6000+ Dog Names

Cedric the Entertainer chose this for his daughter, but most other parents would find it, though optimistic, not exactly substantial.

Boo may have started out as a nickname for the male character Arthur "Boo" Radley in To Kill A Mockingbird and these days may be closely associated with another male Boo, the "world's cutest dog" or with the adorable little girl in Monsters, Inc.

Confident Middle Eastern choice. Children will relate to the Rafiki form via the wise guru in Disney's "The Lion King."

Simple but substantial, Lani is surprisingly underused considering the popularity of Lainey, Leilani, Lana, and Kehlani. A multi-cultural choice with both Hawaiian and English origins, it is also used in the Philippines, possibly as a variation of the modern Laarni, or as a twist on the word langit meaning "skies, heaven", which aligns with the Hawaiian meaning too.

William was such a popular name, thanks to the Conquerer, in early England that it gave rise to a range of nicknames, including the distinctly Scottish Wilkie. Heard mostly as a surname these days, it's the middle name of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's son James and the first name of writer Collins. While Wilkie could make an adorable short form for a little boy, we'd recommend a more substantial full name such as, well, William.

Seems destined to be the preferred short form of this old French name, with its brief, modern, word name feel.

This Indonesian name meaning little goddess is also common in the Netherlands due to the old colonial relationship between the two countries.

Pele is a female name in Hawaiian culture that could make a provocative choice for a modern girls. Others might think you named your daughter after the all-time great soccer player, but the simple, rare, and lovely name Pele has mythological roots.

It's tempting to think of Gui as the Spanish form of Guy, but it's short for Guillermo.

Maylin is following in the footsteps of Maelynn and Maelyn — two modern invented Mae and Lynn compounds that are on the rise.

Koji, also written as Kōji, is a common name among men in Japan. It is also featured as a character name in many anime series.

Patton is an attractive name in the fashionable Haden-Peyton mold, though there is that association with the severe wartime general.

The name of the Roman god of love, the son of Venus, considered so romantic as to be unfit for mere mortals. Yet now that Romeo and Venus herself are fair game for modern babies, why not Cupid?

An anglicized spelling of Muirne, the name of the mother of Finn mac Cool in Irish legend, Myrna has a unique sound and two possible meanings, both of which are positive. Actress Myrna Loy was a notable bearer and her fame caused a spike in popularity of the name, when it reached the US Top 150 in the 1930s.

Too close to "payola."

Cole and Kole — at their most stylish in the early 2000s — are now being passed over for modern favorites Colton, Colt, Colter, Colson, et al. Nonetheless, Kole is still floating just at the bottom of the US charts.

Tippi is best known as the nickname of actress Tippi Hedren, star of Hitchcock's "The Birds" and "Marnie." Hedren's real name was Nathalie Kay; her father dubbed her Tippi. Although the name will inevitably be reminiscent of Hedren, it could make a cute short form for a name such as Tiffany or Philippa.

Beach boy name of the 1960s, Darrell is still a presence on the charts and may graduate into a stately surname name.

A top ten choice in Chile and a popular name throughout the Spanish-speaking world, Maite is a mighty-sounding name with a soft and sweet meaning. It is also found as a contracted form of María Teresa or María Esther.