White Dog Names

Rarely heard outside of Wales, Arianwen is one of many pretty wen-ending names prominent in ancient Welsh legend.

Eighties spin on megapopular Whitney that currently ranks higher than the original. Whitley fell out of the Top 1000 for several decades but resurfaced in 2018.

Aubin might be seen as a fresher and more decidedly masculine twist on Aubrey, though the two are not related. This stylish French choice derives from the Roman Albinus or Albus, meaning "white, bright" or sometimes "blonde". Pronounced with a strong O sound and with a barely there 'n', the name ranked at #275 in its native France as of 2023.

The name of a French city famous for its fine lace. Another association: Chantilly cream – a sweetened whipped cream apparently invented there in the 17th century by a chef at the Château de Chantilly. The town probably takes is name from the Gallo-Roman personal name Cantilius, derived from a word for "white".

Gwenora teeters on the line between unique gem and modern invention. But it's not a smoosh name fashioned from Gwen and Nora but an old Cornish form of Guinevere, like its much more famous sister Jennifer.

It's a bear, it's an island, it's (almost) a camera. It's starting to catch some parents' eyes as a wild, adventurous name. The largest proportion of boys named Kodiak is in Washington State.

The meaning of this sweet Japanese name varies depending on the combination of kanji used, but the first element mi means "beautiful".

North's image and gender status was irrevocably changed when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced it as the name of their newborn daughter. But why not? West is firmly established as a name, Easton is coming up strong, and North has a nice solid sound as well -- certainly as appropriate for either gender. South, though, not so much.

Thanks to two cultural influences, January has joined March, April, June and August as a plausible month name.

Pretty and unusual, Livana may find a lot more fans as parents look for alternatives to Number 1 Olivia. Livana was used for only seven baby girls in the US last year.

Western place-name that feels equally appropriate for both genders. Note: Natives say rhyme that second syllable with had, so it's not nehv-AH-da.

Popular in India and among Indo-Americans, this name of the hero of a famous Hindu epic has an extremely pleasing sound.

A fresh and pretty Welsh nature name whose beautiful meaning would be perfect for a winter baby girl.

Olaf, though sainted and regal in Norway, is slightly oafish here. It is one of those names that has become completely familiar in the U.S. without ever becoming assimilated. Now that he's a comical character in Disney's Frozen, he might get some more attention.

This presidential name is in style limbo today - or, some might say, in the the sweet spot of familiar but little-used.

One name that encompasses several big baby name trends: Hawaiian names, word names and space-related names. Mahina ranks among Hawaii's top baby names for girls.

More colorful than Blanche, but blanker than Bianca.

If you're looking for an unusual alternative to all those Rose names, Rhoswen might be a good choice. This name has the soft sounds we've come to love from the Welsh language but is still not as familiar as Bronwen and Rhiannon.

The final a adds a lot of style.

Nivea, or Nívea, is most commonly seen as a given name in Brazil, where it was derived from niveus, meaning "snow-white" in Latin. The German skincare brand NIVEA, founded in 1882, took its name from the same source.