Pet Names · Cat Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 122 pages
of 122
English; French, from Polish
"destroyer of peace"
Casimir, a traditional name of Polish kings, could do quite well these days as we see the rise of Caspian, Cassius, Castiel, et. al. Like Leopold and Laszlo, Casimir is strong and worth considering…
Diminutive of Michael, Hebrew
"who is like God?"
Pugnacious and spunky like the young Mickey Rooney and the original Mickey Mouse, but virtually never given to babies today.
Diminutive of Alfred, English
"wise counselor"
Alfie is a Top 20 name throughout the British Isles, where retro nickname names are mega-popular, but it hasn't really been picked up in the US yet, given to around 70 boys in a recent year.…
Word name
Most parents today would prefer the softer-sell Stella. But Star has symbolic power related to Christmas, so this could make one of the perfect names for December babies .
Scottish variation of Amabel
"loving"
Annabel is a spirited name that embodies quirky British gentility. Appearing in Scotland as early as the twelfth century, where it was a royal name, it also recalls the romantic Edgar Allan Poe poem…
English
"meadow of the hunter"
Huntley was best known as Brinkley's fellow news anchor back in the 60s and 70s, while in the UK, it might still be linked to a high profile murder case. Nevertheless, this surname style choice feels…
Diminutive of Roberta or Barbara, English
"bright fame; stranger"
A vintage nickname for Roberta or Barbara, most famously borne by Roberta "Bobbie" in Edith Nesbit's classic The Railway Children . Bobbie is one of the adorable boyish nicknames newly fashionable…
English, diminutive of Edith
"prosperous in war"
Edie is part of the Evie-Ellie et al family of cute and friendly short forms that sometimes stand on its own. Briefly popular in the 1960s, it could well be due for rediscovery. It's already a…
Latin
"eighth"
Octavius, which was at one time used for the eighth child in a family, has the worn leather patina of all the ancient Roman names now up for reconsideration. As a Roman family name, it derives from…
"peaceful"
Pax, one of the variations of names meaning peace that are newly popular in these less-than-peaceful times, got a lot of publicity when chosen by Brad & Angelina for their Vietnamese-born son.…
Italian
"little flower"
Not only are individual flower names more popular (and out-there) than ever, but so too are the more generic names like Florence and Flora. While brother name Fiorello became known via long-term New…
Irish
"dark, black-haired"
A name that Yanks might see as overly British, but combined with the right surname, it does have a measure of Sherlock Holmesian dash via Nigel Bruce, who played the original Dr. Watson to Basil…
Galician and Catalan form of Luna, Portuguese, Latin
"moon; to set free"
Properly spelled Luã, this is a light and bright alternative to mega-popular Luna, with the same celestial meaning. Lua is also an attractive choice for tech-heads, with Lua being a popular…
Irish Gaelic
"god is gracious"
Siobhan is the Irish variation of Joan, which is derived from the ancient Anglo-Norman name Jehanne. In this way Siobhan is indirectly related to the name Sinead—the Irish form of Jeannette, which…
Place-name, former kingdom of western Africa
Authentic African name that blipped in popularity a few years ago when hip-hop singer Ashanti first arrived on the scene.
"hallowed stone"
Though long associated with the iconic male fashion designer -- who went by his middle name alone -- rising young actress Halston Sage has made Halston feel plausible as a girls' name too.
"of the mind, intellect"
Minerva is the long-neglected name of the Roman goddess of wisdom and invention, the arts and martial strength, one of the mythology names for girls that might appeal to adventurous feminist parents.…
Sanskrit
"dark, black"
Krishna is the name of a supreme Hindu god, and is often found in Hindu families. While it leans masculine, it is also given to girls, and a survey of names back in 2014 revealed the split was around…
Windswept and dramatic, but perhaps asking for trouble. Quite popular in Denmark and Sweden, where it derives from Stromr, which is a fairly common surname. Storm Thorgerson is a famous bearer of the…
Hebrew
"secret of God"
In Jewish mysticism, Raziel is an angel known as the Keeper of Secrets. The Book of Raziel contends that he stood by God and wrote down everything that was said. The name Raziel, along with many…
