Pet Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 23 pages
of 23
English
"sun dance"
Long synonymous with the American outlaw Harry Longabaugh, aka The Sundance Kid, who got his nickname from the town of Sundance, Wyoming, where he was incarcerated as a teenager. The place name…
Slavic
"from Thessaly"
Tesla, the surname of Serbian inventor Nikola Tesla that has more recently been used as the brand name for an electric car, is gaining some use as a first name for girls . Exactly 100 girls were…
"grower or seller of barley"
A bit too bad-boy (think bars, beer, Harley) for us, as well as being the name of a grain.
Spanish word name
"tornado"
Tornado first meant thunderstorm and only later came to mean whirlwind, the common modern meaning. More recently, Tornado is the first name of a tennis-playing teen whose sister is called the equally…
Occupational name
One of the less obvious newly plausible occupational names, could instill a sense of adventure in a child.
Invented name
"by the bank"
Credit, of course, to the artist for inventing this secretive pseudonym, but we actually have Hilary Duff to thank for Banksy as a baby name. Banksy is Duff's nickname for her daughter Banks, born in…
Word name
"string instrument"
When Australian actress Rachel Griffiths chose this highly unusual name for her son, many assumed it was a bizarre invention, but noted Australian poet and writer of Waltzing Matilda , Banjo…
Word or occupational name
"outlaw, thief"
We hesitate to call Bandit an occupational name, any more than Rogue or Vandal are occupational names, yet its use by one of the bandmembers of My Chemical Romance (for his daughter: we're thinking…
English word name
"spinning; incorporating a turbine"
Turbo debuted on the charts in 2020, when it was given to six baby boys.
Color name
Conjures up the rich brown colors of raw and burnt umber, but it may be too close to girls' Amber.
English from Gaelic
"water of life"
Brandy's son, Sherry's grandson. The word whiskey was derived from the Gaelic uisce beatha , meaning "water of life."
Sanskrit
"red"
The color red plays a prominent role in Hindu mythology, referring to the rising sun or the reddish horses of the "son of fire." Pronounced ahr-OO-shah, it has a stylish Russian flair. Hindi version…
Greek mythology name
The name of the ship sailed by Jason in his search for the Golden Fleece is now more often used for starch, trucks, and heavy machinery.
Amerigo is a masculine Italian name best known through the explorer Amerigo Vespucci, for whom the Americas were named. Derived from Germanic elements, likely 'Amalric' or 'Emmerich,' combining words…
Albino is primarily a masculine name with Latin origins. It derives from 'albus' meaning 'white' or 'bright,' and historically referred to someone with pale or white features. The name is found in…
Greek
"yellow horse"
Xanthipe, also spelled Xanthippe, is the name of the wife of Socrates. Challenging for English speakers, it's also dramatic and alluring.
Famous as the long-suffering wife of the philosopher Socrates.
Modern form of the Classical name Xanthippe, name of Socrates' wife, this name is often used as a by-word for a nagging, scolding woman.
"golden-haired"
This alternate name for Apollo has a noble sound and can always be shortened to Xan.
Norse
"Odin's horse"
The sacred giant tree Yggdrasil or Yggdrasill in Norse mythology is a world tree which supports all else in the universe, including the many different realms. It is said that Odin once hanged himself…
