Cute Dog Names

Cute short form of Esther, now associated with the iconic nail polish brand.

Essie

Originally a unisex nickname for a redhead -- red hair is called "ginger" in Britain -- or for the name Virginia, Ginger perennially wears pink gingham and spike heels. 

Ginger

A jaunty offshoot of Sullivan, Sully will be associated by kids with the beloved character in the Pixar animated film Monsters, Inc. Some notable real-life namesakes are French poet and essayist Sully Prudhomme, the heroic pilot "Sully" Sullenberger, and Sully Erna, lead vocalist of Godsmack.

Sully

Audacious offshoot of Roxanne, the wayward heroine of the musical Chicago. 

Roxie

Gentle and friendly, but also full of energy and spark, Albie is a bubbly diminutive, usually of Albert, but also of Alban, Albus, Albie has become a big favorite in England and Wales in recent years. The name has been in the charts there since 1996, but it rose quickly throughout the 2010s, and recently featured in the Top 30. 
 
 If you consider Albie a relation of Albert, it means "noble and bright", while if it is short for Alban and Albus, it would mean "white, bright, light". Also popular in Northern Ireland and Scotland, Albie is sometimes used as an anglicization of Ailbhe, a unisex Irish name meaning "world, light, white" or "rock". 
 
Alternative spelling Alby peaked back in 2016 when it ranked at #387 in England and Wales, though it has since fallen to just within the Top 900. 
 
Albie has never appeared in the US Top 1000 and was given to just 26 boys (and 6 girls) in a recent year.

Albie

Until recently it was rarely used as a proper name; Buddy Holly, for example, was christened Charles, and Salinger's Buddy Glass was born Webb. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver did name his fourth child Buddy Bear Maurice--a fittingly named brother to Poppy Honey Rosie, Daisy Boo Pamela and Petal Blossom Rainbow, and singer Tom Fletcher has a double-nicknamed Buddy Bob.

Buddy

Desi

A rarely-used name even in its native Cornwall, Jory nevertheless feels very wearable, thanks to its similarity to familiar picks like Rory, Corey and Joey. Jory Cassel is a minor character in the first season of Game of Thrones.

Jory

Old school Howard has fallen out of fashion in recent years, having been a Top 100 choice in the US from the 1880s until the 1960s. Short form Howie, however, might have more potential, with its distinctive sounds but similarities to choices such as Bowie, Harvey, Hal, Hugh, and Rowdy.
 
Derived from either the Germanic Hughard meaning "high guardian", the Old Norse Hávarðr meaning "brave heart", or perhaps even the Middle English term for a sheep herder, Howie has never featured in the charts as a stand alone name. A recent year saw it given to 21 boys in the US and just six boys in England and Wales, while Howard was chosen for 226 and 13 respectively.

Howie

Not too long ago, Ernie may have felt totally out of style: a clunky old man nickname, best reserved for grandpa alongside Merle, Errol, and Barney. Now however, it's a rising star, a vintage revival in the England and Wales Top 350 where it features alongside Percy and Teddie.
 
Traditionally used as a nickname for virtue name Ernest (or Earnest, if you prefer), celebrity chef Stephanie Izard made a strong case for Ernie when she gave the name to her son in 2016 while Princess Eugenie also uses Ernie as a nickname for son Ernest, giving it a royal connection.
 
Notably appearing in Sesame Street, a fun bit of trivia about Ernie is that it is an anagram of Irene.
 
A recent year saw it given to just 18 boys in the US, making it one of those "exclusively UK" favorites for now. Long form Ernest has, however, been quietly on the rise, given to more than 200 boys which could mean more little Ernies.

Ernie

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.

Nixie

This old-timey nickname for Otis and Odell is strongly tied to Garfield’s canine companion in the Garfield comic, movie, and TV franchise.
 
Actress Ashley Williams gave it signs of life when she used it for her son, Odie Sal, in 2017.

Odie

One of the most unusual flower names, Tulip is cute but tough to pull off as a first. It has some celebrity cred via Charlie Tamara Tulip, twin daughter of Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell. It derives from Persian dulband "turban", due to the distinctive shape of the flowers.

Tulip

Timmy is a warm, friendly masculine name that originated as a diminutive form of Timothy. The root name Timothy comes from the Greek "Timotheos," meaning "honoring God" or "honored by God," and appears in the Bible as the name of Paul's young companion. Timmy gained significant popularity in the mid-20th century, often used as both a nickname and a given name in its own right. The name evokes a sense of youthfulness and approachability, and has been featured in popular culture through characters like Timmy Turner in "The Fairly OddParents" animated series. While some parents now prefer to use Timothy on birth certificates, Timmy continues to be chosen for its cheerful, unpretentious quality and familiar sound. Its usage has declined since its peak but maintains steady recognition.

Timmy

This nickname name might be cute for a niño, but one of the full names ending in tino would make a more mature statement. 

Tino

Although Disney's cute deer was a male, Bambi has always been used for girls. It first appeared on the charts in 1943, the year after the Disney movie was released. Bambi featured in the Top 1000 from 1954-1964 — a decade where girl names ending in I, like Lori and Teri, were big — and again from 1977-1982.
 
We once said that Bambi sounds far too flimsy to face the modern world, but the times are changing. Names that end in I are once again en vogue, and Love Island star Molly-Mae Hague recently named her daughter Bambi. It's too early to tell, but a Bambi renaissance may be upon us.

Bambi

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

When actress Susan Ker Weld changed her name to Tuesday, she opened up a whole calendar of possibilities. This was decades before the arrival of Sunday Rose Urban and years before Wednesday Addams made midweek a possibility.
 
Meaning "Tiw's day", "Tui's day", or "Tyr's day", the name honors both an Indo-European sky god (equivalent to Zeus perhaps) or the Norse God of combat, justice, and law. More figuratively, it could mean "shining day" or "sky day" from the meaning of Tiu and Tyr
 
Tuesday has a very quiet heyday back in the 60s when Tuesday Weld was on screen and "Ruby Tuesday" and "Tuesday afternoon" had entered the charts. In a recent count however, just 8 girls were give the name.

Tuesday

An old-fashioned nickname in the Bud/Buzz/Biff mold; this one's kind of belligerent. Michelle Hicks and Jonny Lee Miller moved outside the box when they used it for their son--given the safer middle name of Timothy.

Buster

Sweet, nicknamey name belonging to the tragic heroines of both La Bohème and Rent. Mimi might feel too slight for many parents to use on the birth certificate, but as a short form, it's one of the cutest of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/508/cute-baby-names-for-girls">cute baby names</a>.

Mimi

Cute dogs need cute dog names. It's practically a rule!

? Well, Bella and Max, the two top names for dogs, definitely count as cute names for dogs. But more unique choices such as Emmy and Ernie might compete for the title as well.

 include Dottie, Juno, and Pippa. In addition to Max and Ernie, other 

 include Dewey, Monty, and Ozzy. Word names for dogs can be really cute, such as Bonnet, Cozy, and Otter.

If you're looking for cute names for dogs to suit your adorable dog or puppy, consult our extensive roster here.

Cute dog names including Zoey, Ziggy, and other cute names for dogs, with meaning, origin, and popularity (Page 8)