Dog Names · Pet Names
By Brynn McKeon · Updated October 2026
Across 6 pages
of 6
Anglicization of Conleth, Irish
"chaste fire; constant fire"
Part Constance, part Finley, Conley is a contemporary sounding surname choice that has been used for boys since the early 20th century. An anglicized form of the Irish name Conleth, it began to be…
English word name
"cherry"
With other fruity names like Clementine, Olive and Plum ripe for the picking, sweet Cherry remains remarkably underused: just 27 baby girls received the name in 2017, down from 343 at its peak in…
Irish
"red-haired warrior"
Clancy, one of the original crossover Irish surname names, is as energetic and appealing as ever — full of moxie, more distinctive than Casey, and also one of the less obvious of the red-headed…
Persian
"bringer of treasure"
The ancient boys' name Jasper is popular internationally in a range of forms, including Casper and Gaspard, and now Jasper is beginning to be used for girls in the US.
English or Gaelic surname
"descendent of the champion"
Rooney is one of many bouncy Irish surnames that could make an agreeable first, once tied to Mickey Rooney (who was actually born Joseph Yule) in his young and spunky Andy Hardy period. Young "Girl…
"fire"
This phonetic Anglicization of the Irish name Eithne was made familiar by the single-named Irish singer and composer. St. Eithne was the daughter of a king and an early Irish convert to Christianity.
Latin
"red-head"
Rufus is a rumpled, redheaded (it was the nickname for red-haired King William) ancient Roman name popular with saints and singers (e.g. Rufus Wainwright); now, Rufus is on the cutting edge of cool.…
Variation of Aidan, Irish
"little fire"
Egan's likeness to the word eager gives this Irish surname a ready-to-please, effervescent energy, and it would make an appropriate substitute for the overused Aidan. This popular Irish surname…
Irish variation of Raymond
"wise protector"
We love this partly for purely personal reasons, since it is one of our surnames. We used it as the middle name of a son –and it can make a good first choice too. Redmond – also found as Reamann or…
Color name
"deep reddish-brown"
With its rich aural relation to names like Aubrey and Audrey, this color name could be the next Amber, or Scarlett.
"rich deep red"
Crimson could be a possible competitor for Scarlett's success, though it's lacking that Johansson charm. Crimson tends to be disproportionately popular in Alabama — the University of Alabama's…
English
"red ford"
An unusual surname-style choice with a strong meaning and potential for nicknames Ford and Red. Associated with the actor Robert Redford, it was also used for a one of the main characters in the 2019…
A hot name, though perhaps not in the sense you want for your baby. About 20 times as many boys as girls were named Blaze in one recent year, perhaps because it can be seen as a spelling variation of…
Variation of Russell, French
"redhead, fox-colored"
Short but substantial, Russ does not need the full-form Russell to go on the birth certificate. Russ strikes a nice balance between familiar, friendly, and underused.
French From Latin
"russet"
Roux, a color name meaning russet or reddish brown, is a possible middle name for your little auburn-haired babe, though a post-Hunger Games child would more likely be called Rue. Roux is also a…
Phonetic variation of French Cheri; also a Spanish fortified wine
Peppy cheerleader name of the 1960s and 70s that's sure to evoke the Four Seasons song of that name.
Fiery but slight middle name choice; much more apt to be a redhead's nickname.
French from Latin
Roux is the name of the dashing Johnny Depp character in Chocolat . Roux is French from a Latin word meaning russet or brownish red; it's also a cooking term for a mixture of flour and butter that…
French
Infinitely preferable to the tease-inspiring English version of the word.
Turkish, Mongolian
"red dawn; golden"
A strong and striking Turkish option with an evocative meaning. Equally colorful from its Mongolian roots, it is also associated with gold.
