Pet Names · Dog Names
By Brynn McKeon · Updated September 2026
Across 16 pages
of 16
Latin
"Roman messenger god"
Adventurous parents are starting to look back to names of ancient gods like Mercury, Zeus, and Apollo. This one is also a planet and a metallic element, and has a friendly nickname, Merc. The Roman…
German, Scandinavian variation of Nicholas, Greek
"people of victory"
The enduring form of Nicholas in countries that speak predominantly Germanic languages.
English word name
"tank"
Military word names, from Cannon to Major, are in, but Tank might push things a bit too far.
Dutch and German variation of John
"God is gracious"
Popular form of John in Germany. Just remember to pronounce it YAHN-nik, which most English-speakers won't. Jannick is another spelling.
Greek
"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…
Variation of Otho
"wealth, fortune"
Possibly created as an elaboration of Otho or Otto, Othello is almost exclusively associated with Shakespeare's 1603 tragedy of the same name. Borne by a Moorish General who is tricked and…
Old English
"bee wolf"
This ancient name is that of the hero of the epic Beowulf , which is thought to be the oldest-ever poem in English lit written in the vernacular. J. R. R. Tolkien used the poem as one of his…
German
"singled out"
Mystical overtones.
English word name, diminutive of Barbara, Latin
"foreign woman"
Baby is rarely seen as a given name — or even nickname — these days, although it did rank in the Top 1000 from 1989 to 2003. These instances can be accounted for in two ways. Firstly, infants whose…
Dutch, German, and Frisian diminutive of Adelheid
"noble"
Though she has long stood on her own, Elke has many longer cross-cultural connections, to the Dutch/German/Scandinavian Adelheid and Alice and the English Adelaide, as a feminine version of Elkanah…
German, Scandinavian diminutive of Charlotte
"free man"
Lotte is a short form of Charlotte and a name used in its own right in Scandinavia as well as Dutch- and German-speaking countries. It’s unlikely to catch on in the US, where even Lottie hasn’t…
"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.…
"barrel maker; pine"
Kiefer is a strong occupational surname associated with "24" star Kiefer Sutherland, but one that could well join the other 'er' surnames currently in favor. Keifer is a German surname transferred to…
English surname name
Superhero names are fit for humans today, and there's no reason Rambo can't take his place among a generation of babies named Loki, Odin, and Atlas. In the eponymous movie, Rambo is the character's…
Norwegian, Finnish, German, and Dutch variation of Timothy
"honoring God"
Popular in its own right in Germany and definitely makes a more intriguing and grownup short form of the classic Timothy than Timmy or even Tim.
German, pet form of names such as Waldemar
"to rule"
Its jaunty o-ending makes this name more appealing than most of its Germanic brothers, and we hope we're beyond the constant response to his name being "Where's Waldo?" The weighty reputation of…
Dutch
"gatekeeper"
This upbeat, friendly surname name has appeared on television's Battlestar Galactica a handful of cartoons, and on a literary note, a character in Herman Melville's Moby Dick . Sports fans might…
American nickname
The original southern Good Ol' Boy.
Romani
"I awake"
Django — the D is silent as most everyone now knows — the nickname of the great Belgian-born jazz guitarist Django (originally Jean Baptiste) Reinhardt, makes a dynamic musical choice for…
Norse mythological name
"lock"
While god of mischief Loki is usually depicted as a male -- sometimes in animal form -- he gives birth as a mare to the eight-legged horse Sleipnir and also appears in some stories as an elderly…
