Dog Names That Start With S

Peppy cheerleader with African roots.

Short for Samantha or long for Sam, Sammy is a sweet midcentury nickname name that we can see coming back.

Part of a group of similar midcentury names rarely given to babies today.

Somehow, the S versions are even more passe than the C's.

Feisty floral name that would work better as a middle name than as a first, so called because of the flower's resemblance to a dragon's open mouth.

Relaxed, with an appealing touch of swagger.

Appealingly peaceful and placid.

Old-fashioned, conjuring up an ardent suitor in a bow tie and straw boater.

Snowy has only ever appeared on the charts twice: in 2013, when it was given to 6 baby girls, and in 2016, when it was used for five. With recent celeb choices such as Stormi and Thunder, could Snowy be next on parents' lists?

It has a variety of associations from Smokey Robinson to Smokey the bear, but Smokey still feels a bit comical for a baby.

Variant of Solara

Familiar as the most common form of greeting in Hebrew, but also associated with top female model Shalom Harlow.

The double 'e' gives this Celtic surname a genial sound. It derives from an old Irish name — Suibhne (SHEEV-ne) that was borne by several early saints and kings, including, unfortunately, one known as Mad Sweeney who spent his life living in trees and composing nature poetry. Another possible drawback is the association with Sweeney Todd, the bloodthirsty butcher of Sondheim stage-musical fame.

A sunny choice that's popular for girls in Lithuania. Also the name of the ancient Lithuanian sun goddess.

African-American and women's rights activist Sojourner Truth was born as Isabelle into enslavement. She adopted her new name when she began traveling and preaching abolition in 1843. Sojourner is a heroine name that may, with the rise of spiritual word names such as Journey and Genesis, finally be ready for prime time.

Selby, a rarely heard British surname, feels sleeker and more distinctive than Shelby. Todd Selby, known primarily by his last name, is a hip photographer of interiors.

Serafin and Seraphim are much less known and used in the US than the feminine forms Serafina and Seraphina, but just as appealing. An out-of-the-box Spanish option with a deep history and an animated meaning.

River is rising as a new favorite name, and names of rivers are also increasingly used for our child.

Slash is here because model Amber Rose and Def Jam Records exec Alexander AE Edwards named their baby boy Slash Electric Alexander. Is it cool? Or is it violent and terrifying? Or is it both? We're going to go with Door Number 2 and place it in the same category as names like Dagger and Pistol, but we are not models or record execs.

Selphie Tilmitt is a character in the popular video game Final Fantasy VIII. An orphan like the other main characters, she's described as upbeat, friendly, and energetic....though she wields a mean nunchuk. Given the name's resemblance to the photo term "selfie," this one is off the table, even for enthusiastic gamers.