Pet Names · Dog Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 370 pages
of 370
South Slavic
"gold"
Derived from Slavic zlato "gold", this strong and dynamic name has a fitting namesake in Swedish professional footballer Zlatan Ibrahimović. It is used in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina,…
Variation of Renee
"reborn"
This name is hanging on as Renee, thanks to Ms. Zellweger, and in newer forms Renae and Renny.
French variation of Achilles
"thin-lipped"
The French spin on the name of the great Homeric hero with the vulnerable heel seems somewhat more portable into the modern world.
Hebrew variation of Sarah; also Japanese
"chaste"
The late actress Sada Thompson introduced this obscure but usable form.
Greek
"the praised one"
In Greek and Roman mythology, Aeneas was the legendary son of Venus (or Aphrodite) who was the hero of Troy and Rome. Appearing in the Aeneid by the poet Virgil, he goes on to found the Roman state…
Feminine variation of Santo, Italian
"saint"
Santa has an appealing sound, or maybe that's sleigh bells we hear? It's difficult to separate the Italian girls' name Santa from the association to Mr. Claus, king of Christmas. The German…
Variation of Cheryl, English invented name from Cherie, French
"dear"
Somehow, the S versions are even more passe than the C's.
Hebrew; Sanskrit
"friend; infinite"
Simple and worldly, popular and carrying two positive meanings in two diverse cultures. A winner prime for wider use.
Diminutive of Talia
"gentle dew from heaven"
Nickname sometimes heard on its own, sort of an updated Sally and playmate of Hallie.
Latin
"angel"
The Latin word for an angel (and the male form of Angela) is a rare but smart and stately name. The Angelus is a Catholic devotion, and the name is also used for the church bell that traditionally…
German
"with divine protection"
A somewhat solemn appellation, Anselm is a saint's name, connected to the twelfth century archbishop of Canterbury, and in modern times tied to the German neo-expressionist painter Anselm Kiefer.
English
"high-ranking angel"
When Angel meets the trend for superlative names, this is what happens. Archangel (or Arkhangelsk) is also a town in northern Russia, named after a monastery dedicated to Archangel Michael.
Latin, Esperanto
"courageous; valuable"
Valora may be one of several things: a femininization of word name Valor, celebrating bravery and strength; an Esperanto name meaning "valuable"; a spin on Valerie and Valeria, via the Valorie…
Diminutive of Bernard, English
"strong; brave as a bear"
It's been shown that notable political figures often impact the use of their names, and the same can — sort of — be said about Bernie Sanders. His name increased in use by 47% between 2015 and 2016…
"fortunate, of good fate"
A name borne by nine popes and several saints, which carries strong Catholic connotations. British politician Jacob Rees-Mogg named his sixth child Sixtus Dominic Boniface Christopher in 2017.
"brown"
Has some highly unfortunate World War II associations.
"sky; heavens"
In Roman mythology, Caelus was the god of the sky prior to Jupiter. It's one of the few names that's virtually one-of-a-kind yet fits in with current stylish choices such as Caius and Callum (neither…
Tolkien Middle Earth invention, or variation of Erin
In Tolkien's world, the derivation of this airy name is Elvish. Regular folks might consider it an artsier form of Erin, borne by cosmetics heiress and socialite Aerin Lauder.
Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Polish, Slovene, Russian, Croatian, Serbian variation of Agatha
Agata is an Agatha form widely used throughout Europe. And the hard t may be more appealing to your ear than the th sound.
Diminutive of Charles
So far out it's almost ready to be let back in.
