Pet Names · Dog Names
By Brynn McKeon · Updated September 2026
Across 11 pages
of 11
Ukrainian form of Matthew, from Hebrew
"gift of God"
Short form of Giovanna, Italian form of John
"God is gracious"
Gio is a cute, more androgynous variation of Gia that could work well as a nickname for names such as Giovanna, Giordana, or Giorgia. It was chosen by Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo for their…
Variation of Jonathan, Hebrew
"gift of Jehovah"
Jonathan variation that is common among Jewish baby boys in Israel.
Hebrew
This female form of Nathan can be pronounced with three syllables or four, and could make an interesting alternative to Natalia.
Hebrew; also Swahili from Arabic
"thunderbolt, lightning; or blessing"
The name of the 44th president, which he inherited from his Kenyan father, is related to the Swahili word "baraka," meaning "blessing," derived from the Arabic "baracka." It is linked, through the…
Russian variation of Theodore
"God's gift"
This variation of Theodore is familiar here mostly via the great Russian novelist Dostoyevsky. It was also the name of three early tsars of Russia.
Romanian variation of Jane
Jenica might work if you can't decide between Jennifer and Jessica. It's certainly a more distinctive option.
Turkish
"favor, charity, kindness; dark ruler; ruler of the land"
Predominantly used for boys but occasionally given to girls too, Kayra is a Turkish name that relates to either mythology or to a similar Arabic name. A Top 100 name in its native country, it may be…
Hebrew, Arabic, and Hindi
"thread, hair; blessing; margosa tree"
Multicultural name often heard in the Near East. Also spelled Neema and Nimah.
Hebrew and Armenian
A joyous, celebratory-sounding name.
French
A Dorothy nickname name with a measure of nostalgic charm. Kids will associate it with the funny fish character voiced by Ellen DeGeneres in the Pixar animated instant classic Finding Nemo .
Greek
"mother's gift"
Medora is a Greek name much less common here than, say, Melanie or Melissa. It has some literary references, including as the beautiful and passionate heroine of Lord Byron's poem The Corsair, and in…
Japanese
"blessing"
An Asian name not widely known in the West.
"God's miracle"
Too close to nausea.
Indian mythological name; Hebrew, Swahili
"scarlet, marvelous"
It would be easy to dismiss this girlish name as invented fluff, but it has roots in several cultures with evocative meanings and references. Shani refers to the "scarlet thread" or theme of a story.…
Tigrinya, Eritrea
Derived from the Tigrinya elements hiyab , meaning "gift," and el , "God."
Hawaiian
"gift"
A nice meaning -- congruent with the recent vogue for names like Blessing -- helps offset this Hawaiian name's proximity to overused Makayla and McKenzie.
"my gift"
Derived from the Hebrew words shai , meaning "gift," and li , "mine." The Shaily variation is more common in Israel and the US.
Amharic, Ethiopian
"gift of God; fine linen; sweet"
Melat is a lovely girl name that is frequently used in Ethiopia. Several meanings of Melat are possible, including "gift of God", and "sweet". Melat also refers to the fine linen or silk woven in the…
Welsh variation of Jane
Simple and pretty and user-friendly, the Welsh Sian was used by U2's Dave "the Edge" Evans for his daughter. In Welsh, it is also spelled Siân.
