Pet Names · Dog Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 370 pages
of 370
English surname
"son of John"
Jennings is a common English surname that originated as a patronymic for the child of someone named Jen, a short form of John. With the craze for s-ending surname names, this one is growing in…
Irish
"misshapen head"
This attractive surname name still projects that Kennedy family charisma. While it didn't come into widespread use until long after the deaths of martyred heroes President John F. or Senator Robert…
Short form of Alonso or Alonzo, variations of Alphonso
"noble, ready"
Lonnie is one of those antiquated nicknames that is used much more often in the US than you might think, especially as a short form of Alonso or Alonzo, names always on the US Top 1000.
Spanish
"amber"
The Spanish variation of the 80s and 90s American favorite Amber has an international flair.
French
"April"
The French Canadian pop star Avril Lavigne put the spotlight on this name when she made the charts with "Sk8er Boi". It is simply the French form of April, the fourth month of the year, whose name…
Feminine form of Brennan
"descendant of the sad one; raindrops"
Brenna is a feminine form of the Irish surname Brennan, or perhaps a variation of Brenda or Brendan—all of which have different meanings. Whatever its derivation or authenticity, it's a modern…
River name, color name, or variation of Niall, Irish
"champion"
Water names are a cool category these days, and this one of the famous Egyptian river is no exception. It streamlines the fussier Niles and also may be thought of as a color name, meaning dark blue…
French diminutive pet form of Francoise
"from France or free man"
With the advent of Pope Francis, all forms of this ancient and saintly name came up for a fresh look. Along with most other -een and -ine (when pronounced like -een) names for girls, Francine has a…
Scottish, contraction of surname Gregor; Latin
"alert, watchful"
This attractive Scottish surname choice, has a certain amount of glamour thanks to feisty British-born red-haired forties Academy Award winner Greer Garson, who was born Eileen Evelyn Greer…
English
"eastern settlement"
Has an upscale aura, perhaps due to the luxury James Bond Aston Martin car.
Literary name, possibly inspired by Turkish or Irish
"moon, light or desired"
This character name from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas has an ancient appeal, even though it seems to be a modern coinage. It may have been inspired by similar sounding names, like the…
"white"
More colorful than Blanche, but blanker than Bianca.
Norse mythological name
"lock"
Loki is the shape-shifting, gender-bending god of mischief in Norse mythology. Taking several animal forms, from a salmon to a seal to a fly, Loki is alternately friend and foe of the gods.
Word name
Glory sounds fresh and uplifting and a lot more modern than Gloria (which is definitely feeling the stirrings of a revival, though some might still view it as a terminal Old Lady name). Glory, as in…
Diminutive of Reginald
"counsel power"
Old time nickname that's starting to sound fresh again, à la Alfie and Freddie.
Short form of Richard, English, German
"dominant ruler"
Richie was once a popular enough nickname for Richard that it made the Top 1000 all by itself, blending in with Ronnie, Reggie, Robbie, and Randy. In the US, it last appeared in the charts back in…
Spelling variation of Payton
Payton and Peyton are both very popular names for girls as well as boys, but Paityn is a spelling variations used almost exclusively for girls.
English, diminutive of Philippa
"lover of horses"
Pippa, a peppy condensation of Philippa that turns it from serious to sprightly, has come into the public eye in a big way via the former Kate Middleton's sister. Pippa can and is given as a name in…
Hebrew
"god has heard"
Short for Samuel or long for Sam, Sammy is a sweet midcentury nickname name that we can see coming back.
Italian
"lover of God"
Amadeo and Amedeo are both valid Italian forms of the Roman Amadeus, most famous as the middle name of the composer Mozart as well as the title of a movie about him. Mozart's name was actually the…
