Pet Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 23 pages
of 23
Nickname for Philippa
"lover of horses"
Flip is a down-to-earth, attitude nickname for the very proper Philippa. If you want to downshift even further from Pippa, Flip may be your gender-neutral choice.
Chinese mythological name
Kirin is a unisex name by virtue of representing a mythological creature that is part horse and part dragon and combines qualities that are both male and female. This is one Chinese name that…
Flick is a feminine name with English origins, often considered a diminutive or nickname form of names like Felicity or Felicia. It has a bright, spunky quality that conveys quickness and vitality.…
Word name
There are many fire-related names, from Aidan to Fiammetta, but the Flame isn't one that's often found on birth certificates. It's a highly symbolic word: flames can represent faith, passion and…
Even if you're hoping for a fiery child, this seems like playing with fire. One celebrity--Steve Vai--was bold enough to use it for his son.
Place-name
We've seen babies with Texas city names like Austin, Houston and Dallas--, why not the unexplored Laredo, which has a lot of cowboy charisma? Laredo might make for a more modern and creative namesake…
Greek
"imagination"
One of the more prominent by-products of reality TV, via Disney.
French place-name
Louisiana is a geographic spin on the Louise theme. Pretty, if a bit of a syllable overload. Short form Lou or Lulu lightens it.
Italian from German
"protector"
Elmo, like fellow Sesame Street characters Kermit and Grover, has a hard time being taken seriously. (It isn't easy being red either.) But Elmo also calls to mind the image of St. Elmo's fire--the…
Diminutive of Edward et al
"wealthy"
The most minimalist of names, Ed is decidedly out -- though that usually means it's due to swing back in. More stylish these days: Ned or even Ted.
Invented name
"eclipse"
Eclipsa Butterfly, also called Eclipsa the Queen of Darkness, is a character on the Disney Channel show Star vs. the Forces of Evil . Both Eclipsa and Solaria, the name of her mother, debuted on the…
Irish
"horse"
Eachna is the name of an Irish goddess renowned for her beauty, brains and stylishness; in early legend, a Connacht princess named Eachna was deemed to be one of the loveliest and cleverest women int…
"keeper of horses; brown horse"
Authentic Gaelic name with pronunciation problems in the US. In Scotland Eachann has been anglicized as Hector, not because of its sound, but because the Trojan hero Hector had the reputation as a…
British place-name
Two-syllable place-names are stylish, and this one is attached to a British city noted for its white chalk cliffs, but there are a couple of minuses: associated with the fish, Dover sole, and also…
Diminutive of Robert, English from German
"bright fame"
Ancient nickname that sounds cuter than its modern alternatives -- but be aware that in the days of the horse and buggy, it was most often used for the horse.
Spanish
"devil"
Diablo Cody, self-named (she's really Brook Busey) screenwriter of Juno, singlehandedly helped popularize not just her heroine's name and her own but all o-ending names for girls. You don't need us…
French
"war horse"
Destry rides again, this time as a Western flavored baby name. Derived from the French surname Destrier, from an Anglo-Norman word meaning "warhorse", this rugged name was popularized by the 1930…
"warhorse"
Word name English from Norse
"park with deer"
Derby might be considered a word name or a surname-name. In England, it would be pronounced darby, causing confusion with that similar name.
Mcqueen is a masculine surname-turned-first-name with Scottish Gaelic origins. Derived from 'Mac Shuibhne' meaning 'son of Suibhne' (a personal name meaning 'well-going' or 'pleasant'), it carries…
