Potential Dog Names

Balin

Hindi

"mighty sword"

Unusual Asian option, and also the name of the Dwarf Lord from Lord of the Rings .

Basil

Greek

"royal"

Although Greek in origin--in the fourth century, a bishop by that name established the principles of the Greek Orthodox Church--Basil for years took on the aura of aquiline-nosed upper-class…

Berenger

German

"warrior fighting with a spear"

Last-name-first-name with a romantic but dangerous edge.

Bosco

Italian and French

"wood, forest"

Saint John Bosco is well-known to Catholic School children, but Bosco is perhaps better known as a chocolate syrup.

Bran

Diminutive of Brandon

"broom-covered hill"

A little heavy on the fiber content; we prefer Bram. But Bran is also the Celtic god of the underworld, whose symbol is the raven. It's probably not a coincidence that George R.R. Martin chose this…

Bronx

Place name

Rockers Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz put a new baby name on the map when they chose this downscale New York borough name for their son. The Bronx, the place, was named for early Dutch settler Jonas…

Burke

French

"from the fortress"

Simple, usable surname choice.

Cato

Latin

"all-knowing"

Cato conjures up images of ancient Roman statesmen and southern antebellum retainers; it could have revival potential, with its 'O' ending and the current interest in the names of Greek and Roman…

Cedar

English and French from Latin tree name

"cedar tree"

Cedar is, like Ash, Oak, Pine and Ebony, one of the new tree/wood names that parents are starting to consider; this one is particularly aromatic with a similar feel to more classic options like…

Cedric

Celtic

"bounty; loved"

Soft yet solid, Cedric was invented by Sir Walter Scott for the noble character of the hero's father in Ivanhoe , presumed to be an altered form of the Saxon name Cerdic ("bounty"), or the Brythonic…

Chauncey

Latin

"chancellor"

A name halfway between its old milquetoast image and a more jovial Irish-sounding contemporary one.

Clancy

Irish

"red-haired warrior"

Clancy, one of the original crossover Irish surname names, is as energetic and appealing as ever — full of moxie, more distinctive than Casey, and also one of the less obvious of the red-headed…