Red Dog Names

  1. Vermillion
    • Description:

      Vermillion is an extremely rare feminine name derived from the vibrant red-orange pigment of the same name. The word ultimately comes from Latin 'vermiculum,' meaning 'little worm,' referring to the tiny insects (kermes) from which this crimson dye was originally made. As a given name, Vermillion falls into the category of color names, alongside more common choices like Scarlet or Ruby. However, Vermillion remains exceptionally uncommon, making it a truly distinctive choice. The name carries strong associations with creativity, boldness, and visual arts due to the pigment's historical importance in painting. Its four syllables and melodic quality give it a flowing, elaborate sound that contrasts with shorter color names, offering parents a dramatic and artistic choice that's virtually guaranteed to be unique.

  2. Roxby
    • Origin:

      Invented name, place name
    • Meaning:

      "red farmstead; rook's village"
    • Description:

      Roxby is the "proper" name of the Leo Woodall character in the movie Mad About the Boy, the fourth instalment in the Bridget Jones franchise. In the film, he goes by the cool boy nickname, Roxster.
  3. Omaira
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "long life; red"
    • Description:

      Omaira is an intriguing Middle Eastern possibility.
  4. Roxster
    • Origin:

      Invented name
    • Meaning:

      "red; rook"
    • Description:

      Roxby "Roxster" McDuff is the improbable name of the Leo Woodall character in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, the fourth instalment of the popular movie franchise.
  5. Ruadan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "red-haired"
    • Description:

      One of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland, St. Ruadan was a follower of St. Finian and founded an abbey in Tipperary. Other versions include Ruadhain or Ruadhan.
  6. Atkin
    • Origin:

      English diminutive of Adam, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "son of the red earth"
    • Description:

      Atkin is a short form of Adam that originated in Medieval England. It's now obsolete, but traces remain in surnames such as Atkins and Atkinson.
  7. Admon
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "red"
    • Description:

      A handsome and rare Hebrew name related to Adam — it was given to fewer than five American babies in the United States in 2021.
  8. Burgundy
    • Origin:

      French place-name; also color name
    • Description:

      Ron Burgundy was Will Ferrell's fictional helmet-haired newsman, but this color name is much more suited to a girl.
  9. Rojo
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "red"
    • Description:

      Colorful middle name choice.
  10. Radley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "red meadow"
    • Description:

      An emerging unisex surname name. Radley is more common for boys — it could be seen as an updated version of Bradley — but for girls, it's a rare alternative to Hadley and Adley. Radley is also a literary name via To Kill a Mockingbird, the surname of mysterious recluse Boo Radley.
  11. Leroux
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "the red-haired one"
    • Description:

      A colorful French surname that could appeal to English speakers.
  12. Radcliff
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "red cliff"
    • Description:

      Harvard's sibling.
  13. Bayard
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "russet-haired"
    • Description:

      An old English redhead name -- one of the few that doesn't begin with the letter r -- with references both to a famous French knight and a magical horse. Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin is a contemporary bearer of this unusual and evocative name.
  14. Roone
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "red-haired"
    • Description:

      Roone is a lively, attractive and unusual redhead entry brought into the mix by the late TV sports and news executive Roone Arledge, who seemed to own it as a one-person name when he was alive.
  15. Rudd
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "red or ruddy"
    • Description:

      The surname Rudd, made most famous by Antman actor Paul, derives from the words ruddy or red and may have originally been given to someone with a reddish complexion.
  16. Raleigh
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "meadow of deer"
    • Description:

      An attractive North Carolina unisex place name, Raleigh's soft sound is particularly appropriate for a girl.
  17. Flanna
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "red-haired"
    • Description:

      Flanna is an uncommon name for a red-haired girl, not as familiar -- or some would say, as pretty -- as its nickname, Flannery.
  18. Akane
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "deep red"
    • Description:

      A popular choice right now in Japan, where it recently ranked in the Top 10.
  19. Flanagan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "red, ruddy"
    • Description:

      Flanagan is an elabortion of Flann, and cousin of Flynn and Finn: a member of the family of colorful Irish red-headed names. This one is lively and undiscovered.
  20. Akako
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "red"
    • Description:

      The color red was considered to have magical properties in early Japanese culture, with the power to cure blood and other illnesses. Pronounced ah-kah-ko.