Pet Names · Cat Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 122 pages
of 122
Persian
"hero among heroes"
The two X's may be a challenge for even the most intrepid baby namer. Xerxes was the name of two early kings of Persia and the Handel opera Serse or Xerxes is loosely based on Xerxes I.
English
"helpful, pillow"
Cody is a once-trendy boys' name occasionally used for girls. The Cody trend has now given way to other nickname-y names such as Rory and Ruby.
English, Turkish
"wealthy, well-mannered"
An medieval English diminutive of Edith, which could make an unusual addition to simple vintage revivals like Eva, Ada and Ida. In Turkish, it means "well mannered".
Latin
"lucky"
A lacy, lucky name very popular in the Hispanic community a decade ago, less so now.
Color name
This color name, spelled either Gray or Grey is rapidly catching on. Actress Jenny von Oy recently called her daughter Gray Audrey.
Italian variation of Andrew, Greek
"strong and manly"
Andrea may be a gender neutral name in its native Italy and other European countries, but in the US it's 98 percent a girls' name, with only about 20 males to more than 1800 baby girl given that name…
Diminutive of Jordan
"flowing down"
A cutesy short form of Jordan that's never been overly popular. Like Jordan, Jordy would work equally well for a girl or boy.
Spanish from Greek
"virile, strong"
Long considered Mr. Hall's exclusive property, it's now ready to be adopted by others.
Irish
"dark, dark-haired"
Kerry is the name of one of the most beautiful and lush counties of Ireland was a seventies favorite. Related, updated versions might include Cerys and Keira.
English, diminutive of names ending in -ette or -etta, or variation of Neta, Hebrew
"plant"
You may never have known a Nettie personally, but there well might be one hidden in your family history, considering that she was a Top 100 name until 1901 and stayed on the Social Security list…
Variation of Fraser, Scottish
"strawberry"
Although Fraser is the more common (and original) form of this surname, Frasier is perhaps more familiar in the US thanks to the eponymous sitcom. Kelsey Grammer portrayed psychiatrist Frasier Crane…
Sanskrit
"power"
Shakti is the female equivalent of the god Shiva in Hinduism. A sacred name sometimes used in a secular way.
French
"blue"
The middle name of the Travoltas' Ella is used twice as often -- 36 to 18 babies in the US last year -- for boys as for girls, leaning even more to the male side than the traditional Blue.
English word name
"tenth month"
Cooler than April, May, or June, but also a tad icy. December gets its name from the number ten as the old Roman calendar only had ten months, and as now, December was the last.
This rarely used boys name is one of the few gem names for a boy. Obsidian is actually a type of volcanic glass, formed when lava cools very quickly. This ultra-cool name might spark a love of…
Welsh
"strong lord"
Popular for boys, Griffin is both a Latinized form of the Welsh Gruffudd and the English name for a mythological creature, half eagle, half lion. Sleek and stylish with a rugged edge, Griffin was…
Latin surname and Native American
"people of the standing rock"
Seneca's distinguished heritage as the name of the ancient Roman philosopher-playwright who tutored Nero, and of an Iroquois tribe makes this an interesting choice for either sex.
Spiritual word name, Chinese
"large wave; the path; harmony of the universe"
Tao is the Chinese word for the underlying harmony of the universe, combining both yin and yang. Extreme kayaker Tao Berman made this one of the spiritual names prime for adoption, and more recently,…
English, diminutive of Walter or Wallace
A Leave It to Beaver/old comic-strip name, vacationing for years with the Griswolds in WallyWorld, but now back as WALL-E?
"faithful, loyal"
Loyal has history as a boy name—most popular in the late 19th century, later falling off the charts in 1948. This was back when loyalty suggested faithfulness to one's country, rather than fidelity…
