Pet Names · Dog Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 370 pages
of 370
English word name
Nice sound, but double meaning -- shady glen or shady character.
Scottish variation of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
Elspeth is one of those names that never quite made it out of the British Isles--particularly Scotland, but possesses a winningly childlike charm. Elspeth was used by Sir Walter Scott for several of…
"stormy"
Stormy and variations have always been more common among girls, but there's no reason you shouldn't use it for a son. Storm was historically more masculine, until the arrival of Stormi Webster.
Japanese
"born in the spring; clear weather"
A springtime baby name appropriate for either sex.
Diminutive of Thaddeus, Aramaic
"gift of God"
An approachable mini name that could go on the birth certificate, but may work best as a nickname. Full name options include Thaddeus, Theodore, and Thomas, which was the given name of Abe's son Tad…
German
"comrade in arms; battle enclosure, battle ground"
Hildegard is an ancient name that sounds it, but it does have sweet short forms Hildie and Hilda to recommend it, as well as several illustrious historical bearers. Strong and striking, it would make…
Native American, Cherokee, place-name
"bend in the river or meeting place"
When playwright Thomas Lanier Williams adopted the pen name of Tennessee, he created a new possibility among American place-names, although it's admittedly a bit bulky in size. Reese Witherspoon…
Finnish, Hungarian, Spanish, or literary Quenya
"air; starlight"
A name that's unknown in the US and Britain but is popular as a nature name in Finland. May also be known as a Hungarian variation of Amelia and a Spanish form of Wilhelmina. Ilma also appears in…
This variation of Jacey was the name of the gorgeous small-town heroine of Larry McMurtry's The Last Picture Show .
Old English
"advice"
An Anglo-Saxon name that held on in Northumbria years after the Norman Conquest, and gave rise to the surname Oughtred. It's known today from the television series The Last Kingdom , based on Bernard…
English
"jet"
Although this is a legitimate name, most people would associate it with a line of Volkswagens -- you'd be better off choosing a Mercedes.
French/Breton variation of John
"God is gracious"
This might be a better choice than the similarly pronounced Jan, to avoid gender confusion.
Arabic, Hebrew
"splendour, light, glow; shaking, trembling"
A succinct variation of Ziya, Zia is an Arabic boy name, with a glowing meaning, also used as the Urdu and Bengali transcription. Notable bearers of the name include Bangaledeshi politician Ziaur…
"dweller at the farm by the stream"
A modern alternative to Shelby.
Persian mythology name
Abraxas is a sci-fi-sounding name with earthly possibilities, but some playground challenges. Abraxas has a long and convoluted history, dating back to ancient Egyptian mythology and the Gnostics who…
Hawaiian, Swedish
"short form"
The Hawaiian form of Gina or Tina (as well as the word for the country China), or in Swedish, a short form of Katharina or Kristina.
African
"free man"
This name from the Igbo language of Africa, which feels like the more-familiar Arabic Ahmad, might be an original and attractive choice.
Roman, Latin
"to lift"
Roman goddess of childbirth. Levana is one of the lesser-known ancient Roman goddess names and has a somewhat synthetic feel but authentic roots.
English place name
Lexington is rising as a place name used just about evenly for the genders. For Americans, it's got a patriotic ring, given the importance of Lexington, Massachusetts in the Revolutionary War.…
Latin
"eagle"
An evocative ancient word that's used as a first name in the New Testament, among other places. It's also the name of an eagle-shaped constellation. That said, contemporary interest in the name…
