Pet Names · Cat Names
By Brynn McKeon · Updated September 2026
Across 8 pages
of 8
Turkish
"very rare"
This popular Turkish name has a very on-trend sound and is familiar to English speakers thanks to Orson Scott Card’s sci-fi novel Ender’s Game . The book has recently been turned into a movie,…
Literary name
Daenerys is yet another girls' name invented by "Game of Thrones" author George R. R. Martin that is beginning to gain some traction in real life. Daenerys was used for 67 baby girls in 2013 while…
Greek, diminutive of Artemios
"safe; butcher"
Best known as the the Greek Goddess of the hunt and the moon, Artemis could now be considered one of the few traditionally feminine names that are currently being used for boys. Alternatively though,…
Literary invention
"son of all"
German author Michael Ende created the name Atreyu for the protagonist of his 1979 novel The Neverending Story . In the original German translation of the book, the hero was Atréju — Atreyu is the…
Hybrid name
For that rare parent who's torn between Jared and Gareth.
Animal name or diminutive of Wolfgang, German
" traveling wolf"
Wolf is a name with a split personality. It can be seen as one of the fierce animal names, like Fox and Bear and Puma, with a touch of the werewolf, or it can be viewed as a quieter, Wolf Blitzer…
Feminine version of Hermes, Greek
"messenger, earthly"
Hermione's costarring role in Harry Potter has made this previously ignored, once stodgy name suddenly viable. Hermione could really take off once today's children start having kids of their own. In…
Variation of Shay, Irish
"the stately, dauntless one"
The third-most-popular spelling of this name, after Shea and Shay, is notable mostly for its connection to Game of Thrones . Shae is a "camp follower" -- AKA prostitute -- who becomes the loyal…
Latin
"of the mind, intellect"
Minerva is the long-neglected name of the Roman goddess of wisdom and invention, the arts and martial strength, one of the mythology names for girls that might appeal to adventurous feminist parents.…
Ofelia is a feminine name with roots in ancient Greek literature, derived from the name Ophelia. It originated from the Greek word 'ophelos,' meaning 'help' or 'benefit.' This name gained literary…
French, German, and Dutch form of Sabina, Latin
"Sabine"
A concise choice with a hint of chic, Sabine is the French, Dutch, and German form of the Latin Sabina. While it has never charted in the US, Sabine saw a slight increase in use in recent data, with…
English
"enclosure or fortified place"
Usually adding an e to the end of a name makes it more feminine, but Locke is at most recent count used only for baby boys. Still, this stylishly strong one-syllable name is theoretically…
Place name
Long more associated with the New York Waldorf- hotel and the neighborhood in Queens than as a baby name, Astoria is finally beginning to emerge from their shadow and find favor with parents looking…
Greek mythology name
"advising like a man"
One of the stellar unique baby names from mythology, Andromeda was the beautiful daughter of Cassiopeia who, like her mother, literally became a star--the constellation that bears her name.The…
"echo or sound"
Echo, the pretty, resonant name of a legendary nymph, was the heroine of Joss Whedon's sci-fi series Dollhouse . Nick Hexum, of the band 311, named his daughter Echo Love. In the Greek myth, Echo was…
Welsh
"sea fortress"
This name of the famous fifth-century sorcerer and mentor of King Arthur may or may not be a bit wizardy for a real-life modern child. Its most noted modern bearer: football star turned actor Merlin…
Devan is a masculine name with multiple cultural origins, making it an interesting cross-cultural choice. In Sanskrit, it derives from "deva" meaning "divine" or "god," while in Irish it's a variant…
Norse
"church"
Far more friendly and open than similar one-syllable names like Kent, Kurt, and Karl, it's been associated for more than half a century with actor Kirk Douglas, whose birth name was Issur…
"king's victory"
Kinsey enjoyed popularity blip thanks to similarity to Lindsay, and because of Sue Grafton's alphabet mysteries heroine, Kinsey Millhone. Now, Kinsley has become more popular than Kinsey, perhaps…
Spanish and Catalan from Latin
"life, vital"
A zippy, lively name that has never been popular, but has never completely disappeared. It is best known for writer and wit Gore Vidal, and hairdresser Vidal Sassoon and his many products.
