Dog Names That Start With C

  1. Caledonia
    • Origin:

      Latin place-name for Scotland
    • Meaning:

      "hard or rocky land"
    • Description:

      Caledonia is a rhythmic and alluring place name used by singer Shawn Colvin for her daughter. It would make an interesting and apt choice for a girl with Scottish ancestry.
  2. Comet
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Description:

      Soaring astral name has a great gender-free feel. It also has a pleasing christmas connotation, courtesy of the reindeer listed in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
  3. Ciar
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "dark"
    • Description:

      Now that the Irish Ciaran and Ciara -- aka Kieran and Kiera -- are becoming more popular beyond their native shores, the short and strong Ciar might find some favor. As of now, more than 160 baby girls were named Ciara in the US last year, with half that many boys named Ciaran, but so far no baby boys named Ciar, though 17 were called Keir.
  4. Cher
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "beloved"
    • Description:

      For years there was only one Cher, and then along came the charming heroine of the movie "Clueless." The world now officially has enough Chers in it.
  5. Crane
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "crane"
    • Description:

      This elegant surname has great potential to turn into an unusual first name, especially with its literary associations to both Stephen and Hart Crane.
  6. Creek
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Description:

      Intriguing, when seen as a water name a la River and Ocean, but too close to cultural appropriate if used as a reference to the Creek tribe of Native Americans. Another downside is its resemblance to creak, as in creaky bones or floorboards, and to unappealing words like creep and creak.
  7. Conway
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "hound of the plain"
    • Description:

      Historically tied to country music legend Conway Twitty, it’s now gaining traction alongside names like Connor, Colton, and Corbin. Growing in usage along with other surnames as first names, Conway stands out as a fresh, yet familiar, choice.
  8. Caro
    • Origin:

      Diminuitve of Carol or Caroline, English, French ,"free man"
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Upper-crusty nickname occasionally used in Britain, particularly in 1930s novels featuring significant garden party scenes, but eclipsed here by Carrie et al.
  9. Charleston
    • Origin:

      American place-name
    • Meaning:

      "Charles' town"
    • Description:

      Lovers of the languid South Carolina city might be attracted to this rich-sounding name. Could make an interesting update on Charles -- and can certainly work for a girl too. Actor Joey Lawrence used it for his daughter.
  10. Clemence
    • Origin:

      French feminine variation of Clement
    • Meaning:

      "mild, merciful"
    • Description:

      Calm, composed, and chic. Often seen with an accent in France, as Clémence.
  11. Chrisoula
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "golden"
    • Description:

      This name is the feminine of Chrystanthos, meaning golden flower (think Chrysanthemum).
  12. Charli
    • Origin:

      Variation of Charlie, short form of Charlotte or Charlene, French
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Charli may be the new Charlie, which is the cooler Charlotte. British singer-songwriter Charli (born Charlotte) XCX, creator of the hit album Brat, and TikTok star Charli D'Amelio popularized the Charli spelling.
  13. Cayo
    • Origin:

      Latin, from the Roman family name Caius
    • Meaning:

      "rejoice"
    • Description:

      Cayo is a rare and rhythmic Spanish name, all but unknown in the English-speaking world, that would make a lively choice.
  14. Consuelo
    • Origin:

      Spanish from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "she who brings consolation"
    • Description:

      Consuelo is a chic, highly sophisticated Spanish name that works well with Anglo surnames. It was regularly on the U.S. popularity list through 1983, reaching as high as Number 339 in 1930.
  15. Cherish
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Description:

      So sweet it makes our teeth hurt. It has appeared in the US Top 1000 every year since 2006, though it dropped a significant 136 places from 2014 to 2015, and kept dropping to Number 974 in 2016.
  16. Chaos
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "disorder and confusion"
    • Description:

      Not even for the child who wreaks havoc.
  17. Chaco
    • Camryn
      • Origin:

        Spelling variation of Cameron, Scottish
      • Meaning:

        "crooked nose"
      • Description:

        This Cameron variation was popularized by actress Camryn Manheim and the character inTwitches of the same name. It also makes it more obviously feminine, which might appeal to some parents, considering the classic Cameron is a Top 100 choice for boys in the US.
    • Crowley
      • Origin:

        Irish
      • Meaning:

        "descendant of the hardy warrior"
      • Description:

        Although it looks like an English placename, the surname Crowley is an anglicization of the Irish O Cruadhlaoich. A famous bearer was the occultist Aleister Crowley, and it also appears on characters in Supernatural and The Walking Dead. It has started to get a little use in recent years, as part of the new wave of names ending in -ley.
    • Ceri
      • Origin:

        Welsh
      • Meaning:

        "to love"
      • Description:

        Ceri is traditionally a Welsh masculine name which historically has been Anglicised to "Kerry", but we love the Welsh original. Famous Ceris include British painter Ceri Richards and New Zealand soccer player Ceri Evans. Be aware that Ceri is sometimes used as a female name, both as a standalone name and as a shortening of the Welsh female name Ceridwen.