Pet Names · Dog Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 370 pages
of 370
Swahili
"ruler"
Passé pasha image.
English and French from Latin tree name
"cedar tree"
Cedar is, like Ash, Oak, Pine and Ebony, one of the new tree/wood names that parents are starting to consider; this one is particularly aromatic with a similar feel to more classic options like…
Irish
"from the hollow"
A variation of Corey, this spelling has also been on a steady decline since the early-1990s. Its days are likely numbered on the US popularity charts altogether.
Mineral and word name
This super-charged variation of Jett is on the rise -- along with the unlikely newcomer Jetson.
International feminine variation of Jan
A sweet name with many cross-cultural ties: it's an equivalent of Jane in languages including Czech, Slovak, Dutch, German, Slovene, Catalan, Estonian, and Latvian.
Spelling variation of Cole
"swarthy, coal black"
Cole and Kole — at their most stylish in the early 2000s — are now being passed over for modern favorites Colton, Colt, Colter, Colson, et al. Nonetheless, Kole is still floating just at the bottom…
Spanish from Arabic
"hidden river, valley of the wolves"
Popular Spanish name that relates to the patron saint of Mexico. It could conceivably, like Soledad and Consuelo, cross the border into multicultural territory, but the name's decline since the…
Variation of Mae, English
"drop of the sea; pearl"
A combination of vintage Mae with popular suffix -lynn , Maelyn feels reminiscent of glamorous Marilyn and contemporary Raelynn. In use since at least the 80s, Maelyn practically doubled in…
Hindi
"sun; conferring"
A title of the Hindu sun god, made cross-culturally famous by sitar player Ravi Shankar.
"little king"
More authentic and original form of Ryan, but far less common of the two spellings in the US. There were about 170 baby boys named Rian in the US last year, versus over 4000 named Ryan. In its native…
Word name
Wisdom is a rare modern virtue name that might increase in use as this whole category becomes more mainstream. Wisdom is one of the gender-neutral names now on the table for both boys and girls.
English
"hay field"
It all started in 1946, when Hayley Mills was given her mother's maiden name. Now that spelling is in third place, after Hailey and Haley, with all three adding up to one of the most popular names in…
Variation of Breccan; Irish
"freckled, speckled"
Brecken is a fresh, distinctively Irish alternative to similar-sounding (and much more popular) Beckett or Beckham. While Brecken is a spelling variation of the original Breccan, it's the most…
Latin
"queen of the heavens; young"
Juno is an ancient name that feels as fresh as if it had been minted, well, not yesterday, but in 2007. Since the release of the popular indie film Juno , this lively but strong Roman goddess name…
French variation of Peter
"rock, stone"
One of the most familiar — if not stereotypical — Gallic names. Pierre was a Top 5 name in France from the 19th century through 1940 and is now on a steady decline in its native land. In the US,…
Spelling variation of Leila
This spelling variation of the name only recently entered the Top 1000 in 2008. The popular Layla is currently very popular in the United States, while the more traditional Leila is also widely used.…
"courage and bravery"
This modern virtue name gives a nod to ancient chivalry and could also work as an updated form of the classic Victor. A bold choice, but one that an increasing number of parents have been making in…
Hebrew
"to name"
Nickname for the star Gamma Cassiopeiae given by the late astronaut Gus Grissom after his own middle name (Ivan) spelled backwards. Navi also relates to the prophets in the Hebrew Bible. The name…
West is the most fashionable of what you might call the direction names, with North and East (or Easton and Easter) coming up behind, and South not yet on the map. Country singer Randy Houser named…
"a plain"
This Old Testament place name was in the Top 10 fifty years ago, but now Sharon, along with sound-alike Karen, have fallen out of favor.
