Western Dog Names

  1. Dice
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Strictly for a Vegas baby.
  2. Gertie
    • Origin:

      Short form of Gertrude
    • Description:

      Gertie has a certain homespun charm, summoning to mind butter-yellow braids and denim overalls, summoning mind the adorable character played by little Drew Barrymore in E.T. Is the world ready for the return of Gertie and Gertrude? Maybe?
  3. Cord
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Cordell
    • Meaning:

      "maker or seller of rope or cord"
    • Description:

      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.
  4. Shenandoah
    • Origin:

      Native American place-name
    • Description:

      While some sources assign the place-name the romantic meaning "beautiful daughter of the stars," the Virginia region itself says the name is of uncertain Native American origin with many possible but no definitive meaning. No matter: Shenandoah is a lovely name that's rare but usable.
  5. Romer
    • Origin:

      German surname
    • Meaning:

      "pilgrim; fame"
    • Description:

      Romer might be considered a streamlined spelling of the German surname Rohmer, whose root means fame or renown, or a name that was given to those who made pilgrimages to Rome, which is related to Romeo and its brothers. With the style value of other Rome names from Roman to Romy, this is one we predict we'll hear more of.
  6. Bronco
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "rough, unbroken horse"
    • Description:

      For the parent who might also have Buck and Ryder on his list.
  7. Gussie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Augusta, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "great, magnificent"
    • Description:

      Gussie fits the growing trend of boyish nicknames for girls - alongside Charlie and Frankie. But Gussie is a bit fussy — try Gus.
  8. Early
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Early is a word-turned-name, pleasantly suggesting the start of a bright new day. Of the new word and day names, Early is one of the best. Early James is the stage name of singer-songwriter Fredrick James Mullis Jr.
  9. Lil
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Lillian and Lily, flower name
    • Meaning:

      "lily"
    • Description:

      Spunky old vaudeville era nickname name suddenly sounds new again.
  10. Roper
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "rope maker"
    • Description:

      Cowboyish occupational name that's one of the hottest choices below the Top 1000, increasing in rank more than 5000 places since the year 2000. Roper may not be a unique choice much longer.
  11. Nevada
    • Origin:

      Spanish place-name
    • Meaning:

      "covered in snow"
    • Description:

      Named for its snowcapped mountains, Nevada is a state name which, unlike Carolina, Montana, and Dakota, has been relatively undiscovered. Warning: today's unvisited place-name could become tomorrow's trampled tourist attraction.
  12. Timber
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Description:

      Timber as a name is given to slightly more girls than boys each year. It's actually got a cute sound, ala Kimber(ly) and may be an original tree choice for a girl. Timberly and Timberlee are also found (but not encouraged).
  13. Pistol
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Pistol is one of the new names that entered the lexicon in the US in 2013, when it was given to nine babies of each gender, though last year the trend had subsided and it was given to zero babies. Call it an equal-opportunity badass baby name with an unfortunately violent image.
  14. Sammy
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "god has heard"
    • Description:

      Short for Samantha or long for Sam, Sammy is a sweet midcentury nickname name that we can see coming back.
  15. Brawley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "meadow at the slope of the hill"
    • Description:

      A rowdy name nobody ever heard of, till Nick Nolte gave it to his son.
  16. Rancher
    • Origin:

      Occupational name
    • Description:

      Any name that combines two big trends -- in this case, occupational and western names -- has potential.