Dog Names That Mean Survivor or Fighter
- Louie
Origin:
Variation of Louis, German and FrenchMeaning:
"renowned warrior"Description:
With Stevie, Scottie, and Charlie on the rise, and Lula, Lucy, Eloise, and Lucia all in style, we're predicting a rise in baby girls called Louie. Fitting the "boyish-nicknames-for-girls" trend, it may additionally be used as a nickname of classic Louisa and Louise.
- Einar
Origin:
Old NorseMeaning:
"bold warrior"Description:
With Norse (and pseudo-Norse) names such as Thor, Odin and Magnus growing in popularity, this one, which refers to warriors destined for Valhalla on account of their bravery, might have some appeal outside Scandinavia. Its slightly Eeyore-ish sound is balanced out by connections to some major historical figures, including a Norwegian prime minister.
- Alvar
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"elf warrior"Description:
This name woould be hard to picture in a contemporary kindergarten, though it does have some cultural cred via Finnish architect and furniture designer Alvar Aalto. Aalto would actually make a more interesting choice.
- Luigi
Origin:
Italian vernacular form of LouisMeaning:
"renowned warrior"Description:
Italian classic Luigi, though it lacks the modern style of Nico, Enzo, and Rocco, does have some notable namesakes, such as Nobel Prize winning author Luigi Pirandello and composer Cherubini..
- Bohan
Origin:
Irish, anglicized form of Old Gaelic BuadhachainMeaning:
"victorious"Description:
The surname of influential French fashion designer Marc Bohan could make a modern-sounding two-syllable boy's name, though it might be confused with Bowen.
- Crowley
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"descendant of the hardy warrior"Description:
Although it looks like an English placename, the surname Crowley is an anglicization of the Irish O Cruadhlaoich. A famous bearer was the occultist Aleister Crowley, and it also appears on characters in Supernatural and The Walking Dead. It has started to get a little use in recent years, as part of the new wave of names ending in -ley.
- Alafair
Origin:
RomaniMeaning:
"elf warrior or all true"Description:
The meaning and origin of this extremely rare name are unclear, but it may be related to the Germanic name Alvar "elf warrior", or to Allovera/Elvira "all true". Historically, it has been recorded predominantly in traveling Romani families in Britain and in the American South during the 19th century.
- Gunther
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"battle warrior"Description:
When it's spelled with two dots over the 'u' in German, Gunther is pronounced GUWN-ter, but it has a much softer sound when the 'h' is voiced by English-speakers, as it was, for example, for the name of a character in Friends.
- Igor
Origin:
Old Norse via RussianMeaning:
"warrior"Description:
Musical association with Igor Stravinsky, but also Dr. Frankenstein's right-hand man.
- Luis
Origin:
Spanish variation of LouisMeaning:
"renowned warrior"Description:
Luis has long been one of the most popular Hispanic names in America — it was in the Top 100 every year from 1980 to 2014, though it's dropped a bit in popularity. It's familiar, yet would add a worldly touch to a basic surname.
- Tashka
Origin:
Choctaw, Native AmericanMeaning:
"warrior"Description:
Among the Choctaw, names were given after life achievements. Tashka would have been given to a warrior after a battle.
- Malin
Origin:
Bulgarian, EnglishMeaning:
"raspberry; little warrior"Description:
An international and unisex choice, Malin is a rare northern English name associated with the city of Sheffield. In this case, it would mean "little warrior". As a Bulgarian choice, it is a masculine form of Malina, a Slavic name meaning "raspberry". It is more common as a feminine name, however, as a contracted form of Magdalene and Madeleine.
- Malou
Origin:
Combination of Mary and LouMeaning:
"bitter; renowned warrior"Description:
This charming name, popular in France and the Netherlands, has not traveled to the U.S. yet but would make a modern way to honor grandma Mary or Louise, or as a perfect short form of Mary Louise. Or, with the growing fashion for nickname names, it can stand perfect well on its own. One of several similar variations — Lou, Lilou, Louane — in vogue in Europe.
- Lou
Origin:
Diminutive of Louis or Lewis, French and GermanMeaning:
"renowned warrior"Description:
Lou, all by itself, is become fashionable for girls, which usually makes a name LESS fashionable for boys. But Lou, like Bill or Jim, is rarely used on its own for boys anyway. (You wouldn't name a boy Frederick Lou the way that girls are named Mary Lou or, in the case of Keri Russell's new baby, Willa Lou.) Long form Louis is getting cool again and, with the Lewis spelling, is the Number 2 name in Scotland.
- Fianna
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"band of warriors"Description:
Fianna, a virtually unknown Irish name in the US, combines the best elements of Fiona and Brianna. In Irish and Scottish mythology, the Fianna were independent bands of warriors. It has ranked in Northern Ireland's Top 100 for girls several times over the past decade. The name also has potential political connotations: Fianna Fáil is a conservative Irish republican political party.
- Gunnar
Origin:
Scandinavian variation of GuntherMeaning:
"bold warrior"Description:
A key figure in Norse legend and a traditional Scandinavian favorite making inroads here.
- Ludwig
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"famous warrior"Description:
As heavy as a marble bust of Beethoven.
- Garrick
Origin:
TeutonicMeaning:
"mighty warrior"Description:
A rarely used last-name-first-name, never as popular as cousins Garrett or Derek.
- Alvaro
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"elf warrior"Description:
Traditionally written with an accent (Álvaro), this is a well-used Spanish saint's name with a lot of flair that could definitely cross over to more general usage. It reached its peak in the United States in 1985, when it ranked Number 456. In Spain, Álvaro is a Top 20 boys' name.
- Vittoria
Origin:
Italian variation of Victoria, LatinMeaning:
"victory"Description:
An appealing Italianate alternative to the classic queenly Victoria, though in Anglophone countries it will be forever misunderstood as Victoria. Could be an appealing long form for a girl called not Vicky or Tory but Vita.
The Nameberry App Is Live

Find your perfect baby name together in our iPhone app, now available on the App Store.
- Swipe through thousands of names with your partner
- Names you match on are saved to your shared list
- Get personalized recommendations that learn based on your and your partner's preferences
- Partner with friends and family to find names you all love
- Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data around name preferences.

