Boy Dog Names That Start With N

  1. Nye
    • Origin:

      Welsh diminutive of Aneurin
    • Meaning:

      "honor"
    • Description:

      This can make an unusual yet simple middle name choice, especially for anyone with family ties to Wales.
  2. Nilo
    • Origin:

      Spanish diminutive of Daniel
    • Meaning:

      "God is my judge"
    • Description:

      So much more worldly than Danny.
  3. Nuri
    • Origin:

      Arabic or Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "light or my fire"
    • Description:

      A name used in the Middle East but that could easily work in the US. As a girls' name, Nuri can also be a short form of Nuria. It was chosen by Christy Lefteri for the protagonist of her novel, The Beekeeper of Aleppo which may have familiarized people with the name.
  4. Nelson
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Neil"
    • Description:

      Nelson is a rather stiff and dated surname name that is sometimes used to honor distinguished South African activist Nelson Mandela, as Celine Dion did for one of her twin boys. Other notable associations are with the British Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, novelist Nelson Algren and movie operetta star Nelson Eddy. It was also the given name of "Rabbit" Angstrom, protagonist of John Updike's series of novels.
  5. Nori
    • Origin:

      Japanese, Norse
    • Meaning:

      "doctrine or seaweed; north or small person"
    • Description:

      Attractive, simple Japanese choice that, while not strictly unisex, could work even better for a girl, especially now that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West use it as the nickname for their daughter North. Nori is also the name of an edible seaweed used in wrapping sushi.
  6. Nehemiah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "comforted by God"
    • Description:

      Nehemiah is an Old Testament name used by the Puritans, whose white-bearded image kept it out of favor for centuries, until it suddenly reappeared in 1998, along with the more user-friendly Josiah and Isaiah.
  7. Nakoa
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "the warriors"
    • Description:

      Nakoa is a Top 100 name for boys in Hawaii. It became more widely known after actors Lisa Bonet and Jason Mamoa chose it for their son.
  8. Noble
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "aristocratic"
    • Description:

      With parents beginning to show an interest in virtue names for boys, this Puritan favorite just might be revived, for what could be more admirable than nobility in terms of having strength of character, dignity, and high moral ideals?
  9. Nils
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian variation of Nicholas
    • Meaning:

      "people of victory"
    • Description:

      Like Lars, Sven, Niels, and Nels, an unjustly neglected straightforward Scandinavian name. Surname Nilsson or the anglicized Nelson derives from Nils.
  10. Nixon
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Nicholas"
    • Description:

      A fresher spin on Jaxon, with built-in cool nickname Nix, and a great way to honor an ancestral Nick. But the association with disgraced former president Richard Nixon remains strong, which might explain why this otherwise bang-on-trend surname name has remained under the radar, peaking at #482 in 2017.
  11. Navin
    • Origin:

      Hindi
    • Meaning:

      "new, novel"
    • Description:

      Would fit right in with the currently popular in/an/en/on-ending boys' names.
  12. Naruto
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "maelstrom; roaring gate"
    • Description:

      Best known as the name of Naruto Uzumaki, the main character in the Naruto anime series. It's also a common place name in Japan—the Naruto whirlpools are said to have inspired the name of the manga character.
  13. Nazareth
    • Origin:

      Hebrew place-name
    • Description:

      Nazareth, used equally for boys and girls, is one of several place names with religious associations -- Galilee, Jericho --that have been rising in use in recent years. The name may relate to branch or to the verb watch or guard, but there are many possible derivations and meanings.
  14. Nile
    • Origin:

      River name, color name, or variation of Niall, Irish
    • Meaning:

      "champion"
    • Description:

      Water names are a cool category these days, and this one of the famous Egyptian river is no exception. It streamlines the fussier Niles and also may be thought of as a color name, meaning dark blue or indigo.
  15. Neon
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "New"
    • Description:

      Bright and energetic, Neon seems like it would be a modern coinage, borrowed from neon lights.
  16. Neel
    • Origin:

      Hindi
    • Meaning:

      "sapphire blue"
    • Description:

      If you want people to appreciate this choice, you're going to have to explain how it's not Neil.
  17. North
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "cardinal direction of north"
    • Description:

      A lot of attention was drawn to this name when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced it as the name of their baby daughter, making it instantly unisex.
  18. Nemo
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "nobody"
    • Description:

      One of the best known early Nemos was the captain in Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, while the more familiar modern one is the animated little orange fish in the Disney movie. Unusual name well worth considering. By the way, there is also a Shakespearean Nemo and one in Dickens's Bleak House. An enchanting early comic strip by Winsor McCay was called Little Nemo.
  19. Novak
    • Origin:

      Serbian
    • Meaning:

      "new"
    • Description:

      Tennis star Novak Djokovic introduced this new first name to the English-speaking world, though it had long been familiar as a surname. The celebrity Novak, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, might be an inspirational role model for a baby Novak. And the name Novak goes well with other stylish names that mean new, including Nova, Neo, and Nouvel.
  20. Naoki
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "straight tree; honest"
    • Description:

      Popular Japanese name that also belongs to one of the most prestigious literary awards in Japan, the Naoki Prize.