Pet Names · Cat Names
By Brynn McKeon · Updated September 2026
Across 9 pages
of 9
Welsh
"warrior chief"
Now that Kimberly is no longer one of the top girl names, Kim or long form Kimball feel more gender neutral.
Scandinavian
"new victory"
Signe could make an offbeat, more unusual alternative to Sydney or Sigrid. In Norse mythology, Signe was the twin sister of Sigmund. Can also be spelled Signy.
Irish
"band of warriors"
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…
Arabic
"victorious"
Captivating Arabic choice, sometimes transcribed as Fa'izah.
Norse, diminutive of Sigrid
"fair victory"
Siri is a charming and lively Scandinavian name that is no longer on the table given the ubiquity of Apple's digital Siri. Too bad, because Siri -- along with variations Syrie and Cyrie -- is unique,…
Diminutive of Viktoria, Russian from Latin
"victory"
Fresher and more exciting than Vicki or Tori.
Greek
"viable, survivor"
Zosimus is a quirky Z starting name with a long history. It has been the name of several early saints and a pope, as well as the Byzantine author of a history of the Roman Empire, published in the…
Romani
"elf warrior or all true"
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…
English
"clever warrior"
This name has been off the USA Top 1000 list since before 1900, but it has some great musical credentials: consider American blues singer Alger "Texas" Alexander and country music legend Pat Alger.
Variant of Alafair
"the victorious"
Introduced to the lexicon by the husband of Little House on the Prairie writer Laura Ingalls Wilder, most scholars agree that this unusual name comes from the Arabic El-Mansur.
German variation of Louisa
"renowned warrior"
Obscure form of an old-fashioned favorite that's poised to make a comeback. This version, which owes as much to Alison as to Louisa, has a stylish A beginning and a multi-syllabic feminine grace.
German
"famous fighter"
Inventive female form of Aloysius.
"elf warrior"
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…
Latinized feminine form of Ancient Greek
"unconquerable"
A delicate name with strong roots, Aniceta is most often used in contemporary Spain. Saint Anicetus was an ancient pope and martyr.
Icelandic from Norse
"eagle warrior"
A common name in Iceland, from the same origins as Arnold et al.
"warrior fighting with a spear"
Last-name-first-name with a romantic but dangerous edge.
Irish, anglicized form of Old Gaelic Buadhachain
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.
Old Norse
"warrior armor"
An attractive Nordic name most common in Iceland. It was derived from the Old Norse elements bryn , meaning "armor," and her , "warrior" or "army." Brynjar Leifsson is a member of the band Of…
Anglo-Saxon
"warrior"
Caedmon is considered the first English poet -- a nice literary tie-in to the streamlined version.
