Pet Names
Updated October 2026
Across 8 pages
of 8
Norse
"church settlement"
Attractive British place-name with a sense of humor. Fun fact: John Wayne played five characters with the first or second name of Kirby.
Irish, English
"lion; scribe, writer with a quill pen"
First appearing in the US stats back in 2013, this wordy choice fits in with the likes of Sonnet, Poetry, Fable, and Story as a literary option for writers, fans of classic literature, and those who…
French; English
"of the Passover; Easter"
The French-accented Pascal was historically used for sons born at Easter, and can make an interesting choice for a boy with Gallic roots arriving around that holiday. Pascal has a number of notable…
Short form of Obadiah or African, Igbo
"heart"
Strongly linked in the US to the complex "Star Wars" character, Obi Wan Kenobi, but also popular in Nigeria as a short form of names containing the element Obi "heart". Obi can also be a nickname for…
English surname and place-name
"Wynn's channel or stream"
Winslet is one of a legion of surnames newly considered fair game as first names. The inspiration may be British star Kate, but she's not the only reason parents are attracted to Winslet, one of…
English
"Woden's day"
Made famous by the iconic and macabre character Wednesday Addams, this name has the spooky and Halloween-inspired feel that some parents might be looking for. The character has appeared in various…
Nickname
Multipurpose pet name serving Isidore, Isaac, Israel, and -- increasingly -- Isabel.
English diminutive of Barbara, Greek
"foreign woman"
Despite the voluptuous doll's various career choices, from astronaut to doctor, her name still remains a euphemism for "bimbo".
Norwegian
"descendant of the chief"
This old-school Nordic name derives from the Old Norse word jarl , meaning "leader, chief". While it has been out of the Norwegian Top 100 since the 1960s, a recent ⁰notable bearer is footballer…
Welsh
"immortal"
Traditionally a masculine name in Wales where it is used as a form of the saintly Ambrose and as an epithet for the wizard Merlin, Emrys has seen increased use for girls in the US in recent years.…
Quincey is a masculine name derived from the Latin 'quintus' meaning 'fifth,' originally a Roman name given to the fifth-born child. This spelling variation of Quincy adds a distinctive touch to the…
Greek
"bird, hawk"
In Greek myth, Circe, daughter of Helios, the sun, was a sorceress living on the island of Aeaea (or Aiaia) who could turn men into animals with her magic wand, which is just what she did to…
"first or demure"
As a name, Prim is generally short for Primrose – as in the sweet younger sister of heroine Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games . But a word of warning: it also coincides with the English word…
English word name
"person in charge"
A commanding word name that feels occupational like Miller, Palmer, and Shepherd, while also fitting in with ambitious choices like Legend, King, Major, Maverick, and Saint. Referring to someone who…
Spanish
"king"
Rey, a Ray-soundalike that has ranked on the boys' side for the past 15 years, is about to get more popular for girls too, now that it's the name of the new heroine of the latest Star Wars movie.…
Popular culture
"Dracula backwards"
While Alucard has the sound of names like Alaric, Arnoud, and Ealdwine, it is in fact literally Dracula spelled backwards. Used in various bits of media over the years, it is perhaps best associated…
Literature, Old French, Louisianan
"status, state; people's stone; beloved stone"
This literary creation was used by Anne Rice in her popular book series the Vampire Chronicles . It is borne by the anti-hero and central character, Lestat de Lioncourt, an immortal vampire from the…
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…
"rich"
The Roman god of the underworld, the former ninth planet, a cartoon dog...but not a baby.
Literary name
Created by Sarah J. Maas for the handsome High Lord of her Court of Thorns and Roses series of fantasy romance novels. Rhysand is based on the Welsh name Rhys, meaning "ardor".