Pet Names · Dog Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 370 pages
of 370
Tamil; Hawaiian
"Virtue; princess"
Latin
"soul"
A rising vintage sweetheart for girls and a fresh new possibility for boys, following the likes of Nova. As a feminine name, it first became fashionable in England following the Battle of Alma –…
Japanese
"fragrant ocean child"
Popular choice for female anime characters.
"beautiful jasmine girl"
Streamlined and sleek Japanese name with a sweet, fragrant meaning.
Word name
"heavy object used to moor a ship; provide with a solid foundation"
Plausible word name, denoting strength and stability, currently given to a small handful of boys in the US each year.
Icelandic
"snowshoe, ski"
Similar to Andrew, but with a refreshingly different origin and meaning, Andri is a charming Icelandic name, derived from an old word for "ski", "skier", or "snowshoe", making it a wonderfully,…
Celtic
"gold"
An unusual name for a child with golden hair. Auron is a Welsh female name with the same meaning.
Phoenician
"Baal protects the King"
This evocative name of one of the Three Wise Men of the Orient, also spelled Balthasar, may finally be ready for prime time. Balthazar, Melchior and Caspar were the Magi who brought gifts of gold,…
Turkish
"peace"
Baris has the advantage of sounding familiar but being rare and unusual. The peaceful meaning is another plus.
English word name
"signal light"
A word name with an appealing and illuminating meaning.
German
"bear"
Benno is a cool name in its own right -- there was a tenth century Saint Benno -- though it is also used as a lively nickname for Benjamin. Saint Benno of Meissen is the patron saint of anglers and…
Old English
"bee wolf"
This ancient name is that of the hero of the epic Beowulf , which is thought to be the oldest-ever poem in English lit written in the vernacular. J. R. R. Tolkien used the poem as one of his…
Short form of any name that ends in -berto
To the Anglo ear, Beto may not make sense as a short form of Gilberto, Roberto, or Alberto. But it is, and the o-ending makes is friendly, sleek, and modern.
French diminutive of Lucy
"little light"
Popular in the 1930s in France, this is a diminutive of Lucy (or Lucie).
"great happiness"
Bliss might once have seemed a far-out choice, but it has been on the rise for girls in recent years, alongside similar options such as Dream, Heaven, Halo, and Blessing. Associated with a state of…
English, diminutive of Robert
"bright fame"
Kids love Bob the Builder, but do they want to be Bob the Builder? Bob and Bobby have been out of style since the 1960s, but as vintage nickname-names -- Fred, Archie -- come back into vogue, Bob may…
If you like the idea of King and Prince but find them too regal, too royalist, this might be the name for you. Eight boys were called Boss in a recent year, and while it may feel like a totally…
Word name, various origins
This is an Anglicized form of various names; the Irish Gaelic O Bruic; German, Bruck or Breck, meaning "swamp" or "wood"; Yiddish, Brik, "bridge"; and Slovenian, Bric, "dweller from a hilly place."…
French, diminutive of Marie
"bitter"
Manon is an endearing French pet name for Marie or Marianne; it has the international yet straightforward feel that makes it a viable import. Manon of the Spring was a gorgeous French film, Manon…
Modern nickname
Brother for Biff and Bud. McFly rocker Tom Fletcher transformed this from midcentury short form to modern cool name when he used it for his newborn son.
