Neighborhood Dogs

  1. Apricot
    • Origin:

      Fruit name
    • Description:

      A very unique fruit name heard more often on peachy-colored dogs than on baby girls.
  2. Astro
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "star"
    • Description:

      More common as a dog name than a baby name for now, but that hasn't stopped Milo and Rex rising back up the charts! Lovers of edgy o-ending names like Otto, Arlo and Cosmo might like this starry-eyed possibility.
  3. Bailey
    • Origin:

      English occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "law enforcer, bailiff"
    • Description:

      Extremely amiable, open-sounding surname that's gradually being taken over by the girls.
  4. Bailey
    • Origin:

      Occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "law enforcer, bailiff"
    • Description:

      Bailey -- a jaunty surname -- was first used for a female TV character in 1978 in the show WKRP in Cincinnaati, then caught on big time. Bailey's still an appealing choice, though, and a celebrity fave. Parents of daughters named Bailey include Scot Baio and Stella McCartney.
  5. Bella
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Isabella, Italian
    • Meaning:

      "beautiful"
    • Description:

      Everything ella, from Ella to Bella to Arabella, is red hot right now. Bella is one of the most, well, beautiful girl names starting with B. It carried a hint of a nice Old World grandmotherly veneer, until it became attached to Twilight's Bella Swan.
  6. Betty
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Elizabeth
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      Combine the popularity of Betty White and Mad Men's glamorous Betty Draper Francis, with the residual sweetness of Ugly Betty's Betty Suarez, and the result is an impending return of the name. It's got presidential cred via Betty Ford and feminist history through Betty Friedan.
  7. Blue
    • Origin:

      Color name
    • Description:

      Among the coolest of the cool color names, particularly popular with celebs as a unisex middle name. While most famous as the name of Beyonce and Jay-Z's daughter Blue Ivy, more than 60 percent of the babies named Blue are boys.
  8. Bowser
    • Casey
      • Origin:

        Irish
      • Meaning:

        "brave in battle"
      • Description:

        One of the original unisex Irish surname names, energetic Casey bounced onto the scene in the 1960s, then peaked in the 1980s for both boys and girls. Today Casey is having a resurgence for both girls and boys and re-entered the charts on the girls' side, likely due to the character Kayce Dutton (pronounced like Casey) on the hit show Yellowstone.
    • Charlie
      • Origin:

        English, diminutive of Charles, French from German
      • Meaning:

        "free man"
      • Description:

        Charlie derives, of course, from the classic name Charles which, in turn, comes from a German word meaning "free man." Charles became very popular in France during the Middle Ages due to the fame of Charles the Great, also known as Charlemagne. Charley is an alternate spelling.
    • Crash
      • Origin:

        Word name
      • Meaning:

        "colliding violently; sudden loud sound"
      • Description:

        Crash is a particularly calamitous entry in the badass boys' name category, taking Wilder and Maverick one -- or maybe a dozen -- steps further. But we can think of at least a dozen reasons you shouldn't name your baby Crash: crash test dummies, car crashes, economic crash, crashing out, just to name a few
    • Daisy
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Margaret or flower name, English
      • Meaning:

        "day's eye"
      • Description:

        Daisy, fresh, wholesome, and energetic, is one of the flower names that burst back into bloom after a century's hibernation. In 2024, it burst back into the Top 100 for the first time since 1908.
    • Danny
      • Origin:

        Short form of Daniel, Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "God is my judge"
      • Description:

        A diminutive of Daniel that's been immortalized in odes ranging from 'Danny Boy' to 'Danny's Song.'
    • Darby
      • Origin:

        Irish, Norse
      • Meaning:

        "free from envy; from the deer estate"
      • Description:

        Once a common boys' name in Ireland (e. g. , Darby O'Gill and the Little People), the dynamic Darby now has a definite unisex feel. Actor Paul Rudd has a young daughter named Darby.
    • Dawson
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "son of David"
      • Description:

        Dawson was scarcely heard as a first name before the debut of Dawson's Creek in 1998, at which point it leaped up more than 550 places in one year. The character Dawson Leery, played by James Van Der Beek, was a teen favorite until the show's demise in 2003.
    • Ellie
      • Origin:

        English, diminutive of Eleanor and Ellen
      • Meaning:

        "bright shining one"
      • Description:

        Ellie first took off in the UK—yes, in this nickname form—and this warm and friendly name has also become hugely popular here. In 2011, Ellie entered the US Top 100 girl names for the first time and has remained near the top of the charts ever since.
    • Elsie
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Elizabeth via its Scottish variation, Elspeth
      • Meaning:

        "pledged to God"
      • Description:

        Elsie is a sweet vintage nickname-name turned modern star. After a 30-year hiatus, Elsie started climbing the US popularity list 20 years ago and is still headed for the top.
    • Hildy
      • Description:

        Hildy is a feminine name that functions primarily as a diminutive of Hildegard, a powerful Germanic name meaning "battle stronghold" or "protected in battle." This shortened form transforms the strong, traditional Hildegard into something more playful and approachable. Hildy gained some recognition through characters in popular culture, including the film "His Girl Friday." While never extremely common, it saw modest usage in the mid-20th century. The name carries a vintage charm with its bright, cheerful sound and retro feel. Hildy strikes a balance between being recognizably traditional in its roots while having a distinctive quality that sets it apart. Women named Hildy might be perceived as having spirited, independent personalities with a touch of nostalgic charm and individuality.
    • Hotch
      • Lance
        • Origin:

          English word name or English variation of Lanzo, German "long, pointed, medieval weapon; land"
        • Meaning:

          "long, pointed, medieval weapon; land"
        • Description:

          Though the fuller Lancelot has for the most part been shunned as a 'too-much-name' name, the short form Lance has been consistently in or around the Top 500 since 1938, climbing as high as Number 76 in 1970. It was used as a character name by Walter Scott as far back as 1823. Lance is also the name of a medieval weapon, making this name all boy.