Pet Names · Dog Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 370 pages
of 370
Diminutive of various Ty-beginning names
As Tyler has begun to recede, a number of parents, including the Wayne Gretzkys, have cut straight to the livelier short form. One thing that may be holding the name back is the tarnished legacy of…
Spelling variation of Nia
Related to Nia and Naia, Naya was new to the US Top 1000 in 2014 and benefits from the short and simple pronunciation that many parents are seeking in fresh names. It also has obvious similarities to…
English surname
"Cenel's island"
Yesterday's hottie, today's mom name. Kelsey derives from several English place names and may mean "Cenel's island", from the Old English name Cenel "fierce". Kelsey entered the Top 1000 in the late…
Latin
"blessed"
Parents who like Ben and Benjamin but find those forms too popular sometimes consider Benedict as a more distinctive choice. Unlike the Old Testament Benjamin, Benedict is the name of the saint who…
French from Latin
"estate of the fifth son"
Quincy is a Presidential surname name that actually sounds both cute and strong when used for a girl. For the first time ever, Quincy joined the Top 1000 roster for girls in 2023, given to over 250…
English from German
"industrious"
Emery is one of the newly popular Em- names that has great potential, though right now for girls more than boys: it received a boost in 2009, a year after Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn used it for…
Variation of Genesis
Genesis, meet Jennifer. This spelling of Genesis — the first book in the Bible — is comfortably in the Top 1000.
Greek
"soft breeze"
Aura is a New Age-y word turned name turned contemporary slang for being cool, confident, and suave. Also associated with ancient mythology, the spiritual "essence" surrounding someone, with the…
Modern invented, variation of Drew
This phonetic spelling of Drew feels particularly distanced from the original classic Andrew. Jrue, along with other phonetic "Jr" names such as Jream, is on the rise in the US — even cracking the…
Germanic
"noble, bright"
Alberto is the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese variation of Albert and lends a more unusual and fashionable edge to this name which is still a grandpa name to many.
Spanish variation of Alfred, English
"wise counsellor; elf counsel"
Alfredo, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese variation of Alfred, is most familiar as the romantic lead in Verdi's evergreen opera La Traviata . On a less romantic note, Alfredo is also the name of a…
Diminutive of Olivia or Latin
"blue, envious"
Though it sounds like a chopped-off variation of Olivia, which means olive, the distinctively attractive Livia has been an independent name since the days of the ancient Romans, when it belonged to…
Spelling variation of Kayla
While Kayla has been a mainstay in the US Top 1000 list since the 1960s, alternate version Keyla is relatively new, first entering the charts in 2002. While this spelling also has the possibility of…
English
"from Denmark"
Dane is a more masculine Dana alternative, with added style edge. Dane has been on the US Top 1000 for more than seventy years, having entered the list in 1945. Dane makes a great middle name, as…
Hebrew, Sanskrit
"watchful one; wind"
Succinct and sharp, Ira is one of the shortest Old Testament names, belonging to one of King David's thirty 'mighty warriors.' It was widely used in the US from the 1880s to the early 1930s (it was…
Gaelic
"white shoulder"
Nola, a name with a sleek, enigmatic quality, was used for the much-pursued heroine of Spike Lee's 1986 breakout film, She's Gotta Have It , and again by Woody Allen in Match Point . It's a short…
Diminutive of Theodore or Edward, English
"gift of God; wealthy guardian"
Popularized by Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt Jr., Teddy is a sweet but substantial choice, similar in style to the likes of Charlie, Freddie, and Bertie. Appearing in the US Top 1000 for most of the…
Arabic, Hebrew
"heavens, highborn, exalted; to ascend, to rise"
Simpler and less tied to the singer in this form, Aliya is a feminine form of the Arabic name Ali, meaning "lofty, sublime, high" or "exalted." Boosted to fame by the ill-fated singer, Aaliyah, and…
Anglicized form of Teasagh or diminutive of Jessica, Hebrew
"behold or wealthy"
Jessie has never been used as much as Jennie/Jenny, partly because it's a boys’ name as well (spelled Jesse), but it does have a friendly and unpretentious pioneer feel. In Scotland, it's found as an…
"son of Neil"
Nelson is a rather stiff and dated surname name that is sometimes used to honor distinguished South African activist Nelson Mandela, as Celine Dion did for one of her twin boys. Other notable…
