Pet Names
Pet Names So Ugly They're Cute
Across 6 pages
of 6
Irwin
English
"boar friend"
Son of Irving.
Laverne
French
"springlike"
Although it has a sweet meaning, this name feels dated nowadays, like a fifties poodle skirt. Lavender may be a fresher alternative.
Lemmy
Short form of Lemuel, Hebrew
"for God"
Gentle and easy going, but with an undertone of edginess, Lemmy could be a diminutive of the Hebrew Lemuel or borrowed from musician, songwriter, and founder of the band Motorhead, Lemmy (Ian Fraser)…
Leota
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.
Letha
Greek
"forgetfulness"
Letha is taken from Lethe, the mythological River of Oblivion. Letha now sounds as if it's missing a first syllable.
Lonny
Short form of Alonso or Alonzo, Spanish or Italian
"noble and ready"
The Spanish Alonso and the Italian Alonzo are both widely used in the US, so you may meet more guys named Lonny than you expect.
Loring
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.
Lurline
Variation of Lorelei, German
"alluring temptress"
The lilting Lorelei has given birth to many variations, including this one, now extinct.
Lyman
English
"meadow-dweller"
Almost as passé as Hyman.
Madge
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…
Marge
Short form of Margaret, Greek
"pearl"
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…
Melba
Modern invented name
Australian opera singer Nellie Melba—self-named for her hometown of Melbourne—inspired this now-dated name more associated today with a peach dessert and dietetic toast.
Melva
Feminine form of Melvin, English and Scottish
"council protector"
Melvin is one of the ultimate nerd names, and Melva is not far behind.
Melvina
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…
Merton
English
"town by the lake"
Sounds like a displaced Dr. Seuss character.
Mildred
English
"gentle strength"
Is it clunky cute, strong and vintage, or dreadful and mildewy? Like Gertrude and Bertha, Mildred is one that divides the crowds, but with popular nickname Mildred and renewed interest in Winifred,…
Millard
Latin
"caretaker of the mill"
If you're looking for a presidential first name, keep looking.
Mingus
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…
Myrtis
Greek botanical name
This Myrtle variation may not be the most melodious choice but it does have that appealing nature meaning.
Myrtle
Greek botanical name
Long in our category of so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out category, once seen as a gum-cracking 1940's telephone operator, we think it's time to reassess Myrtle, and look at is as a nature name, a…