Boy Dog Names That Start With Z

The supreme Olympian god represents a mighty image for a little fella to live up to, but more and more parents are beginning to consider it seriously. The Roman equivalent Jupiter has also come down to earth. And Zeus wasn't just the supreme god, he was also the god of the sky, thunder, lightning, and fate, among other weighty responsibilities.

Though a common name in Hungary, the relatively rare Z sound is striking to English speakers. Penn Gillette used the Zolten spelling for his son; it was also the name of Dracula's dog, and was also a robotic character in Dude, Where's My Car?.

Zealand is the English translation of the Dutch province name Zeeland (originally Seelant). It's more commonly associated with New Zealand, the Oceanic country named by the Dutch. As a baby name, Zealand entered the popularity charts for boys in 2000, but has never been given to more than 40 babies in a single year. It is used for girls as well, but with less frequency.

A popular name in the Middle East and one of the most evocative choices of its genre. One of the 99 names of Allah. The feminine form is Zahira.

Zevi is an alternative transcription of the Hebrew name Zvi or Tzvi, the latter of which is a Top 100 pick in Israel. It's a cool, sharp-sounding name which would make for a great distinctive alternative to Levi.

As the common short form of Zachary or, more unusually, Zachariah, Zack is less intuitive than Zach or Zac in terms of spelling but clearer in terms of pronunciations. Maybe because it rhymes with Jack and Mack, it also feels more complete as a name. Some people also use Zack and brothers as a short form of Isaac.

One of the many new spellings of Zaire that has been climbing the charts lately.

Zayd (or its most common variant Zaid), an old and still well used Arabic name, was a enslaved man whom Muhammad adopted as his son.

This phonetic version is occasionally used and removes any confusion about whether the X is fully pronounced or not.

Though this name is used for both boys and girls in Israel, in the U.S. it sounds decidedly masculine, with Zohara the feminine form. Has a futuristic macho feel.

English speakers will think you invented this one, but it's a hidden nature name from the Basque country in present-day Spain. Some may find it too close to "zero" for comfort.

There's Zan and there's Xan--take your pick. Both of these are the latest generation of Alexander nicknames, Xan having been noticed first as a character on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (a rich source of names), and soon phoneticized into Zan.

Zayn and the more Western-friendly Zain sound exactly like the popular Zane but have a different root, in Arabic and African cultures. The name was made familiar to Europeans and Americans by British singer-songwriter Zayn, born Zain Malik. This is an easily-translated choice for a family that wants to bridge cultures, but you have to accept that people will be forever spelling the name "wrong".

See Zac.

This variant of the Arabic Zayd actually ranks higher than the original in the US. In the contemporary American culture, however, this name could be viewed as an alternative to recently invented name Zade.

Extreme cool possibilities in either of these modern categories, like a postmodern Linc.

Two Zells of note: conservative southern senator Zell Miller, and video-game character Zell, a hero of "Final Fantasy."

The original Zooey, hero of J.D. Salinger's Franny & Zooey, was male, but nowadays the name is more closely associated with actress/singer Zooey Deschanel. With Zoe at number 31 for girls and Zoey in the Top 50, the related Zooey feels more female than ever. But it's distinctively quirky for either sex.

Zakai bears a lot of resemblance to the ancient Hebrew name Zaccai, but many modern parents are using it as an elaboration of the popular name Kai, blending it with Zack.

This version is a bit more in tune with modern tastes.