6000+ Dog Names

  1. Rico
    • Origin:

      Spanish, diminutive of Ricardo
    • Meaning:

      "dominant ruler"
    • Description:

      Consider this short form for your little Richard.
  2. Clemency
    • Origin:

      English feminine variation of Clement, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "mild, merciful"
    • Description:

      One of the rarest of virtue names, Clemency could come back along with the more familiar Puritan virtue names such as Hope and Faith. It has a rhythmic three-syllable sound, and offers a more virtuous alternative to the more popular Clementine.
  3. Beowulf
    • Origin:

      Old English
    • Meaning:

      "bee wolf"
    • Description:

      This ancient name is that of the hero of the epic Beowulf, which is thought to be the oldest-ever poem in English lit written in the vernacular. J. R. R. Tolkien used the poem as one of his inspirations for The Lord of the Rings.
  4. Hilary
    • Origin:

      Latin from Greek
    • Meaning:

      "cheerful, happy"
    • Description:

      Hilary (also spelled with two 'l's) is a hot potato of a name, so closely identified with Sen. Clinton that it's hard for most parents to see it as a baby name. A pity, really, as it's got so much going for it: the popular, rhythmic three-syllable structure, the fact that it's strong but light, proper but jaunty, with an irresistible meaning -- having the same root as hilarious.
  5. Yoko
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "good girl; ocean child"
    • Description:

      There are many in Japan, but for most Americans there's only one Yoko.
  6. Sindri
    • Origin:

      Norse
    • Meaning:

      "sparkle"
    • Description:

      Idiosyncratic Icelandic singer Bjork chose this name from Norse mythology for her son. It's also an Indian place name.
  7. Etoile
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "star"
    • Description:

      This French word for star sounds like even more of a celebrity-worthy choice than Star or Esther or Estella or Stella. But count on English speakers who never took high school French to stumble over the pronunciation.
  8. Caledon
    • Origin:

      Irish place-name from Caledonia
    • Meaning:

      "hard or rocky land"
    • Description:

      Caledon, the name of the arrogant Billy Zane character in "Titanic," is an Irish place-name related to Caledonia, the Latin word for Scotland thought to be derived from the ancient Celtic word for "hard." Cal is a wonderful nickname, and Caledon an inventive way to get there.
  9. Madigan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little dog"
    • Description:

      An unusual, energetic surname choice that would make a good Madison alternative. Madigan was a typical police detective series of the 1970s, starring Richard Widmark.
  10. Callaghan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "lover of churches"
    • Description:

      A classic Irish "top-o'-the-mornin' surname with a lot of rhythm and pizzazz.
  11. Alula
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "first leap"
    • Description:

      Alula, the palindromic name of the first double star to be identified as physically related to its twin, would make the perfect name for a first-born twin. Ideas (we're only half joking) for the second born: Aviva, Aziza, Otto. Alula is reminiscent of the unusual name chosen by Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen for their second daughter: Elula, a month name from the Hebrew calendar.
  12. Ainhoa
    • Origin:

      Basque place name
    • Description:

      The name of the French town where a vision of the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared, this name is in the Spanish Top 100 and was, until recently, virtually unheard of elsewhere. Now however it is familiar in Puerto Rico and Chile, and as of 2019, it has been a feature in the US Top 1000.
  13. Poet
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Poet is a new entry in both the trendy word and occupational categories as well as a member of the growing group of gender neutral names. A handful of baby boys received the name in the US last year. A perfect choice, especially in the middle, for the child of writers or those with a poetic bent. And Po is an adorable nickname for either gender.
  14. Alfredo
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Alfred, English
    • Meaning:

      "wise counsellor; elf counsel"
    • Description:

      Alfredo, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese variation of Alfred, is most familiar as the romantic lead in Verdi's evergreen opera La Traviata. On a less romantic note, Alfredo is also the name of a pasta sauce.
  15. March
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "month name"
    • Description:

      March has never been popular as a month name, possibly because of its slightly abrupt sound. But with all kinds of month (and season, day, and holiday) names, from January to December, Sunday to Easter, Winter to Midnight, coming to the fore, March is beginning to seem eminently baby-ready.
  16. Galina
    • Origin:

      Russian and Slavic feminine form of Galen, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "calm, healer"
    • Description:

      Commonly used in Russia, has an Old World Slavic feel. The original Galen can be used for girls as well as boys.
  17. Babette
    • Origin:

      French, diminutive of Barbara
    • Description:

      A less common relic of the Claudette-Paulette-Annette era.
  18. Abdiel
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "servant of God"
    • Description:

      In the Bible, it's the name of an ancient prophet who was able to withstand Satan. It has gained modest attention in recent years, hitting the US Top 1000 in 2008.
  19. Axe
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Axe, spelled like this, is used for a handful of baby boys in the US each year. You can see it as one of the new weapon names, along with Dagger and Beretta, or as an abbreviation of the very popular Axel.
  20. Berkley
    • Origin:

      English variation of Berkeley
    • Meaning:

      "where birches grow"
    • Description:

      Berkeley, with an extra E, is the more familiar variation of this name, associated with the California school. But it's the streamlined Berkley that has proven itself to be more popular as a baby name, at least in the US.