Girl Dog Names That Start With Z

Zippy is a cute nickname that livens up the Biblical Zipporah. Too cute? Your call.

Zuleika is a high-wire act of a name that might appeal to the intrepid baby namer, Like most 'Z'-starting girls' names, it projects a cool, strong aura, as exemplified by the character in Max Beerbohm's satirical 1910 novel, Zuleika Dobson, a heroine so gorgeous that the entire student body of Oxford University committed collective suicide at the sight of her.

Zainab—the name of a flowering tree and of a granddaughter, daughter, and two wives of the Prophet Muhammed—was a newcomer to the US Top 1000 in 2013. While simplified variations Zaina or Zayna are more Western-friendly, neither makes the US list.

A Czech surname derived from the word for "green", which has a certain spark.

This jazzy French diminutive of Isabelle was first made famous by the title character of Raymond Queneau’s novel Zazie dans le métro, which was adapted into a film in 1960. It could also work as a nickname for Elizabeth or Susannah.

The more dignified and attractive Hebrew equivalent of Golda or Goldie.

The Selma-Thelma-Velma connection dates it.

Readers who remember J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey have probably forgotten that the character was male (nee Zachary). Nowadays the somewhat loopy spin on Zoe is associated with actress Zooey Deschanel.

Zayla debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2021. The name might be thought of as the popular Ayla or Layla with the trendy letter Z at the beginning. Variations include Zaylah, Zaylani, and the male Zaylan.

Despite its varied cultural ties, Zizi still sounds like a cancan dancer or a fluffy lapdog.

Superfans of auteur Wes Anderson may now consider Zissou as a baby name option, ever since Kieran Culkin and Jazz Charton used it for their daughter (birth name Kinsey Sioux). It's a clear homage to Anderson's film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, chronicling the journey of a Jacques Cousteau-like oceanographer avenging his partner's death-by-jaguar-shark.

Zafreen variant used by Stephenie Meyer in the Twilight saga.

Although a variant of the operatic Zerlina, Zerline has her own theatrical tale. She is the star character of the opera Fra Diavolo by Daniel Auber. Zerline, daughter of the innkeeper of Terracina, is in love with an impoverished soldier, Lorenzo, but her father wants her to marry the rich old Francesco. Various tragedies and events occur. In the end, Zerline is free to marry her beloved Lorenzo.

Zeppelin is a fast-rising Z name for both sexes — a cool choice that evokes aviation and classic rock. Nick Cannon used it as the middle name for his 11th child, daughter Beautiful Zeppelin.

Zibby is the adorable, zippy nickname for Elizabeth used for the lead female character in the film "Liberal Arts." Zibby can make a Libby for the 21st century.

Familiar-but-new and ultra-rare (for girls anyway), Zealand has a lot going for it with its spunky Z initial and globe-trotting vibes. Sparingly used for boys since the 2000s and even more occasionally used for girls since 2010, YouTube family The Labrants brought this name into the spotlight when they called their son Zealand in 2019.

Zosime is a rare name from Ancient Greece that's a feminization of Zosimus or Zosimos, the name of several early saints, a pope, and an author of the history of the Roman Empire. It's a name that feels at once ancient and futuristic, which gives it enormous potential in the contemporary world.

This contemporary creation plays on a couple of trends by applying the attractive Z to the rhyming family of names including Hailey, Bailey, and Kayley. The -ee suffix is the icing on the cake. It first entered the US Top 1000 in 2015.