Pet Names · Dog Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 370 pages
of 370
Latin, diminutive of Dulcibella
"sweet"
A sweet-meaning and sounding name dating back to the Roman Empire, and later found in the antebellum South, Dulcie has in the modern era been heard most often in Australia. In Agatha Christie's…
Feminine variation of Edwin, English
"wealthy friend"
Edwina may still be taking tea in the parlor, but we can see her joining friends like Matilda and Josephine for a comeback, especially if pronounced like Edwin rather than Edween. She had a very…
Hebrew
"God is my joy"
Intriguing twist on several familiar names, though many people will mistake this for Elsa, Eliza, and so on.
French form of Eugenia, Greek
"wellborn, noble"
Eugenie enjoyed a major dusting off when Fergie and Prince Andrew chose it for their daughter, restoring a patina of royal sheen it hadn't had since the time of Napoleon III's glamorous empress--who…
Spanish, diminutive of Eva
There's only one Evita.
feminine of Galen
"calm"
Galena is the feminine of the Galen, which means calm. Galena is also a mineral-related name, a type of lead.
Russian and Slavic feminine form of Galen, Greek
"calm, healer"
Commonly used in Russia, has an Old World Slavic feel. The original Galen can be used for girls as well as boys.
Jewel name, from the French
"pomegranate"
One of the jewel names in use a hundred years ago, due for revival along with sisters Ruby and Pearl.
Gem is a concise, evocative feminine name derived directly from the English word for precious stones. This nature-inspired name conveys qualities of rarity, beauty, and value. As a given name, Gem…
Japanese
"light"
Light, bright unisex name. Hikari is more popular for girls in Japan these days.
English word name
Broadening your horizons when choosing a name for your baby may lead you here. Horizon feels like the cousin of names like Meridian, Geo and Stellar - scientific spins on nature names . Rize is the…
Romanian variation of Jane
"God is gracious"
Jenica might work if you can't decide between Jennifer and Jessica. It's certainly a more distinctive option.
Turkish
"favor, charity, kindness; dark ruler; ruler of the land"
Predominantly used for boys but occasionally given to girls too, Kayra is a Turkish name that relates to either mythology or to a similar Arabic name. A Top 100 name in its native country, it may be…
"inheritance"
This biblical name of the mother of King Jotham of Judah has an appealing soft Russian accent.
Word name
"spell, curse, bringer of bad luck"
Jinx, a James Bond heroine name has an ominous meaning but kinetic energy. In the film "Die Another Day," the actual first name of the character played by Halle Berry is Giacinta. It could therefore…
"lead cautiously; good history"
English, diminutive of Jo-beginning names
Sprightly and engaging nickname for human, full name for pet. Author Jojo Moyes and dancer/singer Jojo Sliwa have propelled the name into the public eye.
Irish, variant of Diarmaid/Dermot
"without injunction, without envy"
Kermit was a Top 500 name until the 1960s, not coincidentally the decade in which Kermit the Frog made it a one-person (well, one-frog) name. Derived from the Irish surname Mac Diamada, itself from…
German
"barrel maker; pine"
Kiefer is a strong occupational surname associated with "24" star Kiefer Sutherland, but one that could well join the other 'er' surnames currently in favor. Keifer is a German surname transferred to…
Welsh
"warrior chief"
Now that Kimberly is no longer one of the top girl names, Kim or long form Kimball feel more gender neutral.
