Dog Names That Start With C

  1. Callista
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "most beautiful"
    • Description:

      Calista Flockhart spotlighted this lovely Greek name that has a long future in the English-speaking world. Kallista is another spelling; Calixta and Calixto are related.
  2. Ceres
    • Origin:

      Roman
    • Meaning:

      "nourishment"
    • Description:

      Little known name of the goddess of the harvest — her name literally means nourishment, and is the origin of the word cereal. A possibility for the parent seeking something original, but with the aura of Roman myth. Her Greek counterpart is Demeter.
  3. Carol
    • Origin:

      English, feminine variation of Charles
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      A Caroline abbreviation that was wildly popular with Mom's generation...or Grandma's. At one time it was a name for baby girls born at Christmas. because of its association with Christmas carols.
  4. Corisande
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "chorus-singer"
    • Description:

      Corisande is a very unusual, haunting choice, with the aura of medieval romance--it is found in early Spanish romantic tales, arriving in the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century.
  5. Carly
    • Origin:

      Feminine diminutive of Carl
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Though a couple of its more "creative" spellings—Carli and Karlee, for example—are still on the rise, this feminine form of Carl, popularized by singer Carly Simon in the 1970s, could by no stretch be considered fashionable. Despite its decline, the name has still seen some use in the entertainment industry, from Nickelodeon's iCarly to Canadian pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen.
  6. Cassiel
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "angel of Saturday"
    • Description:

      This name of the archangel who protects those born under the sign of Capricorn is one of the most attractive and distinctive December baby names or January baby names. Cassiel is a little-known member of the increasingly popular Cass family, which includes Cassius, Cassian, and Cassia.
  7. Cece
    • Origin:

      Short form of Cecelia, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "blind"
    • Description:

      Cece, all by itself, gained notice as the nickname of Jim and Pam's baby on television's The Office. On the show as in real life, Cece is often short for Cecelia or even Cecilia, but it can also be a short form of just about any C name. Cece -- or, less elegantly, CeCe -- can also be a stylish nickname name used all by itself, ala Coco and Lulu. If you really love girl names starting with C, this is one way to express your devotion every time you say your daughter's name!
  8. Cielo
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "sky"
    • Description:

      Expansive, sunny Italian word name.
  9. Chelsea
    • Origin:

      London and New York place-name
    • Description:

      Chelsea is still being used, but it was much more popular a few decades ago--it peaked at Number 15 in 1992. Chelsea first entered the American consciousness in a major way via the character Jane Fonda played in On Golden Pond in 1981 and later of course was frequently in the headlines when Chelsea Clinton (whose name was inspired by the lyric of a the Joni-Mitchell-Judy Collins song "Chelsea Morning") became First Daughter.
  10. Creed
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Description:

      Creed appeared on the US Top 1000 for the first time in over a century in 2016; it was the year's second-fastest-rising boys' name. It probably got a bump from the seventh movie in the Rocky series, called simply Creed. Some may know it from the character on the popular television show The Office.
  11. Cheyenne
    • Origin:

      Sioux
    • Meaning:

      "people of a different language"
    • Description:

      The name of a courageous tribe, Cheyenne became quite popular in the 1990s, inspiring a wide range of spelling variations—Shyanne is one example that's still on the rise.
  12. Cassie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Cassandra
    • Meaning:

      "prophetess"
    • Description:

      Though not much in use, still retains a cozy Little House on the Prairie-type pioneer feel.
  13. Caspar
    • Origin:

      Persian, variation of Gaspar
    • Meaning:

      "keeper of the treasure"
    • Description:

      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 Atomic Kitten Jenny Frost. Iconoclastic namer Jason Lee switched genders and called his daughter Casper. Also related to the revived Jasper, Caspar seems headed towards the path to a similar resurgence.
  14. Crosby
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "village with crosses"
    • Description:

      Crosby is an attractively laid-back Irish surname with retro musical associations to Bing and Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and with a jaunty air. Crosby Braverman was the name of a character on the TV show Parenthood, played by Dax Shepard.
  15. Cairo
    • Origin:

      Egyptian place-name, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "the conquerer"
    • Description:

      Cairo is an exciting place name possibility with upbeat o ending. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2015 and keeps heading upward.
  16. Chandler
    • Origin:

      English from French occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "candle maker"
    • Description:

      For a generation, this name will always be linked to 1990s hit TV series Friends. Whether this is a positive or a negative will depend on your fondness for the show, and character Chandler Bing, but this name deserves consideration beyond these connotations: Chandler is a fresh take on the professional surname names.
  17. Chad
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "battle warrior"
    • Description:

      Despite all the "hanging," "dangling," and "pregnant" chad jokes of the 2000 election, this saint's name and remnant of the Brad-Tad era didn't get a boost in popularity. But Chad still holds some surfer-boy appeal for a number of modern parents.
  18. Craig
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "from the rocks"
    • Description:

      Craig is a single-syllable baby-boomer name, still common in its native Scotland, but most modern Americans would prefer something like Kyle.
  19. Cove
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "small bay"
    • Description:

      Cove is an up-and-coming nature name whose cool sound and peaceful image saw it rising for both sexes until COVID-19 hit. It decreased slightly for boys in 2020 and remained steading in 2021, but it has actually increased for girls, although it remains a seriously rare and distinctive choice.
  20. Carl
    • Origin:

      German variation of Charles
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      This no-nonsense German variation of Charles is strong and sturdy. A top choice throughout the 20th century, Carl is now verging on falling off the charts.