Pet Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 23 pages
of 23
Variation of Auberon
"elf king; noble bear"
The Shakespearean character Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream is King of the Fairies, but the name, with its bold 'O' beginning has plenty of strength alongside its magical qualities. Oberon was…
Arabic
"falcon"
The eleventh brightest star in the sky has a celestial feel, but also could be the name of a commercial airline.
Spanish
"meadows"
One of the major American city names that's very unlikely to catch on as a baby name, although a small number of children are given the name each year.
Chief is a masculine English word name derived from the Old French 'chef', ultimately from Latin 'caput' meaning 'head'. As a name, Chief directly evokes leadership, authority, and responsibility.…
English; diminutive of Adelaide
"noble"
You can't get much more feminine, sweet, and ladylike than Lady. Would make a cute nickname for up-and-coming Adelaide. Lady will also bring to mind the canine lover of the Tramp.
Color name
Fiery but slight middle name choice; much more apt to be a redhead's nickname.
English word name
A word name with a touch of mystery surrounding it, Shadow is a bold, edgy choice for a baby which some may find a bit ominous. While it is predominatly used for cats, dogs, and other furry friends,…
Slavic or German
"shepherdess; wanderer"
Rarely heard, and when it is, usually attached to a witch. Historically, though, Wanda was a legendary eighth century queen of Poland, and in literature it is the central character of Ouida's…
"attractiveness"
Better yet, find a name with the same meaning: Belle, Cosima, Indira, Uilani, Zeynep.
"rough, unbroken horse"
For the parent who might also have Buck and Ryder on his list.
Scottish place and surname
"chalk ridge, lime mountain"
This name of a town in Scotland, one of the earliest recorded surnames in the whole British Isles, has more vitality than Kelsey. Distinctive in sound with a cool -o ending and a stylish K initial,…
French variation of Philip
"lover of horses"
Philippe, pronounced fill-EEP, is Philip with Gallic flair.
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…
Diminutive of Bambina, Italian
"child; baby girl"
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…
Marvel, now a character name in The Hunger Games series, was a miracle name of yesterday, on the girls' Social Security list until 1941 and reaching a high of 487 at the turn of the last century,…
Skip is a casual, spirited masculine name that originated as a nickname rather than a formal given name. Traditionally, it emerged as a diminutive for various names, particularly Christopher, but…
"Tiu's Day; Tiw's day"
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…
Diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
After a century of association with horses and cows, this name just could be ready for revival by a fearless baby namer -- after all, it did happen to Jessie and Becky. Bessie has been in use since…
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…
Italian variation of Philip, Greek
As classic as it comes in Italy — Filippo was once common during the Renaissance, and today remains in the Top 25.
