German Dog Names

Softer, milder, and sans chipmunk references, Alwin is a likable alternative to Alvin. Win makes a nice nickname.

A sleek, smooth, understated name off the grid in the US but among the Top 100 girl names in Germany.

A crystalline name that retains its loveliness far past its prime. Its biggest downside: Eternal confusion over spelling and pronunciation. Kristen? Kirsten? It can be so confusing that many parents today opt to bypass it.

Similar to Ivana but less personality-driven.

Both Karla and Carla are sliding down the ranks, though Karla remains far more popular in the USA than Carla.

Leonore is a melodic variation of the wide range of names related to Eleanor and, via a different root, Leonie that are so stylish throughout Europe right now and bound for greater visibility in the U.S. The name of one of the little princesses of Sweden, Leonore carries the gravity of Eleanor with more quirky charm.

The only downside: Spelling and pronunciation confusion given so many similar variations, from Lenora to Leonie to Eleanora and onward.

This Nordic-sounding name is ripe for wider usage, especially as a fresh alternative to Christian or similar-sounding Carl.

Gatsby is one of the most famous literary surnames, borne by the titular character of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. The book's Jay Gatsby gussied up his surname from Gatz, whose meaning is given variously as left-handed, cat, God, and person from Gat. As a first name, it's got a lot of energy and that great literary pedigree.

Muscular German name that never fully assimilated into American culture.

Innocent, sincere, and bright-eyed, and as outdated as its mother name, Gertrude.

On "Sex and the City," Magda was the elderly nanny from the old country -- which is what this name sounds like. While Magdalene and Magdalena are enjoying fresh life, Magda still feels dated.

This German spelling of the classic Irish Cillian is heard throughout Europe — it's a popular choice in France as well.

Drexel is an occupational surname but the original meaning of what a person who "turned" for a living actually did is unclear: It may mean turning the soil or making hay or spinning cloth or creating decorative objects. With the rise of the similar-sounding Dexter, Drexel might catch on.

This presidential name is in style limbo today - or, some might say, in the the sweet spot of familiar but little-used.

Ever since the enormous German cannon was dubbed by Allied soldiers "Big Bertha" in World War I, this name hasn't worked for a sweet little baby girl. But this was not always so. Hard as it might be to imagine now, Bertha was a Top 100 name until the 1930s, and in the 1880s was the seventh most popular name in the land--the equal of Joseph.

Mattis was most popular in Scandinavia in the 2000s and 2010s, and is now seeing success in Germany. In the US, it's most familiar as a surname.

Nele originated as a German nickname for Cornelia, but it superseded its mother name and has been a Top 30 name in Germany since 2000.

Frederica is an interesting possibility for the parent unintimidated by its old-fashioned formality, and who can appreciate the vintage charm and verve lurking inside its stuffiness.

One of the most familiar German names, with an upright Prussian image. Friedrich might just have been out for long enough to start coming back in.