Patrick. He became a priest, then built a great…
