Pet Names · Dog Names
Big Dog Names
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Rousseau
French surname
"little redhead"
Rousseau gives French flair to other red-haired names like Russell and Rory. It is associated with the influential eighteenth century philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, as well as the painter Henri…
Sweeney
Irish
"the little hero"
The double ' e ' gives this Celtic surname a genial sound. It derives from an old Irish name — Suibhne (SHEEV-ne) that was borne by several early saints and kings, including, unfortunately, one…
Bogart
Dutch surname
"orchard"
What it really means: you're a "Casablanca" fan.
Prunella
Latin
"small plum"
Most ella names are hot, but this is one that won't catch fire because of the disagreeable connotations of prunes.
Pasha
Russian, diminutive of Pavel
"small, humble"
Similar in sound to Sasha, Pasha is a Russian diminutive of the name Pavel, itself a form of Paul. Also used as a title for a high ranking officer in the (now historical) Ottoman military, and as the…
Newt
English
"a small salamander"
Rarely used on its own and irrevocably tied to former House Speaker Gingrich -- who was christened Newton.
Mannix
Irish
"a little monk"
An X -ending surname less common than the Jolie-Pitt-inspired Maddox. Grandparents might still associate it with the old TV crime show.
Obama
Luo; Japanese
"bending or leaning; little beach"
The surname of the 44th US President has been been adopted as a first, for girls as well as boys, by admiring parents around the world. And the O beginning even makes it fashionable. Though Barack…
Perkin
English
"little Peter"
Perkin sounds a bit Hobbit-ish as a full name, but it might make a good honor name or nickname for a boy called Peter.
Rowen
Spelling variation of Rowan, Scottish and Irish
"rowan tree; little redhead"
With its soft sounds, its unisex appeal, and its nature connection, Rowan has become a very popular name for both boys and girls, given to nearly four boys for every girl. The Rowen variation…
Roxanna
Persian
"little star"
Spelled with one 'n', this was the name of the wife of Alexander the Great, and is more attractive than the better-known Roxanne.
Zebulon
Hebrew
"exaltation or little dwelling"
An Old Testament name with a Puritan feel and post-Zachary possibilities--one of several routes to the cool nickname Zeb. Pike's Peak was named for Zebulon Pike, the best known bearer of the name. In…
Montana
Spanish place-name
"mountainous"
Overly trendy western place-name, as stated in the title of our book Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana.
Alpha
Greek, first letter of the alphabet
The first letter of the Greek alphabet ande the brightest star in every constellation, this would make an interesting choice for a first daughter, though it does give off some spectral sci-fi…
Everest
Place-name, world's tallest mountain
"from Évreux"
Everest has an attractive enough sound and lofty enough meaning to come into style, à la Sierra. George Lucas bestowed this aspirational name on his baby daughter in 2013 and it has been climbing up…
Bailey
English occupational name
"law enforcer, bailiff"
Extremely amiable, open-sounding surname that's gradually being taken over by the girls.
Baxter
English occupational name
"baker"
An x makes any name cooler, so that Baxter has a bit more pizzazz than the original Baker. Baxter had some currency as a first name a century ago--it was on the popularity lists sporadically from…
Blue
Color name
Blue suddenly came into the spotlight, as the unusual color name chosen by Beyonce and Jay-Z for their baby girl Blue Ivy. Blue is also a starbaby middle name du jour, used for both sexes in…
Boheme
French word name
"Girls Gone Child" blogger Rebecca Woolf made Boheme a first name when she gave it to one of her twin daughters (the other one's name is Reverie). La Boheme -- "The Bohemian" -- is a Puccini opera…
Boris
Slavic
"to fight"
Boris is one of the old Russian names being revived by chic Europeans; it hasn't quite made a comeback yet in the U.S., but it does have potential. For a long time the name has been associated with…