Dog Names That Start With D

  1. Duff
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "swarthy"
    • Description:

      This somewhat boisterous Celtic name would be at home in a noisy pub or out walking on the moors. In Scotland, it was originally a nickname for someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion.
  2. Daryl
    • Origin:

      Variation of Darrell, French
    • Meaning:

      "dear one, beloved"
    • Description:

      Darrell and all its variations was a trendy name in the 1950s and 1960s, an update on David and Daniel that began to fall out of favor by the 1970s and fell out of the Top 1000 completely at the turn of this century.
  3. Divine
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Divine seems more proper a name with the rise of Heaven and its turned-around twin Nevaeh. Though superlative names like Divine -- Unique, say, or Precious -- sometimes seems as if they're trying to hard and protesting too much.
  4. Dave
    • Origin:

      Short form of David, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "beloved"
    • Description:

      Dave is the ultimate good guy name, but where father name David is still holding onto a spot in the Top 20, Dave -- widely used as an independent name in the middle of the last century -- dropped off the Top 1000 a few decades ago and shows no signs of a comeback. Baby Davids today, often named for dad or grandpa, are more likely to be called David than Dave.
  5. Danique
    • Origin:

      French variation of Danica
    • Meaning:

      "morning star"
    • Description:

      This Danielle/Monique hybrid offers a new twist on an old favorite.
  6. Dandelion
    • Origin:

      Flower name, from French
    • Meaning:

      "lion's tooth"
    • Description:

      The bright yellow weed lends itself to a creative baby name, although we don't recommend the nickname Dandy.
  7. Dali
    • Origin:

      Variation of Dalia, Spanish, or Georgian
    • Meaning:

      "dahlia"
    • Description:

      In Georgian mythology, Dali is the goddess of hunting. The origins of her name are disputed — some scholars claim it comes from the Georgian word for morning, dila, while others claim links to words for "demon" and "god".
  8. Diya
    • Origin:

      Mbama, Sanskrit, Hindi and Latin
    • Meaning:

      "love; lamp; heavenly"
    • Description:

      A sweet and simple multicultural choice which has several different meanings and origins.
  9. Diablo
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "devil"
    • Description:

      Diablo Cody, self-named (she's really Brook Busey) screenwriter of Juno, singlehandedly helped popularize not just her heroine's name and her own but all o-ending names for girls. You don't need us to tell you that it takes a brave parent, in every way, to name a baby Diablo. Diablo is one of the Spanish baby names that diverges furthest from the well-paved camino.
  10. Dilys
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "genuine, steadfast, true"
    • Description:

      Common in Wales, but would really stand out here. One of the middle names of Stella McCartney's daughter Reiley; Dilys Powell was a well-known British film critic, Professor Dilys Derwent a Harry Potter character., a witch who worked as a Healer at St. Mungo's Hospital, and was a celebrated Headmistress of Hogwarts School..
  11. Diamond
    • Origin:

      Gem name
    • Description:

      Diamond sparkled all through the nineties--reaching as high as Number 150 in 1999. Although its shine has diminished quite a bit, it remains in use.
  12. Desi
    • Origin:

      Short form of Desiree, French
    • Meaning:

      "desired"
    • Description:

      Desi makes Desiree a lot cuter and more boyish.
  13. Domingo
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "born on a Sunday"
    • Description:

      Commonly heard in Hispanic cultures, a rhythmic possibility here.
  14. Deryn
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "bird"
    • Description:

      This 1950s Welsh bird name sounds less dated than our fifties Robin.
  15. Davi
    • Origin:

      Portuguese variation of David, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "beloved"
    • Description:

      A viable David alternative with a hint of worldliness.
  16. Decima
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "tenth"
    • Description:

      In the days of huge families, this name of the Roman goddess of prophecy and childbirth, and one of the Fates, would be saved for bambina number ten. Now it might be used for a girl born in October, the tenth month.
  17. Dilly
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Dilys, Dilwen, and Daffodil
    • Description:

      Somewhat light and silly on its own.
  18. Day
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      A bright and optimistic middle name choice.
  19. Domino
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "lord, master"
    • Description:

      Swaggering, cutting-edge choice equally appropriate for both genders. It's also very rare, given in the US in 2015 to only seven baby girls....and no recorded baby boys. Do you want to be the first?
  20. Denim
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Brings to mind the qualities of the fabric: hardworking, cool and versatile. Singer Toni Braxton chose this name for her son in 2001, and parents have been using it for boys and girls ever since.