Pet Names · Dog Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 370 pages
of 370
French literary name
For remembrance of books past, Proust might be a meaningful middle name.
French place-name
"province"
One of the most picturesque and enchanting areas of France could become a distinctive baby name. Provence Maydew is a Canadian actress.
Chilo is a masculine name with Latin and Greek roots, where 'chilo' means 'lip' or relates to having full lips. In ancient Greece, 'Chilon' was a renowned Spartan philosopher, one of the Seven Wise…
English virtue name
"cautious"
Prudence is rising again for baby girls. Prudent feels like a more modern spin, even though it too has a Puritan history. Plus, it still gets you to that cute nickname Pru.
Short form of Prudence, English virtue name
"caution"
Prudy does not improve on Prudence.
Fruit name
Prune is a fruit name loved by the French, for whom it's a Plum equivalent. In the U.S., Plum works, but Prune is not a name we'd want to inflict on a child. Prunella is slightly more plausible.
Latin
"small plum"
Most ella names are hot, but this is one that won't catch fire because of the disagreeable connotations of prunes.
French
"little plum"
This sweet, fruity French name debuted in the American charts in 2020 (but dipped out again the following year). Although it's offbeat, the spunky nicknames Prue and Nell(ie) definitely work in its…
Italian
"from Greece"
A name with a lot of panache, with ties to the great Spanish Mannerist painter El Greco--though his real name was DOMENICOS.
Literary name
Puck, the mischievous sprite of Shakespeare, is a unisex name given more often to girls in The Netherlands and is also the name of one of the moons of Uranus, discovered in 1985 and named Puck for…
Puck was Shakespeare's mischievous pixie who'a had a few television incarnations in more recent years. A popular name in The Netherlands but nowhere else, from what we can tell. We love Puck for its…
Spanish
"the town"
Sandy southwestern feel.
English
"big cat"
Lithe and leonine name chosen for her daughter by singer Erykah Badu -- whose other child has the number name Seven.
Lithe and leonine name chosen for her daughter by singer Erykah Badu, but fits in with wild nature names like Fox, Wolf and Bear for a boy.
English word name
"pumpkin"
A common name for orange-colored cats. Fun fact: the word pumpkin is derived from the Greek pepōn , translating to "large melon."
A pet name, literally and figuratively. The word pumpkin is derived from the Greek pepōn , meaning large melon."
French and English
"providing food"
This spelling does not dispel the "perv" connection.
Greek mythological name
Though the name of his great tragic love Thisbe remains in modern use, that of her paramour Pyramus, a young Babylonian, has all but disappeared. Chaucer includes the tale of their misbegotten love…
"clever, quick"
Truly offbeat, but just on the brink of outré.
"queen"
A bit too close to "quandary" and "queen".
