Doggie Names

Variations on a British butler like Trevor, Nigel or Simon. And other fun stuff like Fergus.
  1. Alfy
    • Archie
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Archibald, Teutonic
      • Meaning:

        "truly brave"
      • Description:

        Archie made global news as the surprise first name of the newborn royal baby, son of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex aka Harry and Meghan. Archie has now officially transcended Archie Bunker and Riverdale's Archie to take the, um, throne as the quintessential retro nickname name.
    • Arnold
      • Origin:

        English from German
      • Meaning:

        "ruler, strong as an eagle"
      • Description:

        Strange as it may now seem, the venerable St. Arnold was a Greek by birth, a musician who became a member of the court of Charlemagne. The name is said to have been introduced into Britain by the Normans in the form Arnaud.
    • Barnaby
      • Origin:

        English variation of Barnabas, Aramaic
      • Meaning:

        "son of consolation"
      • Description:

        Barnaby, a genial and energetic name with an Irish-sounding three-syllable lilt, is an ancient appellation that manages to be both unusual and highly attractive and deserves to be used more than it is. A sweet-spot name that's a real winner.
    • Baxley
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "baker's meadow"
      • Description:

        A more unusual, if slightly snooty, masculine Bailey alternative.
    • Bosley
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "meadow near the woods"
      • Description:

        Another servile surname, this one connected to the go-between character in "Charlie's Angels."
    • Bruce
      • Origin:

        Scottish and English from French
      • Meaning:

        "from the brushwood thicket"
      • Description:

        Bruce is a Norman place name made famous by the Scottish king Robert the Bruce, who won Scotland's independence from England in the fourteenth century. It's perennially popular in Scotland, but has been rarely used here for a generation -- though the impact of Bruces Lee, Springsteen, Dern and Willis, as well as Batman's Bruce Wayne -- still lingers. At one time Bruce was so widespread in Australia, it became a nickname for any Ozzie man. An interesting alternative is Brix, the Normandy place name where the Bruce family originated.
    • Buck
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "male deer or rabbit"
      • Description:

        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 Huck.
    • Bucky
      • Carlisle
        • Origin:

          English
        • Meaning:

          "from the walled city"
        • Description:

          This stuffy English surname and hotel name took on Twilight cool when attached to vampire Carlisle Cullen. Inspired by the character, it's more popular in this spelling than as Carlyle and more widely used for boys than for girls.
      • Digby
        • Origin:

          Norse
        • Meaning:

          "town by the ditch"
        • Description:

          Digby is a place-name in Lincolnshire turned surname turned quirky first name that is starting to get some attention.
      • Fitzroy
        • Origin:

          English
        • Meaning:

          "son of the king"
        • Description:

          An English surname originally given to the illegitimate sons of a monarch. It might be a nice middle name choice to honor an ancestral Roy, though as a first, it does have a cool meaning.
      • Fitzwilliam
        • Origin:

          English
        • Meaning:

          "son of William"
        • Description:

          The Christian name of the dashing Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice— it was his mother's maiden name— is just one of several Fitz names, including Fitzroy, Fitzgerald, Fitzpatrick, that could be used to honor a dad named William, Roy, Gerald or Patrick.
      • Gerald
        • Origin:

          English and Irish from German
        • Meaning:

          "ruler with the spear"
        • Description:

          Both a saint's name and a presidential one via Gerald Ford—who was born Leslie—Gerald is a quintessential 1930s-40s name, when it ranked as high as Number 19. Hence all those nice middle-aged and senior Jerrys we've known and loved. Gerald has always been popular in Ireland, accounting for the prevalence of Fitzgeralds there. Though not considered stylish, Gerald remains on the popularity charts. Cousin Gerard has a similar profile, Geraldo is the well-used Spanish version, and Geraldine is the most promising of the family, in line to follow the path of Josephine to imminent revival.
      • Herby
        • Hobbes
          • Origin:

            English variation of Robert
          • Meaning:

            "bright fame"
          • Description:

            All varieties of Hob are antiquated nicknames for Robert, though this one is saddled with the "Calvin and Hobbes" cartoon association.
        • Iggy
          • Origin:

            Latin, diminutive of Ignatius
          • Meaning:

            "fiery"
          • Description:

            Iggy is the quintessential pop star name, though it's the nickname Cate Blanchett uses for son Ignatius. Iggy does bring any grander-sounding name down to earth.
        • Jonesy
          • Origin:

            Diminutive of Jones, English surname derived from John
          • Meaning:

            "God is gracious"
          • Description:

            It's difficult to imagine anyone using the first name Jonesy -- and in fact, in the most recent US tally, there were nearly 100 babies named Jones but none named Jonesy. Still, this is a name that many people with Jones for a name, last or first, end up being known by, and as a nickname, it's sorta cute in a Skip, Chip, Bitsy kind of way.
        • Jordy
          • Origin:

            Diminutive of Jordan
          • Description:

            A cutesy short form of Jordan that's never been overly popular. Pro Bowl wide receiver Jordy Nelson is one famous bearer.
        • Leonard
          • Origin:

            German
          • Meaning:

            "brave lion"
          • Description:

            Leonard is the name of several saints, including one who is the patron saint of childhood, and another medieval saint who's the patron of prisoners--known for freeing prisoners he deemed worthy of God. Popular from 1900 to 1930, Leonard is perhaps more notable for those who dropped the name when they entered show biz than those who kept it: former Leonards include Roy Rogers and Tony Randall. Two musical Leonards did keep their names though--composer-conductor Leonard Bernstein and poet-singer Leonard Cohen. Leonard Woolf was the husband and publisher of great English novellist Virginia Woolf. These days, modern parents tend to prefer Leo or the romantic Italian Leonardo, especially since Leonard does not get pronounced with the trendy "Leo" sound.