CHIC NAMES FOR THE MODERN DOG

Bruno

Germanic

"brown"

Tough-yet-cuddly Bruno is an international name even in its origins: it derives from the Germanic word for "brown" plus a Latin ending, and was borrowed as a color word in many European languages.…

Darius

Latin from Greek and Persian

"possessing goodness"

Darius is a historic name via Emperor Darius the Great, a key figure in ancient Persian history, and several other Persian kings. His name today has an appealingly artistic image, which might well be…

Yael

Hebrew

"ibex"

A common unisex name in Israel, more properly written as Ya'el, Yael rose more than 200 places in 2023 to become one of the fastest-rising boys' names of the year in the US. Yael is among the -ael…

Kaleo

Hawaiian

"the voice"

Kaleo is one of a number of fast-rising Hawaiian names, thanks to its cool combination of sounds reminiscent of Kainoa and Mateo.

Caius

Variation of Gaius, Latin

"rejoice"

Caius is classical and serious but also has a simple, joyful quality. There was a third century pope named Caius, as well as an early Christian writer, several Shakespearean characters, and a…

Wallace

Scottish

"foreigner, stranger"

Wallace is so square could almost be ripe for a turnaround, especially with the hipness imparted by the British Claymation series Wallace & Gromit . And Wally makes an adorable Leave it to Beaver…

Arrow

Word name

Words are not always easy to translate into baby names , but the implications of being straight and swift lend this one great potential as a name. It also has the popular o -sound ending, which…

Bale

Bale is a masculine name with multiple potential origins. It may derive from Old English where it referred to a rounded bundle or package, or from Welsh origins where it relates to a hillside or…

Bela

Czech

"white"

Despite the light, pretty sound of Bella for a girl, the boys' name Bela has dark and mysterious undertones, thanks to Dracula actor Bela Lugosi. Béla is also the first name of composer Bartók.

Caesar

Latin

"cut"

Caesar, the name of the greatest Roman of them all, is rarely used outside Latino families, where the Cesar spelling is preferred —as in activist Chavez and Dog Whisperer Millan. Its original meaning…

Casimir

English; French, from Polish

"destroyer of peace"

Casimir, a traditional name of Polish kings, could do quite well these days as we see the rise of Caspian, Cassius, Castiel, et. al. Like Leopold and Laszlo, Casimir is strong and worth considering…

Caspar

Dutch and German variation of Casper and Jasper, Persian

"keeper of the treasure"

After half a century, this otherwise feasible name has at last started to lose its link to the friendly ghost; it certainly didn't scare model Claudia Schiffer, who chose it for her son, as did…

Cicero

Latin

"chickpea"

Roman statesman's name with a cool and quirky sound. Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman scholar, orator and lawyer who had an immense impact on the Latin language.

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…

Dimitri

Russian from Greek Demetrius

"follower of Demeter"

Dimitri is a Slavic variation of the Russian Dmitriy, a name that comes from the Greek Demetrius. Demetrius was derived from Demeter, the name of the Greek goddess of fertility and farming. Among the…

Echo

Greek mythology name

"echo or sound"

Although this is traditionally seen as a female name, via the classical mythological nymph who pined away for Narcissus until all that remained of her was a disembodied voice — it can also be used…

Eero

Finnish variation of Eric

"eternal ruler"

Creative gem perfect for an architect's son, in tribute to modern Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen.

Endimion

Endimion is a masculine name with ancient Greek origins, an alternative spelling of Endymion. In Greek mythology, Endymion was a handsome shepherd loved by Selene, the goddess of the moon, who cast…