Pet Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 6 pages
of 6
German
"of the people"
Leota is an antique name rarely used any more -- it was given to just 8 baby girls in the US in 2021. Some sources says Leota is a Native American name meaning blue flower.
Greek
"forgetfulness"
Letha is taken from Lethe, the mythological River of Oblivion. Letha now sounds as if it's missing a first syllable.
Variation of Lawrence, Latin
"from Laurentum"
Loring lives as a first name thanks to the Kansas doctor Loring Miner who first sounded the alarm on what became known as the Spanish Flu.
Variation of Lorelei, German
"alluring temptress"
The lilting Lorelei has given birth to many variations, including this one, now extinct.
Diminutive of Margery or Margaret
"pearl"
A super diminutive nickname name, and sometime Madonna nickname – it was how the British tabloids referred to her when she moved to London in the 1990s, which she found annoying until then husband…
Short form of Margaret, Greek
Marge used to be as common as Maggie or Megan, ranking on its own in the girls' Top 1000 from 1900 until right after World War II, when so many Old School names fell off the list in favor of a new…
Feminine form of Melvin, English and Scottish
"council protector"
Melvin is one of the ultimate nerd names, and Melva is not far behind.
Celtic
"chieftain"
Melvina ranked in the Top 1000 for over 65 years in the US, coinciding to a large extent with the years its much more popular masculine counterpart Melvin ranked in the Top 100. Today, Melvin is…
English
"town by the lake"
Sounds like a displaced Dr. Seuss character.
"gatekeeper"
As wooden as its second syllable.
Scottish, variation of Menzies
"tenants of a manor"
Supermodel Helena Christensen named her son in honor of jazz great Charles Mingus, opening up a whole category of jazzy possibilities: Kenton, Calloway, Ellington, Gillespie, Mulligan, Tatum, and…
Greek botanical name
This Myrtle variation may not be the most melodious choice but it does have that appealing nature meaning.
Variation of Nedda, Slavic
"born on Sunday"
Nedra was one of a phalanx of names -- Delma, Verda, Vernice -- popular in the late 19th and early 20th century that dropped out of fashion after World War II and now have disappeared completely.…
English from French
"from Orsay"
Associated all through the swing years with bandleader brothers Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey.
"proud and hard"
Best known these days as the name of an American department store chain, Dillard was once a baby name that ranked on the US Top 1000, at least until the middle of the last century. Today, Dillard…
"bright or renowned north"
A medieval German saint's name which remained popular in Germany until the middle of the 20th century. It is still in relatively wide use in other European countries, including Poland and Hungary.…
Scottish
"son of Dick"
Dickson's nickname problem keeps it from having the upside possibility of similar names like Jackson and Harrison. If you're looking for fresh baby names to honor an ancestral Richard or Dick,…
French variation of Aurelia, Latin
"the golden one"
Aurelia may be back in a big way, but Oralee and Oralie definitely are not. Would you really want to name your daughter "orally"?
Variation of Orpah, Hebrew
"fawn"
Orpha, with its Biblical roots and its animal meaning, was once a fairly popular name, but fell from sight around the time of the Second World War, along with so many other Old School Names. And its…
Short form of Prudence, English virtue name
"caution"
Prudy does not improve on Prudence.
