Pet Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 23 pages
of 23
English nickname
The most outlandish Beatles-inspired name, if Lennon or McCartney are too tame for you. Ringo Starr is the stage name of drummer Richard Starkey, taken from his nickname Ringo (because he wore lots…
Animal name or English diminutive of Berenice, Greek
"she who brings victory"
Bunny may be adorable, but is it really enough of a name for your daughter? Plus if Buffy is fluffy, what would that make Bunny? Still, Bunny as a baby name is in the spotlight since Bryan Adams…
English
"wage war"
Could a child named Warrior be anything but fierce and willful? We count Warrior among our Magic Names , those that are chosen for their ability to influence and protect their bearers. We see Warrior…
Modern nickname
Brother for Biff and Bud. McFly rocker Tom Fletcher transformed this from midcentury short form to modern cool name when he used it for his newborn son.
Diminutive of Spanish Francisco
"Frenchman or free man"
Shortening Francisco somehow makes it sound even cooler. Cisco is also the name of a digital security company.
Botanical name and French
"reddish brown"
A fragrant herbal and color name that could make a sensitive, distinctive choice.
English word name, diminutive of Barbara, Latin
"foreign woman"
Baby is rarely seen as a given name — or even nickname — these days, although it did rank in the Top 1000 from 1989 to 2003. These instances can be accounted for in two ways. Firstly, infants whose…
English word name
"dusty"
Dusty first became popular as a girl's name thanks to singer Dusty Springfield - born Mary. She used her childhood nickname professionally, and many parents embraced Dusty as a name for their…
Diminutive of Fergus
One Fergie was an aberration. But two women with that nickname -- the duchess and the Black Eyed Pea -- might make a trend.
Roswell is a masculine name with English origins, derived from an Old English surname that combines 'rose' (the flower) and 'well' (a spring or water source). The name gained some recognition in the…
"releasing device; to initiate"
This name might be too, well, triggering.
Portuguese
"lover of horses"
Portuguese form of Philip
Latin
"lord, master"
One of those ultimate cool-girl names, played by Keira Knightley in a movie about a supermodel-turned-bounty hunter, but kids might associate it with the game. High profile British designer India…
Irish, variant of Diarmaid/Dermot
"without injunction, without envy"
Kermit was a Top 500 name until the 1960s, not coincidentally the decade in which Kermit the Frog made it a one-person (well, one-frog) name. Derived from the Irish surname Mac Diamada, itself from…
American elaboration of Mabel, English
"lovable"
The popular cosmetics brand Maybelline inspires at least a few baby girls' names each year. Company founder Thomas Lyle Williams created the name as a portmanteau of Mabel and Vaseline after watching…
English surname name
Superhero names are fit for humans today, and there's no reason Rambo can't take his place among a generation of babies named Loki, Odin, and Atlas. In the eponymous movie, Rambo is the character's…
"animal name"
Sable is often associated with the Dynsaty soap opera, but it is actually a type of animal historically hunted for its fur. Sable is also used as a word for a warm, rich black color. Both…
English word, Old English
"an inlet of the sea where the land curves inward; berry"
One of the most usable of the pleasant, newly adopted nature/water names (like Lake and Ocean), especially in middle position. It's gentle, slightly whimsical, but grounded by its similarity to May…
English variation of Barnabas, Aramaic
"son of consolation"
Barnaby, a genial and energetic name with an Irish-sounding three-syllable lilt, is an ancient appellation that manages to be both unusual and highly attractive and deserves to be used more than it…
Modern literary name
One of the more wearable fantasy names, the original Garion was the lead character in teh Belgariad novels by David Eddings. Since then, a small number of parents have used the name, and it has real…
