Pet Names · Dog Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 370 pages
of 370
English
"green clearing"
Attractive English surname that sounds right at home with the other androgynous surname names that are currently on-trend. Greenlee Smythe is a character on the soap opera All My Children
English word name
Harvest has been occasionally used as a name since the eighteenth century, originally as evenly unisex, but in the US data for last year was starting to lean more female, given to 29 girls and 11…
Word name
Musical choice that may be a short form of Jasmine or Jazlyn, or might stand on its own like this or as Jaz, the spelling used by tennis duo Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi.
Hawaiian
"the power of the ocean"
This Hawaiian name gracefully celebrates the force of nature, paying tribute to the ocean. If you're looking for unique names that mean ocean , this should be on your short list.
Kana is a feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In Japanese, Kana (かな) refers to the Japanese syllabic writing system and can mean 'powerful' or 'one who possesses capabilities.' In Hawaiian,…
African
"season's beginning"
Kia is a sweet, simple name that is now, unfortunately, associated with a Korean car label. Better today: Nia, Thea, or Keira.
Japanese
"hope child"
As a feminine name, Kiko is Japanese in origin. One possible meaning is "hope child," but different kanji combinations will yield alternate meanings.
Native American
"brown hills"
Striking and accessible choice.
Indian, Punjabi, Urdu
"blessing, mercy"
A cool and uncommon unisex Indian name.
Slavic
"laurel"
If it's possible for a name to be too musical, this one is.
Greek
"woman, wife"
Succinct and simple in spelling, Leda is a currently rare choice from Greek mythology with that appealing four-letter, ending in -a format of Lyra, Maia, Vada, Veda, and Nora. Borne by a Spartan…
African, Arabic mythological name; diminutive of Melissa, Greek
"honeybee"
Lissa might be an abbreviation of Melissa, but it's more substantial in its own right: Lissa is the name of a supreme mother goddess in African mythology and an Arabic symbol of rebirth.
English diminutive of Leona or Lena; Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian diminutive of Abelone or Magdalone; German diminutive of Apollonia or Ilona; Hawaiian
"lion; destroyer, strength, father's light; from Magdala; shining torch, light, joy"
Truly multicultural choice that feels ripe for revival in this era of Traveling Lite names. In English, Lona is a variation of Leona or Lena. The Scandinavian Lona is a diminutive for names like…
Scottish Gaelic
"lake"
Loch is a watery word that sounds more like a name because it's one step removed from its English form. Pronounced as "lock," it's also a short form of the variously-spelled Lachlan.
Irish
"little, fierce"
Lorcan is a name rich in Irish history as belonging to several kings, including the grandfather of the most famous high king of Ireland, Brian Boru. Lorcan O'Toole, known in English as Laurence…
"liberator"
This name is the feminization of mythological name Lysander, which is best known to English-speakers as a character in Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream .
Irish version of Malachi, Hebrew, or Secundus, Latin
"my messenger; second"
This spelling, which came to the attention of readers of the best-selling Angela's Ashes as the name of author Frank McCourt's father and brother, the latter of whom wrote a bestseller of his own,…
"a little monk"
An X -ending surname less common than the Jolie-Pitt-inspired Maddox. Grandparents might still associate it with the old TV crime show.
Latin
"womb; orderly mathematical arrangement"
Most famous as a sci-fi action film starring Keanu Reeves, the word matrix actually derives from the Latin for "womb". Max could be a cool nickname.
Diminutive of Maurice
"dark skinned"
Old-man name, soft as a fraying gray cashmere cardigan, that would be even cuter for a girl.
