Pet Names · Cat Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 3 pages
of 3
Latin
"happy, fortunate"
Felix is one of those ancient but nontraditional names for boys that have come into favor over the past few decades, a favorite of parents who want a masculine name with history and heft that breaks…
English diminutive of Caroline, English, or Calliope, Greek
"free man; beautiful voice"
Sweet and sunny but substantial too, Callie is a nickname-style choice that has long been used as a stand-alone option . Traditionally a diminutive of classic Caroline, it may also be used for…
English and German diminutive of Maximilian or Maxwell
"greatest"
Max was derived from Maximilian, a Latin name that originated from the Roman family name Maximus. The character name Max in the children's classic Where the Wild Things Are had an impact on baby…
Diminutive of Mary, Hebrew
"bitter"
Molly is one of the original nickname names, ALWAYS ranking among the US Top 500 girl names since statistics began, in 1880. Molly peaked in 1991 only to rise just as high again in 2011, and though…
English, from Latin, nature name
"olive tree"
Though greatly overshadowed by the trendy Olivia, Olive has a quiet, subtle appeal of its own -- and is now enjoying a remarkable comeback. Olive is one of only four girl names starting with O on the…
Irish, Scandinavian, Norse
"fair, white; from Finland"
Finn is a name with enormous energy and charm, that of the greatest hero of Irish mythology, Finn MacCool (aka Fionn mac Cuumhaill), an intrepid warrior with mystical supernatural powers, noted as…
English or Irish
"God spear, or deer-lover or champion warrior"
Oscar is one of the most stylish Old Man Names of our era. While it's softened slightly in popularity over the past 20 years, that may be considered a very good thing. In the nineties and the…
English, diminutive of Grace
Cute Gracie is one of the more recently revived nickname names by parents who chose it over the more formal Grace--or variations like Graziella or Grania. Country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw…
Hebrew, Greek
"he has heard; flat-nosed"
Simon is pure and simple (not in the nursery rhyme sense), and an appealingly genuine Old and New Testament name that's not overused. These factors make Simon a stylish yet classic choice. In the…
Spanish, diminutive of Dolores
"lady of sorrows"
A hot starbaby name – chosen by Kelly Ripa, Chris Rock, Lisa Bonet, Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen, Carnie Wilson, and Annie Lennox, and used as the nickname of Madonna's Lourdes – Lola manages to…
English
"rose"
Rosy-cheeked and cheery, Rosie (also spelled Rosy) has been standing on her own for many decades, back to the days of 1943 musical Sweet Rosie O'Grady . She's one of the perky nickname-names that are…
Greek
"glory"
Cleo, one of the few girls' names to boast the cool-yet-lively o ending, is of course short for Cleopatra, the name of one of the most powerful women in history. Cleo was most popular in the early…
Variation of Louis, German and French
"renowned warrier"
Celebrated in song—the rock 'n' roll classic "Louie, Louie"—this is a gregarious, friendly spelling of Louis which will hopefully get you the -ee pronunciation you want. A familiar choice in the late…
"dyer, right-handed"
The jazzy, ultra-cool Dexter, like most names with an "x," has a lot of energy and dynamism. Over the years, it's been attached to a number of diverse real and fictional personalities—C. K. Dexter…
English, diminutive of Penelope, Greek
"weaver"
Like Peggy and Patsy, Penny is a peppy vintage nickname that fell out of favor (and the Top 1000) for a while, but has recently rebounded by reentering the charts in 2013. Expect it to continue…
African, meaning unknown
A Disney name—Nala was the friend who became the wife of Simba, hero of The Lion King . It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2015. Keenen Ivory Wayans used it for his daughter.
Diminutive of Tobias, Greek, Hebrew
"God is Good"
Sweet and spirited, kindly and handsome, posh and approachable, Toby is a versatile nickname, popular in the UK as a stand-alone choice, but familiar in the Netherlands and New Zealand too. In the…
Diminutive of Oliver, Latin
Ollie is the versatile go-to nickname for the hugely popular Oliver, though the large majority of parents prefer to have the more formal name on the birth certificate. Even in the UK where nickname…
Word name
"princess"
Part of the trend for formerly canine royal names; this is one a little girl might love—up till the age of eight.
Norse mythological name
"lock"
Loki is the shape-shifting, gender-bending god of mischief in Norse mythology. Taking several animal forms, from a salmon to a seal to a fly, Loki is alternately friend and foe of the gods.
