Pet Names · Dog Names
By Brynn McKeon · Updated September 2026
Across 16 pages
of 16
Greek
"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,…
German form of Celia or Cecilia, Latin
"heavenly or blind"
Also spelled Zilke, Silke is a common German short form for variations of Cecilia and Celia. Silke is a good example of a name that's well-used in Europe but is not used at all in the US. Neither…
French
"snake"
As cool as it is frightening.
Italian from Latin
"bear"
Cool bearlike option, though Orson might be easier to embrace.
German, short form of Josephine
Finja Is a Josephine nickname that ranks among the Top 100 girl names in Germany.
German, diminutive of Frederica
"peaceful ruler"
Like Mitzi, the bubbly Fritzi shows signs of rising again. Has a bit of a comic-strip feel.
German and Scandinavian
"protected by Yngvi"
An unusual name heard in contemporary Germany, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia, it's the male version of the more familiar Inga. It's the name of a German god, and attached to German-born soap star…
Agna is a feminine name with ancient roots spanning multiple cultures. In Latin contexts, it relates to 'agnus' meaning 'lamb,' symbolizing gentleness and purity. The name also appears in Indian…
Frisian, Dutch variation of Johannes
"God is gracious"
In Germany, Jannis outranks its parent name, Johannes. Virtually no American babies were given the name in the last year on record.
Literary name
Gentle giant Rubeus Hagrid is the groundskeeper at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter novels (probably after Hagrid Rubes, the equally kind ancient Greek mythological giant), but that's not the only reason…
German surname
"pilgrim; fame"
Like other stylish choices from Roman to Romy to Romeo, Rohmer is a German surname that relates to both Roman pilgrims and the root word for fame. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Noah Baumbach chose this…
Spanish
"devil"
The Spanish word for "devil" makes for a very daring baby name, but in the era of babies names Hades, Azrael, Loki and even Lucifer, it feels like a plausible possibility. Indeed, 5 baby boys were…
English word name
The name of the beloved Beagle from the Peanuts cartoons may not be a suitable choice for a baby, but would make an adorable moniker for a pet.
Irish
"from the meadow"
Variation of Cluny best only if you're a major George fan. And even then, better go with George, Georgia, or Georgiana.
Latin
"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…
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…
English, color and coffee name
Save this for your next run to Starbucks.
Dutch
"father"
Darth Vader, as in the Star Wars villain, is said to mean "dark father"
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…
