Pet Names · Dog Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 9 pages
of 9
English word name
"fire"
A hot name, though perhaps not in the sense you want for your baby. About 20 times as many boys as girls were named Blaze in one recent year, perhaps because it can be seen as a spelling variation of…
Diminutive of Roberta or Barbara, English
"bright fame; stranger"
A vintage nickname for Roberta or Barbara, most famously borne by Roberta "Bobbie" in Edith Nesbit's classic The Railway Children . Bobbie is one of the adorable boyish nicknames newly fashionable…
Scottish
"blond, yellow"
Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn put this name in play as a first name, but David Bowie (born with the considerably less marketable moniker of David Robert Jones) gave it charisma. He changed his…
English
"meadow at the slope of the hill"
A rowdy name nobody ever heard of, till Nick Nolte gave it to his son.
One of the aggressive new boys' names, ala Tracker and Heller, that have become fashionable among parents who are courting trouble.
Spanish
"rough, unbroken horse"
For the parent who might also have Buck and Ryder on his list.
"male deer or rabbit"
Comedian Roseanne Barr chose this macho nature name for her son. In the 18th century it was used to describe a dashing, fashionable dressed man. Buck fits in well alongside names like Beck, Jack and…
Modern nickname
An old-fashioned nickname in the Bud/Buzz/Biff mold; this one's kind of belligerent. Michelle Hicks and Jonny Lee Miller moved outside the box when they used it for their son--given the safer middle…
English, diminutive and surname
Cady is one of those names that sounds popular but is actually rare in this form, given to only a few dozen baby girls in the US last year. Its origins are unclear, and as many possible meanings and…
Irish
"from the narrow forest"
A beaming, friendly Irish last-name-first-name waiting to be discovered, though anyone into American history might associate it with John C. Calhoun, a 19th century statesman who defended slavery.…
"cotton cloth imported from India; a blotched or spotted animal"
A word name with fashionable o -ending that has associations with both the homespun fabric and the mottled cat. Alice Cooper named his daughter Calico decades ago, while it was selected more recently…
"little champion"
Stronger and more contemporary twist on Carla or Carly, Carlin was used just about equally for girls and boys in the US last year.
English, diminutive of Clinton
As flinty and steely as Mr. Eastwood.
Diminutive of Cordell
"maker or seller of rope or cord"
This is the kind of strong one-syllable boy's name many parents are seeking these days. The more musical Chord was introduced by hot young actor Chord Overstreet.
"valley"
An early unisex nature name that has been surpassed by others, Dale is still a simple, sylvan and serene option. Most of Dale's recent best known bearers – father and son race drivers Dale Earnhart,…
Diminutive of Dashiell, meaning unknown
Dash is a nickname that can stand on its own and sounds, well, dashing. Connected these days with Kardashian enterprises. Dash can stand on its own—as is evidenced by its entry into the US Top 1000…
German occupational name
"roofer"
Brawny name chosen for his son by rocker Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue.
English diminutive of any girl name that starts with D
Dee is a slight midcentury nickname that might be short for Deanna or Denise, but might be too slight for today's strong, independent female.
French
"war horse"
Destry rides again, this time as a Western flavored baby name. Derived from the French surname Destrier, from an Anglo-Norman word meaning "warhorse", this rugged name was popularized by the 1930…
Diminutive of Dexter
"dyer; right-handed"
Dex, the nickname for Dexter that is sometimes used on its own, has lots of energy and dynamism. It was chosen by comedian Dana Carvey for his now grown son. With the growing popularity of Dexter, we…
