Pet Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 17 pages
of 17
Color name
Among the coolest of the cool color names, particularly popular with celebs as a unisex middle name. While most famous as the name of Beyonce and Jay-Z's daughter Blue Ivy, more than 60 percent of…
English, Yiddish
"gold"
A name with an obvious meaning, for a long time associated with Golda Meir, the fourth Prime Minister of Israel. Nickname Goldie seems to be catching on in the celebrity community.
English
"steep-sided valley"
Like Marvin and Melvin, Sheldon has been perceived as about as far out as you can get, though there are very pretty towns in Devon and Derbyshire that inspired it. Sheldon Lee Cooper is the lead nerd…
Italian, diminutive of any name ending in -dino
Italian heritage name. It's sweet and simple, but has fallen almost out of use since its heyday in the 1960s.
Greek
"she who hides"
Melodic, rhythmic, and poetic in sound, Calypso is a name with connections to music, mythology, space, and pop culture. A distinctive was to nickname Callie or even Pip, it has that charming -o…
Hindi
"ocean"
This popular Indian name is heard in the US. Bollywood actor Akshay Khanna has a son named Arnav.
"gift of the ocean"
Doris had long been on our so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out-for-babies list, and seemed to be written there in indelible ink. But there are signs of a sea change, that Doris could profit from the…
Word name
Sunshine was seen as a quintessential hippie name of the 70s, reaching as high as Number 536 in 1975. Now such names are making a bit of a retro comeback, seen, for example, as a character on Glee .
French from Latin
"coral"
Coralie is a French name not often heard here, though she's gaining some recognition via Neil Gaiman's similar sounding spooky and lovely children's book, Coraline . Other literary appearances:…
Hebrew
"twisted, coiled; in modern Hebrew - whale"
Leviathan was a name given to 76 boys in the USA in 2021. It makes a rather unusual Biblical choice, being the name not of a man or angel, but of a sea monster. In literature and popular culture, the…
Diminutive of Sandra or Alexandra, Greek
"defending men"
Nickname name in the era of Grease . Sandy fits well in the era of boyish nicknames for girls - a la Scottie and Stevie - or as an alternative to the rapidly rising Goldie. While it peaked in 1960,…
Diminutive of Wilhelmina, German
"resolute protection"
Minnie was wildly popular at the turn of the last century — it was the fifth or sixth most popular name throughout the 1880s — but is completely obscure in the US today. Blame Mickey's girlfriend.…
Japanese or Choctaw
"carp; panther"
The Koi is a variety of carp especially popular in ornamental gardens in Japan, where they are a symbol of good fortune. In Buddhist culture, the koi is associated with courage. Being one letter away…
Irish, variation of Fionnan
With Finn, Finley, Finnegan, and Flynn in the charts, Finan offers another way to get to that popular sound. A spelling variant of Fionnan, Finan is an Irish name that means "little, white and…
German
"universal, whole, great"
A Top 200 choice in the US from the late 1880s to the early 1930s, Irma has nevertheless fallen out of favor with modern parents, and doesn't look set for the sort of comeback that some of her…
Latin
"godfather"
Jupiter's partner Juno has entered the mainstream, so it's possible that her divine mate could follow. But not necessarily for boys — Jupiter is currently mostly female in the US, thanks to its…
Diminutive of Theodore or Edward, Greek or English
"gift of god; rich guard"
Like Ed, Eddie and Teddy, Ted is rarely used as an independent name – in the US, at least. In the UK, Eddie ranks just outside the Top 200, Teddy ranks just outside the Top 30, and Ted is a Top 200…
Greek mythology name
"mourner, earth land"
Ajax is the name of two Greek heroes, both who fought in the Trojan war and feature in Homer's "Iliad". Distinctive yet familiar in sound, thanks to similar choices like Jack, Asa, and Ajay, Ajax is…
English surname, English word name
"dear"
Darling has history as an English surname, but it would most likely be read as a quirky and loving word name, a la Sweetheart or Honey.
English diminutive
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.
