Creative Dog Names

  1. Minnow
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "small fish"
    • Description:

      This adorable fish name debuted on the baby name charts in 2020, inspired by a young girl character in the Netflix movie Love and Monsters. Minnow resembles well-established girl names Minnie, Willow, and Marlowe.
  2. Odyssey
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "story of Odysseus"
    • Description:

      Literally, the Odyssey is Homer's epic tale of Odysseus's voyage home from the Trojan wars, and it is also used figuratively for any long, challenging journey. It is used rarely but steadily for girls, and makes a recognizable and meaningful, yet uncommon, word name.
  3. Calluna
    • Origin:

      Botanical name
    • Description:

      From the botanical name for common heather, Calluna vulgaris, which ultimately derives from the Greek kallos "beauty". A unique, nature-inspired route to the fashionable nicknames Callie and Luna.
  4. 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.
  5. Capella
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "little she goat"
    • Description:

      Capella, the eleventh brightest star in the sky, carries much mythological and astrological significance. In Roman mythology, Capella represented the goat that suckled Jupiter, whose horn became the Cornucopia or horn of plenty. In Hindu mythology, Capella is called the heart of Brahma, while English legend calls it the shepherd's star. Australian Aboriginal myth calls it the kangaroo, while in Persian mythology it's a metaphor for both great distance and the color light red. Astrologically, Capella symbolizes wealth and military honor. As if that wasn't enough, CapPella (two p's) also has a musical reference to a cappella singing.
  6. Cambrie
    • Origin:

      Modern invented name
    • Description:

      Cute but slight mix of stylish sounds Cam and Bree, chosen by Rick Schroder for his daughter.
  7. Berlin
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "borderline"
    • Description:

      Edgy German capital with definite possibilities as a baby name.
  8. Aero
    • Barbie
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Barbara
      • Description:

        Despite the voluptuous doll's various career choices, from astronaut to doctor, her name still remains a euphemism for "bimbo".
    • Mulberry
      • Origin:

        Nature name
      • Description:

        As a name, it's linked to Sir Mulberry Hawk, a character in Charles Dicken's Nicholas Nickleby.
    • Aniela
      • Origin:

        Polish
      • Meaning:

        "angel"
      • Description:

        What a difference one letter makes - the somewhat tired, though still heavenly Angela, gets a makeover as sweet and subtle Aniela. Definitely worth considering.
    • Boheme
      • Origin:

        French word name
      • Description:

        "Girls Gone Child" blogger Rebecca Woolf made Boheme a first name when she gave it to one of her twin daughters (the other one's name is Reverie). La Boheme -- "The Bohemian" -- is a Puccini opera that was transmogrified into the modern play Rent. Boheme means a literary or artistic person who lives outside conventional society.
    • Bristol
      • Origin:

        British place-name
      • Description:

        This name of a busy British port city -- as well as of several places in America -- has a brisk and bustling air. It will now--and for years to come--be identified as a (female) Sarah Palin name.
    • Callister
      • Origin:

        Variation of Irish surname MacCallister
      • Meaning:

        "son of Alister"
      • Description:

        Can be used either with or without the addition of Mac.
    • Drucilla
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "strong"
      • Description:

        Pleasingly quaint and dainty New Testament possibility; the nickname Dru modernizes it.
    • Dagny
      • Bizzy
        • Origin:

          Diminutive of Elizabeth
        • Meaning:

          "pledged to God"
        • Description:

          Bizzy has a 1930s wisecracking waitress -- think Mitzi, Flossie, Fanny -- feel to it, yet at the same time feels like a fresh, modern nickname for Elizabeth. Given that any Bizzy better be, this name could be a way to make your Elizabeth stand out.
      • Adri
        • Origin:

          Short form of Adriana, Adrienne, or Adrian, Latin
        • Meaning:

          "man from Adria"
        • Description:

          Adrian is an ancient gender-neutral name and Adri is its pan-European short form. Adriana is the most popular feminine form of the name in the US, followed by Adrianna, Adrienne, and then the unisex spelling Adrian. Adri works as a nickname for any of them.
      • Nicanor
        • Origin:

          Greek
        • Meaning:

          "victory"
        • Description:

          Derived from Greek name Nike "victory", this name has been borne by many notable figures, from ancient times to the present day. It belonged to several early kings of Macedonia and to a 1st-century Catholic saint, Nicanor the Deacon, which accounts for its use in the Spanish-speaking world to this day.
      • Derby
        • Origin:

          English
        • Meaning:

          "park with deer"
        • Description:

          It's a hat, it's a race, and it's even been known to be a name. In Britain, it would be pronounced darby.