Pet Names · Dog Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 370 pages
of 370
Dutch, German, and Frisian diminutive of Adelheid
"noble"
Though she has long stood on her own, Elke has many longer cross-cultural connections, to the Dutch/German/Scandinavian Adelheid and Alice and the English Adelaide, as a feminine version of Elkanah…
Japanese
"forest"
A fashionable name, thanks to prominent Japanese fashion designer Hanae Mori, but non-Japanese might hear it as MORRIE or MAURY.
German form of Maurice
"dark-skinned"
The unusual-to-the-English-ear Moritz is a Top 25 name in Austria and a form of Maurice or Morris, which are modern variations of the ancient Roman Maurus. There were several early saints named…
Spanish
"from Navarre"
Dashing surname for the Basque kingdom.
Italian, feminine variation of Frederick, German
"peaceful ruler"
Federica is the Latin version of Frederica, one of those formerly stuffy female names -- think Josephine and Eleanor -- that feels fresh and elegant again. And Federica has more energy without that…
Diminutive of Fergus
One Fergie was an aberration. But two women with that nickname -- the duchess and the Black Eyed Pea -- might make a trend.
Diminutive of Frances, English from Latin
"from France; free man"
Francie is one of the most neglected nicknames for Frances, despite having more style value than Franny and Fanny and being more unique than Frankie. We'd love to see it get more use, whether as a…
Short form of Giovanna, Italian form of John
"God is gracious"
Gio is a cute, more androgynous variation of Gia that could work well as a nickname for names such as Giovanna, Giordana, or Giorgia. It was chosen by Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo for their…
Hebrew
"light or fire of God"
The name of an angel in the Zohar, Nuriel is related to the Arabic name Nur.
Native American
"happy fortune"
Resonant and unusual.
"my delight is in her"
Hephzibah is an Old Testament name that came into use in the 17th century, but is not often used today. It does have less formal nicknames Eppie and Hepsie, which seem revivable. Hephzibah "Eppie"…
Spanish from Hebrew
"to blossom"
The newest surname names move beyond the Waspy, and this is an excellent example, associated these days with gossip blogger Perez (born Mario) Hilton.
English
"peacock"
An evocative unisex one-syllable name, Poe is most distinguished by its literary reference. Edgar Allan Poe was an influential American author and poet, credited with inventing the genres of…
Arabic and Sanskrit
"hope; ruler"
Indian princely title, more exciting than Prince or Duke, that is also a widely-used name for both genders. In the US, the names Rajah and Raja are uncommon: Ten baby boys were named Rajah last year…
"low-lying land"
A surname occasionally used as a first, as in former attorney general Ramsey Clark. This spelling is now closely associated with the psychopathic Game of Thrones villain Ramsay Snow (later Ramsay…
English surname
"son of Raul"
Rawlings was a surname brought to England with the Norman invasion and has ties to the name Raul, which means "wolf counsel."
Latin
"prince"
The traditional name of the brightest star in the constellation Leo and a minor character in the "Harry Potter" series might be a good pick for parents interested in a regal name but turned off by…
English month name from Latin
"doorway"
Thanks to two cultural influences, January has joined March, April, June and August as a plausible month name. The first was a character named January Wayne in a bestselling 1973 Jacqueline Susann…
Swahili
"brave"
A stylish and resonant Swahili name with great potential. Jasiri was used as the name of a female hyena character in the Disney Junior series The Lion Guard . The show premiered in 2016, and that…
"jaybird"
While Jay has been long used as a stand-alone boy name, it has more recently been used as one for girls. Otherwise, it has largely been seen as a pet form of any J name, or as a singular middle name.
