Pet Names · Dog Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 9 pages
of 9
Nature name
Though some forward-looking parents are now choosing wood-related names like Oak, Pine, and Ash, this generic option would be even more avant garde.
Teutonic
"staff of the Goths"
Gray-bearded name heard primarily in Sweden and Germany.
Short form of Obadiah or African, Igbo
"heart"
Strongly linked in the US to the complex "Star Wars" character, Obi Wan Kenobi, but also popular in Nigeria as a short form of names containing the element Obi "heart". Obi can also be a nickname for…
Latin
"red-head"
Rufus is a rumpled, redheaded (it was the nickname for red-haired King William) ancient Roman name popular with saints and singers (e.g. Rufus Wainwright); now, Rufus is on the cutting edge of cool.…
English word name
There's definitely a cold front of names for winter babies moving in, with Summer, Spring and Autumn giving way to Winter--plus North, January, Frost--and Snow. This name feels brisk, fresh, pure,…
Norse
"fair victory"
Sigrid is a distinctly Scandinavian name that is starting to edge out into the wider world, a la cousin Ingrid. Unfortunately, short form Siri is now off the table, but Sigrid is still a possibility.
Color name
Blue suddenly came into the spotlight, as the unusual color name chosen by Beyonce and Jay-Z for their baby girl Blue Ivy. Blue is also a starbaby middle name du jour, used for both sexes in…
"a loud rumbling or crashing noise heard after a lightning flash"
This booming word name has been used every year since 1988, yet at most was given to 30 baby boys in a single year. But with names like Thunder, all it takes is one celebrity to bring it to the…
Japanese
"snow; happiness"
Succinct and memorable, Yuki is a Japanese name, which may relate to winter or joy, depending on the kanji used. It is a unisex choice, notably borne by singer Yuki Kuramochi (stylized as YUKI).
German
"water nymph"
If you love Dixie, Trixie and Pixie, this name of a mermaid-like sprite in German folklore may be for you. It might also make an update for Nicki.
Place name, English, Spanish, French, Latin "worth; valley"
"worth; valley"
A distinctive and unusual choice, Vail may stem from the Latin, French, and Spanish valor and valeur , denoting worth, merit, and value: a perfect meaning for a baby. There is the possibility however…
English
"freezing"
Long heard as a last name, as in venerable poet Robert, U.K. talk show host David, British actress Sadie and old Jack Frost, Frost has suddenly entered the scene as a possible first, along with other…
Icelandic
"iceberg"
Visually similar to Jack and Jacob, but with a refreshing Nordic origin and literally ice-cool meaning.
French
"white"
Blanche, which originated as a nickname for a pale blonde and then became associated with the notion of purity, was in style a century ago, ranking in the double digits until 1920. She then had to…
Irish
"white fire or white bull"
Fintan is an ancient Irish saints' name that in legend is also the name of the only person to survive The Flood. Popular in modern Ireland, Fintan is ripe for export to the US where it is rarely used…
Albanian, Hungarian, Mongolian, Slovene, Korean, "snow; foreign; brown, grey; pine tree; purple"
"snow; foreign; brown, grey; pine tree; purple"
A name with a multitude of meanings, Bora means "snow" in Albanian (via borë , and pronounced BAW-ruh); "foreign" in Hungarian, where it is a variation of Borbála, a form of Barbara (pronounced as…
Scandinavian, variation of Birgit or Britt
"strength or exalted one"
If you want a pan-Scandinavian name with energy and style that could have been a winner, if not for the sound-alike water filtration company Brita.
"stormy"
Stormy and variations have always been more common among girls, but there's no reason you shouldn't use it for a son. Storm was historically more masculine, until the arrival of Stormi Webster.
Place name
"land of ice"
Iceland is a futuristic place name that works as well for babies as Ireland. We predict it's going to be one of the top baby names of 2050 , along with other girl names that end in land, such as…
Hebrew variation of Sarah; also Japanese
"chaste"
The late actress Sada Thompson introduced this obscure but usable form.
