Pet Names · Dog Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 6 pages
of 6
Latin
"cut"
Caesar, the name of the greatest Roman of them all, is rarely used outside Latino families, where the Cesar spelling is preferred —as in activist Chavez and Dog Whisperer Millan. Its original meaning…
Norse and Scandinavian
"thunder"
Thor, the powerful name of the Norse god of thunder, strength and rain, would make a bold statement. Long a comic book staple, Thor has now invaded the big screen, and could land on birth…
English from Dutch
"burnt wine"
The alcohol-laced member of the Randy-Candy-Mandy sorority of 1970s to 80s nickname names; now pretty much on the wagon.
German
"people of the dagger"
Saxon is unusual word name that nevertheless feels right on trend, with that sharp X in the middle and that two-syllable-ending-in-n pattern. Reminiscent of Roman but not yet so popular, Saxon is one…
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…
Diminutive of Margarete, German
"pearl"
Gretel originated as a nickname for Margarete, the German form of Margaret. It’s a charming name, but most American parents prefer Greta, as Gretel is strongly tied to the fairy tale heroine. The…
Word name
"rebel"
Asking for trouble. Rebel Wilson is female, but this name is truly gender neutral, though hardly neutral in any other way. Rebel is undoubtedly one of the edgiest boys' names starting with the letter…
Russian from Greek Demetrius
Worldly, artistic and attractive Slavic version of the name of the Greek god of fertility and farming.
"peace"
This traditional Germanic name hasn't been on the U.S. list since 1958, but perhaps due to the mythic power of painter Frida Kahlo, parents are beginning to show some interest in it.
"famous wolf"
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…
Diminutive of Shepherd
Three Stooges name (he's the one who wasn't Moe or Curly).
German diminutive of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
Sweet but sleek, and distinctive, Liesl is an old German nickname-name for Elisabeth. It might have once seemed inextricably tied to to its country of origin, but now, like Elsa, Enzo, Saoirse,…
Russian, Sanskrit
"victor; house"
Sharp and spiky with international potential, as a feminine name, Nikita has its roots in Hindi, Marathi, and ultimately Sanskrit. It comes from niketa , meaning "home, habitation", and may also be…
"bright, glorious"
Ever since Allied soldiers in World War I dubbed the enormous German cannon "Big Bertha", this name hasn't worked for a sweet little baby girl. But this was not always so. Hard as it might be to…
"little female bear"
A saint's name with a noteworthy literary background, including uses by Shakespeare in Two Gentlemen of Verona and Much Ado About Nothing , by Ben Johnson, Walter Scott, Longfellow, D. H. Lawrence…
"estate ruler"
Traditional German names of this ilk have had a difficult time emigrating into the American name pool, mostly because anti-German sentiment during the two world wars of the 20th century drove German…
Greek
"glory of Hera"
Any boy with this name, a synonym for power via the Greek mythology figure, better be strong of body, and of psyche.
"borderline"
Edgy German capital with definite possibilities as a baby name.
Nature name
"hawk, a bird"
Animal names are on the rise, especially more of the aggressive Hawk-Fox-Wolf variety than cute little Bunnys or Robins, and Hawk is a prime example. Hawk is more commonly heard as a surname,…
"spear of strength"
Innocent, sincere, and bright-eyed, and as outdated as its mother name, Gertrude.
