Pet Names · Dog Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 370 pages
of 370
Scandinavian
"June"
Juni is the Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, and Finnish form of the month name June. While Juni feels cute and fresh, most Americans would assume it was a nickname or a Joni variation. We prefer Juna or…
Modern Invented
Jayce has been trending the last few decades, and while Jaycee may have a more feminine feel it would work for a boy as well, perhaps as a twist on Biblical Jesse or initial name, J.C. As it is…
French
"lion"
The y makes it seem more like a name and less like an animal, but it's still not as appealing as several Leo choices.
English
"heavy club"
Has a slight aura of danger, from its being two types of weapons and a looming character in the Star Wars films. Best left as a nickname for Mason.
French derivative of Mary
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
Fun fact: Marion was the birth name of movie star John Wayne. Although commonly thought of as a female name today, it was actually more popular for boys until the late 19th century, and was given to…
"son of Neil"
Perfect name for TV Frasier's effete brother. In the 2020 film Palm Springs , Andy Samberg plays a character with the updated spelling Nyles.
Arabic
"safety"
Salman is an Arabic name dating back to Salman the Persian, one of Muhammad's companions. In this country it is strongly associated with Anglo-Indian novelist Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic…
See Zac.
French from German
"noble, ready for battle"
Rarely used, and for good reason. Alonzo is a preferable choice. Alphonse does have a mixed bag of notable namesakes—French novelist Alphonse Daudet, painter Alphonse Mucha, and it was the birth name…
English place-name
Out-of-the-way place name (it's an antiquated holiday spot on England's south coast) that might make a brilliant choice. Actor/director Jon Favreau named his daughter Brighton Rose.
Literary surname and shortened form of Augustine, Latin
"great, magnificent"
Parents who love the great English novelist Jane Austen may choose this spelling of the popular name Austin to honor the author of Emma and Pride and Prejudice.
Diminutive of Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett, or similar
"son of the right hand; blessed"
A friendly nickname for several classic choices, Bennie has the charm of Ronnie, Reggie, Archie, and Alfie. Familiar in the US in the 20s, 30s, and 40s, some may be reminded of the Elton John song,…
Variation of Jane
"God is gracious"
For a minute or two this sounded more modern than Janet, now equally outmoded.
Variation of Jove
"father of the sky"
Joining Lennon, Bowie, and Hendrix in the realm of classic rock-inspired names that feel fashionable today is Jovi — as in Bon Jovi. Jovi is a variation of the Latin Jove — another name for the Roman…
Greek mythology name, diminutive of Amelia, or Hawaiian
"ash tree; honey; work; plumeria"
This is a rich, melodic shortening of the popular girls' name Amelia that can stand on its own. There are several figures in Greek myth named Melia, most notably a daughter of Oceanus. The Meliae are…
Hebrew
"dark-skinned"
Famous violinist-conductor Pinchas Zuckerman is the most famous modern bearer; the biblical Pinchas was the son of Eleazar and the grandson of Aaron -- both preferable name choices.
Hebrew place name
"branch, shoot; watch, guard"
Nazareth, an important place in the New Testament as the hometown of Jesus, is on the rise as a name for both girls and boys. It's one of a handful of Biblical place names, along with Galilee and…
Diminutive of Ryder or Riley or word name, English
"cavalryman, messenger; rye"
Rye has the potential to become the masculine version of Rue—a short and sweet name for nature lovers (and whiskey fans too!). Rye might be short for Ryder or Riley or Rylan or any Ry-beginning name,…
Irish
"golden princess"
Orla is an Irish name closely associated with the high king Brian Boru, as it was the name of his sister, daughter and niece. It was very popular in the Middle Ages – the fourth most popular name in…
Scottish
"steward"
This ancient royal Scottish name had a brief vogue in midcentury America, but it would be far from a fresh choice for a baby boy now.
