Pet Names · Dog Names
By Brynn McKeon · Updated September 2026
Across 14 pages
of 14
Latin
"of the sea"
Maris is an unusual and appealing name that has never appeared in the U.S. Top 1000, overshadowed by its twentieth century elaboration, Marisa/Marissa. It derives from the phrase "Stella Maris," star…
Hindi, Sanskrit
"sapphire blue"
A variation of Nila, a name spread through African by the substantial Indian population there. Also a variant of Neala and Neila.
English
"wide river crossing"
Brad in a Brooks Brothers suit.
Russian or Persian, variation of Daria or feminine form of Darius
"kingly; possessing goodness; the sea"
The beguiling Darya is the name of a character in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. As a Russian name, it's a spelling variation of Daria, while in Iran, it's a girl's name that means "the sea".
Greek
"ocean"
If you're a lover of the beach and sea, and want a name that relates to the largest body of water, there are several variations you could consider. Oceana is the female form of Oceanus, the god of…
Greek variation of Sapphire, Hebrew jewel name
"sapphire"
Sapphira is a lovely name which unfortunately has an unsavory Biblical history. The New Testament Sapphira was killed by God for lying about a tax payment. There's a Willa Cather novel called…
Hawaiian
"the power of the ocean"
Kaimana is one of hawaii's top baby names for boys.. A fascinating name for ocean lovers, Kai might be a user-friendly short form.
Nature name
This body of water runs deep; the best of a group of new possibilities that includes Bay, Ocean, River, and the more established Brook. It has received attention via the actress Lake Bell. Lake would…
Japanese, Norse
"doctrine or seaweed; north or small person"
Attractive, simple Japanese choice that, while not strictly unisex, could work even better for a girl, especially now that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West use it as the nickname for their daughter…
Italian diminutive of Maria
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
Marietta would make for a classy and uncommon long form for cool nickname Etta. The meaning of Maria is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea");…
Hindi
"blue semiprecious stone, bird"
Interesting multi-cultural option.
French
"sky"
Heavenly French word name used for both sexes.
English or French
"desired; or water, island"
Variant of Evelyn or Aveline
Maori, Samoan
"deep ocean, sea"
This Maori name, often heard in New Zealand, is an attractive, evocative choice for lovers of the ocean made famous – perhaps too famous – by the Disney heroine. Moana was also an alternate name for…
"greenish blue color"
Cyan is a highly unusual blue-green color name, a classmate of Celadon and Cerulean. It does come with the homey nickname Cy.
Flower name, from Greek
"blue larkspur; precious stone"
Though it may not be as sweet and gentle as, say, Violet, the purple-hued Hyacinth still might hold some appeal for the parent seeking a truly unusual flower name. In Greek mythology, Hyacinthus was…
Arabic or Hawaiian
"benevolence; sea"
Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik chose the stylish and meaningful name Khai for their daughter, born in September 2020. It honors Gigi's paternal grandmother Khairiah Daher Hadid, whose name is a variation…
Irish
"of the bright sea, sea-bright"
Once a poetic Celtic name, that of the angel who governs the month of June, Muriel has for a time, become the mom or grandma of TV sitcoms. A Top 200 name from 1912 to 1933, Muriel might just be due…
English word name
"land near the sea"
Coast conjures up images of big waves, beach days, and expansive shorelines and could be a cool alternative to Cove, Ocean, or Bay. Given to just 15 girls in a recent year, compared to 184 boys, it…
Turkish, Spanish
"blue; beloved + victorious"
Mavi is both a gender-neutral Turkish name with a colorful meaning and a Spanish short form of the double name, Maria Victoria. Also the name of a jeans company, it would be pronounced as MAH-vee in…
