Pet Names · Dog Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 370 pages
of 370
Cherokee
"waterfall"
Finnish; Malagasy
"light"
Really offbeat, upbeat multi-cultural name with light sound and meaning. Valo might make a more unique spin on Milo.
Arabic
"victorious"
Captivating Arabic choice, sometimes transcribed as Fa'izah.
African
"light or jungle"
Simple, delicate, and unusual.
Welsh
"small"
This familiar but never popular Welsh surname name might be a good Sean alternative-- and we're starting to hear some berrybuzz about it. Vaughn is an alternate spelling. There have been three major…
Irish
"descendant of Flannghal"
Long before the vogue of using Irish surnames for girls, writer Flannery O'Connor gave this one some visibility. It has a warm (flannelly) feel and the currently popular three-syllable ee-ending…
Feminine variation of Germain, French
"from Germany"
Linked to the early days of feminism via Germaine Greer, this saint's name feels neither French nor German enough -- which just might make it the perfect blend of the two cultures. All forms of…
Greek mythology name
"dweller in the sea"
Halie is the name of several figures in Greek mythology, most of them sea nymphs. The most prominent mythological Halie was the mother of Rhodos, who gave her name to the island Rhodes, and six sons…
Zulu
"peace"
Traditionally, Xolani is a masculine Zulu name stemming from the word "uxolo", which means peace and goodwill. Beware – in this case, the X is pronounced as a one of the famous Zulu clicking sounds…
Latin, Spanish
"cheerful"
Hilaria, the ancient Roman form of Hilary also given to joyous festivals, is still used in Spain and Poland, while the intriguing Italian version is Ilaria. A notable current bearer is fitness expert…
Tigrinya, Eritrea
"gift of God"
Derived from the Tigrinya elements hiyab , meaning "gift," and el , "God."
French variation of Isabel
"pledged to God"
With Isabel getting so popular, parents are searching for new varieties of the name, and Isabeau is one that makes a lovely French twist. Isabeau of Bavaria was the wife of King Charles VI of…
Hungarian
"sultan"
Though a common name in Hungary, with the spelling Zoltán, the relatively rare Z sound is striking to English speakers. Penn Gillette used the Zolten spelling for his son; it was also the name of…
Feminine variation of Joaquin, Spanish
"God will judge"
As Joaquin enters the American mainstream, his sister might just follow.
African, Mashona
"spirit guide, protector"
Spirit that protects babies from illness...and surname of designer Naomi.
Japanese
"mist"
Common name for Japanese video game and manga characters, but rarely heard in the US.
Greek mythology
"Snow"
Khione was the name of several minor figures in Greek mythology, of which the most notable is the nymph who Hermes turned into a snow cloud. Khione works as both a high-brow mythological name and a…
Hungarian, Polish
"brave"
Though the name Kinga has penetrated the international consciousness via the Slovakian model Kinga Rajzak, it's a rare choice for American baby girls: Only six were named Kinga last year. Is that…
"kind and gentle"
Singer-actress Queen Latifah -- born Dana Owens -- makes this North African Muslim name sing.
Diminutive of Elizabeth, Felicity, and Melissa
Lissy may be this generation's answer to Missy. It's rare to see Lissy on a birth certificate, but if you pay attention, you may notice it as a nickname for names such as the classic Elizabeth or hot…
