Pet Names · Dog Names
By Brynn McKeon · Updated September 2026
Across 10 pages
of 10
German surname and literary name
"from Gaddesby"
Gatsby is one of the most famous literary surnames, borne by the titular character of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby . The book's Jay Gatsby gussied up his surname from Gatz, whose meaning is…
Greek
"rich"
The Roman god of the underworld, the former ninth planet, a cartoon dog...but not a baby.
English
"citizen of Rome"
Originally a surname deriving from the Roman twin Romulus, this attractive name was introduced to the English-speaking world as a first name by painter Augustus John who used it for his son. Romilly…
English word name
"tank"
Military word names, from Cannon to Major, are in, but Tank might push things a bit too far.
Latin, feminine variation of Maximus
Max names were one of the hottest trends for boys in the mid-2010s, and are still very popular. The girl versions haven't seen so much love, unfortunately. (Or fortunately, if you love them and want…
"gold"
Cressida is a golden, mythological, and Shakespearean name, much better known in Britain than it is in the US. Given to just 11 American girls in a recent year — though still the highest number on…
"wife or widow of a Duke"
This title name has not taken off yet in the naming world as others like Duke, King, Royal, and Reign have. Duchess was the name of the elegant and sophisticated cat in the classic Disney film, The…
Roman god of the sea, freshwater springs, and horses.
This Roman mythology (and planet) name would be very hard to handle. It derives from a root meaning cloud.
"story of Odysseus; long journey"
Odyssey is a rare and weighty word name — following the footsteps of Hero, Legend, Prosper, and Story. Despite its literal connection to Odysseus, Homer's epic hero, Odyssey has always been slightly…
Latin
"fruitful"
Drusilla is an ancient Roman name, (probably) borne by descendants of Antony and Cleopatra, and is one of the 'illa' names that are ready for a comeback, especially with its cute short form Dru.…
American nickname
The original southern Good Ol' Boy.
Hawaiian or Norse
"leeward or woman, wife"
Kona is strongly associated with the Kona coffee of Hawaii. The Hawaiian word kona means "leeward" or "dry side of the island," and Kona districts are where Kona coffee is grown. It's a unisex name…
Scottish
"church, cemetery"
Taken from a Scottish town, a Scots surname, and the name of an intricately patterned fabric, Paisley means "church" or "cemetery." It ranks highly for girls and is in US Top 100. It may feel a…
"demi-god"
Despite the possibility of gender confusion, the Hero in Greek myth was a woman. Myleene Klass got that when she chose Hero for her daughter, and Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson used it as their…
Greek mythology name
Io may be one of the slightest names in the book, but there aren't many two-letter names with as much substance as this Greek mythological example. Io, a name used for the largest moon of Jupiter,…
Scooby is an unusual masculine name that gained recognition primarily through the popular animated character Scooby-Doo, the Great Dane from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon series that debuted in 1969. As…
Italian from Latin
"bear"
Cool bearlike option, though Orson might be easier to embrace.
Moose is an unconventional masculine name derived from the North American mammal. As a given name, it emerged from nickname usage, typically assigned to individuals with large, strong builds or…
A cute name for a small animal, or an ironic name for a large one.
"heavy, dull"
Brutus is the quintessential brute--far too close to the word brutal. And any child with this name would spend much of his life hearing "Et tu." Originally an old Roman family name, borne by Marcus…
