Pet Names · Cat Names
By Brynn McKeon · Updated September 2026
Across 9 pages
of 9
English combination name
"beautiful honey"
In the eighteenth century there was a poetic fad for names with the 'inda' sound, and, along with Belinda, Clarinda, Dorinda and Florinda, Melinda was one of those created at that time. It came into…
variation of Alanna
"handsome, cheerful"
The addition of the letter "y" gives this a nice, rhythmic Russian feel.
Irish Gaelic
"beautiful, radiant"
Aoife, pronounced EE-fa, is derived from the Irish word aoibh , meaning "beauty." Aoife was borne by several different heroines of ancient Irish legend. In one tale, she was the fiercest woman…
English word name
"exquisitely beautiful"
Word names are often genderless, but Lovely feels particularly feminine (cue Isn't She Lovely? by Stevie Wonder). Chris Brown chose this name for his daughter, born in 2022, which may give the name a…
African
"handsome"
Originating in Ethiopia, this warm-feeling name is now associated with Phoenix Suns basketball player Amare Stoudemire. It has ranked in the US Top 1000 since 2005.
Hebrew
"beautiful"
Despite its Irish sound, this commonly used word name has usually been confined to Jewish families.
Female variation of Alan
Singer Alanis Morissette made this twist famous. She was named for her father Alan, who is said to have spotted this version in a Greek newspaper. So far it has been pretty much a one-person name,…
"handsome, good"
In the Bible this was the name of a midwife who helped deliver Moses.
Variation of Jolie, French, English
"beautiful, pretty; God's clearing, Jehovah's meadow"
A variation of bright and cheerful Jolie, this form may appeal to those who love the sound of the French name, but also enjoy the contemporary look of choices such as Charlee and Baylee. You could…
Arabic
Familiar and handsome, Jamil is a name of Arabic origin. Its literal meaning is "beautiful" and while this can refer to physical beauty, as a Quranic name, it more specifically refers to beautiful…
Turkish, Persian
"beautiful, delicate"
Succint and sparky, Nazli is a Persian and Turkish name meaning "delicate, beautiful" or "coy". It is a popular choice in Turkey and Azerbaijan where it is transcribed as Nazlı, with a dotless I.
"most beautiful"
Ahsan is a superlative variation of Hasan, which means "beautiful." Hasan is an important name in Muslim culture, as it is the name of the Prophet Muhammed's martyred grandson.
Japanese
"smiling child; beautiful child"
A fresh and pretty Japanese name which would be an unusual route to the popular Emmy/Emi nickname. In Japanese, this name can be formed from a variety of different kanji combinations with different…
Hebrew, Scandinavian, Japanese
"beautiful, pleasant, delightful"
This adorable cross cultural name updates Naomi and offers an accessible Japanese option. The Scandis were the first to contract Naomi to Nomi, once again being ahead of the trend. Nomi strikes the…
"well developed, handsome"
No longer a one-person name, as a number of parents have been inspired by basketball great Shaquille O'Neal to adopt it for their own future athletes.
Hawaiian; Igbo
Folk singer DiFranco popularized this simple, appealing form. In Igbo mythology, Ani is one of the names of the goddess of the earth, fertility, creativity, and morality.
Chinese, Korean
"ruler, talented, handsome"
A simple and charismatic Chinese and Korean name, also spelled Joon.
Irish
"son of the handsome one"
Although the Mc or Mac prefix always means "son of", the first names McKenna and MacKenna are used in the US exclusively for girls, with the McKenna spelling outpacing this one 14 to 1. There are no…
Botanical name or Irish
"white flower, beautiful sheen"
Variant of Eaven, an Anglicization of Aoibheann. As a botanical name, it refers to a type of pretty white flower which thrives in mountainous regions.
Diminutive of Kenneth; Japanese
"born of fire or handsome; healthy and strong"
In many minds this one belongs to Barbie, but with such positive meanings and international connections, can Ken make the transition to usability again?
