Pet Names · Cat Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 122 pages
of 122
Irish
"red-haired warrior"
Irish surnames are hot, and this one can successfully cross the line to work for girls, replacing the outdated Casey. And only a dozen girls were named Clancy in the US in one recent year (along with…
Latin, diminutive of Ignatius
"fiery"
Iggy is the quintessential pop star name, though it's the nickname Cate Blanchett uses for son Ignatius. Iggy does bring any grander-sounding name down to earth.
Latin
"goddess"
Once unique to the Zappa family, now you can have your own little prima donna.
Graycen is a modern feminine name that emerged as a variant spelling of Grayson, which was originally an English surname meaning 'son of the steward' or 'son of Gregory.' This contemporary adaptation…
Word name
Musical choice that may be a short form of Jasmine or Jazlyn, or might stand on its own like this or as Jaz, the spelling used by tennis duo Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi.
African
"season's beginning"
Kia is a sweet, simple name that is now, unfortunately, associated with a Korean car label. Better today: Nia, Thea, or Keira.
Indian, Punjabi, Urdu
"blessing, mercy"
A cool and uncommon unisex Indian name.
Diminutive of Maurice
"dark skinned"
Old-man name, soft as a fraying gray cashmere cardigan, that would be even cuter for a girl.
"modesty"
Modesty is a virtue name dating to Roman times, but never widely used, except for hot 1960s movie spoof heroine, Modesty Blaise, based on a comic strip.
Fruit name
Peach is one of those names that, a generation ago, would have been placed in the wacky celebrity baby name category. But now with the proliferation of word, nature, and yes, food names, Peach sounds…
Diminutive of Margaret, Greek
"pearl"
Just when we had written off Peggy as the eternal perky, pug-nosed prom-queen she projected from the 1920s into the fifties, along came Mad Men , with intriguing mid-century characters with names…
Tibetan
"brave wanderer"
If Portia can become Porsche, then Apollo can morph into Polo -- the imprint of designer Ralph Lauren.
"little prosperous one"
This name may be interpreted as an offbeat Anglicized form of the Gaelic Rathnait, though it could also be considered a diminutive of Renee, Renata, Lorenza, Lauren, Lorena, and similar. Influencers…
African word name from Swahili
"journey"
In Africa, Safari is often used a name for a baby born during a journey. Americans and more likely to think of riding in Jeeps, taking photos of giraffes, lions, and the like. Nevertheless, Safari is…
Latin form of Rolf
"wolf"
Rollo is a livelier, roly-poly, o-ending version of Roland. Although it sounds modern, Rollo actually was seen regularly on Latin documents in the Middle Ages, though not heard in everyday speech.…
In the US this is likely to conjure zebras, lions and elephants on the Serengeti, but its original meaning "journey" broadens its wearability. Safari is a name common in Africa for babies born while…
"stern"
Though it has literary credentials--making an appearance in Jane Austen's Mansfield Park and as the mean-spirited teacher Severus Snape in the Harry Potter books, most modern parents would find it…
English word name
"unaccompanied"
Solo is a singular word name with special meaning for Star Wars fans. Equally appropriate for girls and boys, it works especially well in the middle.
"a fabric characterized by a short soft dense warp pile"
Velvet is a name that couldn't possibly be softer or more luxuriant. Many people have fond memories of it via the character of Velvet Brown, played by the young Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet ,…
English surname, variation of Wild, English word name
"untamed; undomesticated, uncultivated"
Wilde is a bold choice that equally fits in to a number of contemporary name trends. It's a daring, outdoorsy word name; a surname-style choice; a literary honor name; and a sound-alike for more…
