Dog Names That Mean Dog

Most famous as one of the many middle names of Professor Dumbledore from Harry Potter, Wulfric is an earlier form of the medieval English name Ulric. It has also belonged to an 11th- century Earl of Mercia and a 12th-century saint.

Raul and French brother Raoul are much more appealing than flat-footed daddy Ralph. Puerto Rican actor Raul Julia, who starred in the Addams Family movies, brought fame to the name before his death in 1994.

One of three Cherokee names with the same meaning, along with Inali and Enoli, both male names.

Conor's more popular brother name Connor has been in the Top 100 for long enough that both are ready to make way for a new generation of Irish boys' names.

Ralphie is one of those short forms that have been out of style for so long it just might have a chance of coming back in, if you can get past seeing it as a desperate attempt to cute-ify a stodgy old man's name.

This powerful old name can actually be traced back to two distinct sources. As an Old German name, Wolfram (borne by the medieval poet Wolfram von Eschenbach) derives from a combination of wolf + hraben "raven".

Voss is a German name, that is seen in Norway and Australia (in the former it is associated with a region, in the latter it is associated with the protagonist of Patrick White's novel by the same name). Voss is an interesting alternative to Fox.

Fox is a fast-rising name for boys, initially popularized by the character Fox Mulder on The X Files, and recently resurged by the TV show's revival.

Lupine (spelled Lupin outside of North America) is a flower related to sweetpeas. It was given its wolfish meaning because the plant was said to deplete the soil. Comedian Jenny Slate used it as a middle name for her daughter Ida in 2020.

Raoul, with its unique three-vowel middle, rolls off the tongue in an appealing way. Raoul is one of the French names that sounds infinitely more romantic and attractive than the somewhat harsh English version Ralph.

A fierce nature name which could give cool short form Nash.

Properly spelled with a fada in Gaelic (Faolán), this name is the origin of the Irish surname Phelan. It derives from the Gaelic fáel "wolf", plus a diminutive suffix, making this a handsome hidden nature name.

Notable Wolfs like Blitzer, Mankowitz, and Kahn give this name a masculine bent, but nature names are inherently unisex, so we see no reason why Wolf can't be used on a baby girl.

Historically Wolf has been more common among German (where it's pronounced Vulf) and Jewish families, occasionally as a nickname for Wolfgang.

The nickname Wolfie softens and feminizes Wolf, while Wolfe turns it into a surname.

Channing is a sophisticated surname name whose use is probably linked to actor Channing Tatum and Channing Crowder, former linebacker for the Miami Dolphins.

Waya pays homage to the wolf — one of the most respected creatures in Native American culture.

Lovella is most likely a feminine variation on Lovell, a surname. While it feels one of the invented-yet-antiquated girls' names, has the obvious attraction of containing the word "love" within it, as well as the opportunity to use "Ella" as nickname.

Randolph is a timeworn classic that had its last hurrah in the 1940s, when Randolph (born George) Scott was starring in westerns, but then was probably done in by its tricky nickname Randy (which, strangely enough, was itself a Top 50 name in the fifties and sixties).

Historically tied to country music legend Conway Twitty, it’s now gaining traction alongside names like Connor, Colton, and Corbin. Growing in usage along with other surnames as first names, Conway stands out as a fresh, yet familiar, choice.

Sure, he'd probably get a certain amount of red-nosed teasing around the holiday, but a boy named Rudolph could probably take it. Besides, he's got other, more distinguished namesakes -- the great ballet dancer Nureyev, silent screen Lothario Valentino and 9-11 Mayor Giuliani.

If there are too many Connors in your neighborhood, this name is equally authentic and much more unusual. Spelled Conal or Conall, it's a prominent name in Irish history, borne by a number of kings and heroes.