Pet Names · Dog Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 370 pages
of 370
Irish
"descendent of a lord"
An uncommon Irish-accented surname that seems particularly well suited to a girl. Tierney Sutton is a well-known jazz singer. Tierney, in its original Tiarnach form, was the name of several saints.…
English word name
"one in whom confidence is placed"
If True, Constance, Verity, and Faith feel too familiar for you, how about this rare virtue name? Associated with reliability, truthfulness, strength of character, hope, belief, and dependability —…
Greek
"golden, yellow"
X marks the spot in names these days, usually at the middles or ends of names, but here is one that puts it squarely up front. This extravagant name, which, like many Greek names beginning with X, is…
German word name from Slavic
"zeppelin; flail"
Zeppelin is a fast-rising Z name for both sexes — a cool choice that evokes aviation and classic rock. Nick Cannon used it as the middle name for his 11th child, daughter Beautiful Zeppelin.
Hebrew
"to arise, dawn"
This name is masculine in the Old Testament, as Zerah, a son of Judah and the twin of Perez. Now it is also been used for girls, perhaps inspired by its similarity to Sara and Zara.
French place-name
What with Mason scooting up the charts, this attractive place-name, with its thick Georgia accent, could make a more distinctive alternative. Macon has played major roles in two novels, Anne Tyler's…
Japanese
"sincerity, truth"
Unisex Japanese name more often given to boys.
Ewe, Akan, Ghanaian, Cherokee
"born on Saturday; water"
Ama is a day name used by the Akan people of Ghana for girls born on Saturday. Names that reference a baby's birth by day of the week, time of day, or season of the year are common in many African…
English, diminutive of Melvin
"council protector"
Though most Mels are playing pinochle with Murray and Morris, there was a notable Saint Mel. He is one of the earliest Irish saints, a nephew of St. Patrick. He became a priest, then built a great…
Angelika is a feminine name representing the Eastern European, German and Scandinavian spelling of Angelica. Derived from Latin 'angelicus' meaning 'angelic' or 'of angels,' it carries celestial and…
Russian, diminutive of Mikhail
Brought into the American consciousness as the nickname of ballet great Mikhail Baryshnikov, it more recently took on a unisex air via TV and screen actress Mischa Barton. Could become the next Sasha.
Russian, diminutive of Pavel
"small, humble"
Similar in sound to Sasha, Pasha is a Russian diminutive of the name Pavel, itself a form of Paul. Also used as a title for a high ranking officer in the (now historical) Ottoman military, and as the…
"rich"
The Roman god of the underworld, the former ninth planet, a cartoon dog...but not a baby.
Albanian, Hungarian, Mongolian, Slovene, Korean, "snow; foreign; brown, grey; pine tree; purple"
"snow; foreign; brown, grey; pine tree; purple"
A name with a multitude of meanings, Bora means "snow" in Albanian (via borë , and pronounced BAW-ruh); "foreign" in Hungarian, where it is a variation of Borbála, a form of Barbara (pronounced as…
Scandinavian, variation of Birgit or Britt
"strength or exalted one"
If you want a pan-Scandinavian name with energy and style that could have been a winner, if not for the sound-alike water filtration company Brita.
Latin
"fifth"
A literary name figuring in the story of Ben Hur and the novels of Anthony Trollope that has the feel of Roman antiquity that is beginning to appeal to many parents. Quintus was one of only about…
French from Italian
"impulsive change of mind; lively music"
Caprice is a word name with an appealing sound and a light-hearted meaning that may well put parents off. While it was given to just 10 girls in a recent year, the name did have a moment back in the…
Diminutive of Roman et al
"citizen of Rome"
Best known as a feminine diminutive, Romy is used now for boys too, as a short form of Roman or Romeo or a name in its own right. Remy and Romi are other related choices, or you might want to go all…
"praise"
Older Japanese name given new life in the anime series One Piece .
English
"marshy land near the sea"
Out playing shuffleboard at his condo and not expected back for several generations -- unless it morphs into a girls' name, a la Sydney.
