Pet Names · Dog Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 370 pages
of 370
Spanish, diminutive of Rosa
"rose"
This spirited Spanish variation of Rosa was familiar in the mid-20th century, but is used more quietly now. Given to around 35 babies in the US each year, it could work as a fresh alternative to…
French; English
"of the Passover; Easter"
The French-accented Pascal was historically used for sons born at Easter, and can make an interesting choice for a boy with Gallic roots arriving around that holiday. Pascal has a number of notable…
Arabic
"best wishes"
Tahani, a somewhat unusual Arabic name for girls , has popped up twice on TV recently: it's the name of one of the main characters on NBC comedy The Good Place and a teenaged contestant on So You…
Word name
"peace"
Peace may be an admirable sentiment to convey in a child's name, but the translated and thus more subtle versions, like Pax or Placido, might work better as first names.
English surname and occupational name
"shoemaker"
Sutter is a new entry to the fashionable class of occupational surnames, brought to the fore by the hero of the 2013 indie film The Spectacular Now. More masculine than Sutton and more distinctive…
Scandinavian
"youth"
Especially for parents of Scandinavian descent, Sven is an accessible and attractive name with an appealing mix of strength and swagger. It comes from the ancient Swedish tribe, the Sviars, who gave…
Spanish, Portuguese variation of Charlotte
"free man; Frenchman"
Carlota is the preferred version of Charlotte in Spain and Portugal, each where it ranks among the Top 50 most popular girl names. Carlotta, with two Ts, is the Italian spelling.
Hebrew
"strong, mighty, courageous"
Place-name of a settlement in Galilee in Israel.
Irish
"loyal"
With both the Dillon and Dylan spellings, usage of this gender-neutral names runs about ten to one boys to girls. But Dylan is used about 20 times as often as Dillon for both genders. Which might be…
French literary name
One of Dumas' swashbuckling Three Musketeers, now better known as a men's cologne.
Feminine form of Alf or anglicized form of Ailbhe, Danish, Icelandic, Irish
"elf; bright, light, white"
Elva is a multicultural choice, being both an anglicization of the Irish Ailbhe and an feminine form of the name Alf, meaning "elf". Popular in the US at the beginning of the 20th century, it…
English, Irish
"black, dark"
Cary Grant's debonair image has stood the test of time: he is still rated as one of the most handsome and admired men in Hollywood. Charming, succinct, and witty, Cary (also spelled Carey) was a…
Italian, Spanish
"lame; enclosure"
Claudio, a most appealing Italian name, is featured in not one, but two Shakespearean plays, , Measure for Measure and Much Ado About Nothing . While "lame" is the most widely acknowledged meaning,…
English word name
Intriguing, when seen as a water name a la River and Ocean, but too close to cultural appropriate if used as a reference to the Creek tribe of Native Americans. Another downside is its resemblance to…
Native American, Sioux
"friend to us"
The name of one of the branches of the Great Sioux Nation has a very namelike sound, but is not used as a name by the Lakota people themselves, and could be seen as appropriative.
"rough, fierce"
While Larkin takes this name from bird to surname, there are actually more female Larkins these days than male, and it's a name that works as well for either gender. It has the literary connection to…
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");…
Italian, Spanish variation of Flavius, Latin
"yellow, blond"
Flavio is derived from Flavius, a surname used in Ancient Rome. These family names, or cognomens, were given to distinguish branches of the clan and were chosen based on a characteristic of an…
Teutonic
"staff of the Goths"
Gray-bearded name heard primarily in Sweden and Germany.
Latin
"greatest"
If Sam can make it as a girl's name, why not Max? Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's eldest daughter Maxima goes by Max, but you could also use it as a short form for Maxine, Maximilienne or even…
