Dog Names · Pet Names
By Brynn McKeon · Updated October 2026
Across 8 pages
of 8
Celtic
"thunder"
Taran mac Ainftech was King of the Picts, a people who lived mainly in Scotland, in the 7th century. His name is a relative of the Celtic god of thunder Taranis, a counterpart to Thor. Taran is…
Short form of Brixton, place-name and surname, English
"stone of Brixi"
Brixi was a Saxon lord thought to have erected a stone boundary of an ancient meeting place on the site that is now Brixton, a suburb in south London. Brixton is a newly fashionable boys' name and…
Nature name
Like Sky and Sunshine, this fluffy name from the hippie 1970s has floated back onto the naming radar. It's similarity of Clyde and Claude help to ground it.
English
"son of the bailiff"
Predominantly used for boys, Grayson did begin to climb the charts for girls in the late 90s. It has yet to make it to the Top 1000 however, and recent years have seen it decline in use as a unisex…
English occupational name
"stoneworker"
Mason is a supertrendy name for boys that's starting to cross over -- Kelsey Grammer used it for his daughter. Creative speller's delight.
Spanish, “little wolf”
This lively pet name has recently been associated with Mexican-born Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o, acclaimed for her role in the 2013 film Twelve Years a Slave . The mother name Guadalupe, literally…
French
"young wolf"
Lowell is an upstanding and somewhat conservative name that calls to mind the genteel patrician families of nineteenth century New England, such as the one poet Robert Lowell was born into. Two other…
Danish and German
"thunder bear"
A familiar name in the Nordic countries that hasn't yet gained popularity in the English speaking world. But it could, now that Old Norse names like Thor and Odin are on the rise. It derives from…
Hebrew, diminutive of Ebenezer
"stone of help"
Though most parents would shy away from Ebenezer, short form Eben is affable and creative and perfectly able to stand alone; nothing Scroogish about it. This also makes a fresh new spin on the very…
Variation of Grayson, English
This inventive spelling of Graycen was among the fastest-risers of the year in 2019. It hit a peak in 2020, and dropped for both genders in 2021.
German
"famous wolf"
Sure, he'd probably get a certain amount of red-nosed teasing around the holiday, but a boy named Rudolph could probably take it. Besides, he's got other, more distinguished namesakes -- the great…
Feminine of Lovell
"wolf"
Lovella is most likely a feminine variation on Lovell, a surname. While it feels one of the invented-yet-antiquated girls' names , has the obvious attraction of containing the word "love" within it,…
Color name
Grey is the more common spelling in Britain and Australia. This color name has a softness and ambiguity which makes it equally lovely for a boy or a girl.
Irish
"castle, stone fort"
Cashel is one of the many appealing Irish names that have not yet emigrated to the US. Cashel was chosen by actor Daniel Day-Lewis and his writer-director wife Rebecca Miller for their son. In…
Arabic
"silver pearl"
Rare and rhythmic.
"shield-wolf"
Randolph is a timeworn classic that had its last hurrah in the 1940s, when Randolph (born George) Scott was starring in westerns, but then was probably done in by its tricky nickname Randy (which,…
"strong as a wolf"
Too many Connors in your neighborhood? This name--spelled with one 'l' or two--is equally authentic and much more unusual.
Hawaiian
"cloudy skies"
An unusual Hawaiian nature name with an appealing vowel-rich sound.
This color name, spelled either Gray or Grey is rapidly catching on. Actress Jenny von Oy recently called her daughter Gray Audrey.
Norse
"thunder goddess"
Thora, related to Thor, is the ancient Norse thunder goddess name that's much softer and gentler than its meaning suggests. A noted bearer is actress Thora Birch.
