Pet Names · Dog Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 370 pages
of 370
Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese
"ruby; precious gemstone, lapis lazuli + beautiful"
The Spanish and Portuguese form of popular Ruby is another addition to the list of attractive gem names for girls, that might sometimes be used by English speaking parents who want their child's name…
Modern invented name
Braden (and Braeden) had his heyday in the early part of the 21st century, giving rise to many offshoots for both boys and girls. But Braelyn and siblings are now on a long downward slide.
English and Irish
"someone who lives near marshland"
Short and sharp with a nature related meaning, Vance was trending upwards in recent years thanks to the musicians Foy Vance and Vance Joy. 2024 saw it take a downwards dip however, likely due to its…
English
"fortunate protector"
The sophisticated Edmund and its nearly-identical French twin Edmond are coming out of mothballs now that Edward, inspired by Twilight, is once again a hot name. In fact, it's already a fairly…
"hare clearing"
You can ride one, you can use it as a baby name – or, as is often the case, both! Harley is currently trending up for girls and down for boys in the US, although it remains predominantly masculine in…
Feminization of Carl, German, Carlo, Italian, and Carlos, Spanish
"free man"
While Charlotte and Caroline are considered stylish and classic members of the Charles family, this Germanic form peaked in the US at Number 76 in 1965. It fell out of favor in the 2010s, but recent…
Variation of Malaya, Filipino
"free"
Malayah first appeared on the charts in 1994 and has steadily climbed its way into the Top 1000. It's a spelling variation of Malaya, which derives from the same root as Malaysia — which in addition…
Diminutive of Lawrence, English from Latin
"from Laurentium or bay laurel"
Your friendly next-door neighbor...not your baby. Although Larry was once one of the most popular boys' names starting with L , that title now belongs to Liam.
Hebrew, Russian, Greek, Finnish, Sanskrit, "watchful one; peace; protectress; earth
Truly multi-cultural, Ira can be: a Russian short form of Irina, meaning "peace"; a gender-switch of the Hebrew male name Ira, meaning "watchful"; a modern Greek and Finnish form of Hera, meaning…
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese
"relating to the god Mars"
A handsome and romantic-sounding European option.
Hebrew
"the comforter"
A middle-aged, if not elderly, name associated with Israeli statesman and onetime prime minister Begin, this is a symbolic appellation for boys born on the holiday of Tishah-b'Ab.
Wyoming place-name, French
"canopy of leafy boughs"
Laramie was derived from the French word la ramée , meaning "leafy canopy." It was historically a French surname, but today it is a viable first name option for girls or boys. The balance is…
Irish
"liberty"
Before the young Irish actress Saoirse Ronan made her mark in the films Ladybird and The Lovely Bones , few of us had heard this name, let alone known how to pronounce it. But now it is slowly way…
Variation of Savannah
Savanna has lost ground in recent years. It remains eclipsed by its more traditionally spelled cousin Savannah.
Italian short form of Giovanni
"God is gracious"
Giovanni is the Italian form of John, and Gio is its dashing nickname. A lot cooler than Johnny, no?
English diminutive of Susannah, Hebrew
"lily"
Although Susan had her heyday from the thirties to the sixties, and is now common among moms and new grandmas, and though most modern parents would prefer Susanna/Susannah, we have spotted some…
English tree name from Latin
"maple tree; tree of the Acer genus"
Maple is one of those sweet-spot word names that sounds so almost name-like that it doesn't feel outlandish or strange, despite its relative newness as a given name. Just as Juniper is adjacent to…
French
"reborn"
Though it's used for boys, most non-French people would hear it as a girls’ name . Most would be surprised to learn that Rene has always charted in the US Top 1000 for boys.
"island near the clearing"
Rodney peaked at Number 33 in 1965 and has been on a steady decline ever since. As its popularity history indicates, this name is more fitting for someone born in the mid-twentieth century instead of…
English color and flower name
"purple flower"
Lavender lags far behind sweet-smelling purple-hued sister names Violet and Lila, but is starting to get some enthusiastic attention from cutting-edge namers along with other adventurous nature names…
