Pet Names · Dog Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 21 pages
of 21
Japanese, Hebrew, Danish, Arabic
"colorful, design; honey buzzard, bird; rock, lull, happiness; sign, verse"
Aya, barely more than a breath, is an international favorite, with origins in several languages and cultures. Popular throughout Europe, it ranks in the US Top 1000 and was chosen for nearly 470…
Hebrew, Hawaiian, Maori, Japanese
"grace, work, glow, flower"
Many things to many peoples: a flower name, also spelled Hanae, to the Japanese; a Czech and Polish short form of Johana; and an alternate form of the biblical name Hannah in the US. It also means…
Russian, diminutive of Greek Alexander
"defending men"
Sasha, largely male in Russia--and also spelled Sascha and Sacha--is an energetic name that has really taken off for girls here, chosen by Jerry Seinfeld (using the alternate Sascha spelling) and…
Swahili; Welsh form of the Irish Niamh
"resolve; brilliance"
Short but energetic and substantial, Nia has special meaning for African-American parents, as it's one of the days of Kwanza. Nia also benefits by its similarity to (yet differentness from) the…
Japanese
"sacred and beautiful; pure and beautiful"
The name of a Japanese citrus fruit, Kiyomi made its debut in the US charts in 2025, where it was joined by alternative spelling Kyomi in the Top 1000. Given to 355 girls, it ranks slightly below…
Irish; Scottish; Hindi
"rowan tree; redhead; ascension"
Simultaneously a name of Hindi and Sanskrit origin, a spelling variation of the popular Rowan and an anglicized form of Irish Ruadhán, Rohan is a cross-cultural choice. As a Hindu name, it is…
Irish, Sanskrit
"elevated place, sacred place; star"
A multicultural choice steeped in mythology, Tara was popular in the US back in the 70s and 80s, likely owing to its appearance in the novel and subsequent movie, Gone with the Wind , in which it's…
English, Slovene, or Japansese
"rival; whole; beautiful favor, beautiful picture"
As an English nickname, Emi can be short for anything beginning with (or containing) the popular "em" sound, such as Emily, Emilia, or maybe even Clementine. As a Japanese name, it can be formed of…
Basque variation of Ethan or Japanese
"strong, firm; reliable mountain"
Izan, pronounced with the same vowel sounds and emphasis as Ethan, ranks among the Top 20 boys' names in Spain, where it's been popular for two decades. The US is starting to catch onto this…
"second son; healthy + second; wise + second; modest second"
A international feeling name of Japanese origin that could be used to refer to a child's place in the family, Kenji has attracted notice in the US as the name of The Food Lab chef, James Kenji…
Japanese, Breton, Korean, Chinese, Dutch
"superiority, gentleness, or citrus fruit; lamb; willow, abundant, child, happy + to reach, to hold; jade + elegant, beautiful; June"
An attractive, widely appealing, multicultural option, Yuna has its roots in Japanese, Breton, Korean, Chinese. KPOP singer Yuna may be attracting some attention to her name, as might influencer…
"bright, intelligent"
A popular Japanese name for both sexes that's migrated to the West because of its appearance in manga and video games and because of its international feel. It was a fast rising choice in 2024, when…
"sea"
Kairi is the name of the main female character in the popular role-playing video game series, Kingdom Hearts . Voiced by Hayden Panettiere in the main series, Kairi is one of the seven Princesses of…
Japanese, Latin
"water lily, lotus, romantic love, move forward; reborn"
A very popular unisex name in Japan, Ren is a concise and versatile choice that could work across multiple languages. A rising star in England and Wales where it ranks in the Top 1000, it is also on…
Hawaiian
This appealing multi-cultural name, pronounced KYE, is beginning to be used for girls as well as boys. Among its many derivations and meanings: "sea" in Hawaiian, "forgiveness" in Japanese, "willow…
Latin or Tswana
"new or gift"
This nouveau name of Keanu Reeves's character in The Matrix has not enjoyed the same burst of popularity as its female counterpart, Trinity, but it definitely sounds, well, newer. Neo Rauch is an…
Spelling variation of Cara or Norse mythology name
"wild stormy one"
Kara and the soundalike (though not necessarily related) Cara are among the most multi-cultural names around. Cara has roots in Latin, Italian, Irish, Spanish, and Portuguese, and Kara can be viewed…
Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese
"ruby; precious gemstone, lapis lazuli + beautiful"
The Spanish and Portuguese form of popular Ruby is another addition to the list of attractive gem names for girls, that might sometimes be used by English speaking parents who want their child's name…
"meditation"
A spiritual word name used by actor Zoe Saldana for her son as well as more recently Nick Cannon and Alyssa Scott for their late son. Zen has been trending in recent years along with other spiritual…
Japanese, English short form or Eleanor, Leonora, Nora, Honora, or North, form of Nor or Nuri, Arabic, Turkish
"ceremonial rites, doctrine, seaweed; unknown, honor, north; my light"
Nori is one of those names with several origins that would have no trouble assimilating into a variety of cultures. It might also be associated with the dried seaweed used to wrap sushi or with the…
