6000+ Dog Names
- Parker
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"park keeper"Description:
Indie actress Parker Posey put a female imprint on this sophisticated surname that's still about three times as common for boys but rising for both sexes. Parker has the advantage of its nature connection, relating it to such occupational names as Gardener and Forester.
- Briar
Origin:
Nature name, English word nameMeaning:
"a thorny patch"Description:
This word name entered the US Top 1000 for both genders in 2015, though it premiered a little higher for girls. There are still more baby girls named Briar than baby boys -- 594 vs. 361 in 2021 -- but it's rising in popularity for both. Briar fits the trend for nature names, and it also offers a fresh option for honoring a Brian.
- Mireille
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"to admire"Description:
Pretty name that may pose pronunciation problems -- it's meer-AY -- but is well worth the effort.
- Shane
Origin:
Anglicized variation of SeanMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
Shane ambled into the picture via the 1953 movie, adding a cowboy twist to its Irish essence. Shane is even more popular in Ireland than in the USA or the UK. Singer Siobhan O'Connor and actor Kevin Sorbo have sons named Shane.
- Leonardo
Origin:
Italian and Spanish variation of Leonard, GermanMeaning:
"brave lion"Description:
For centuries this name was associated primarily with the towering figure of Italian Renaissance painter-scientist-inventor Leonardo da Vinci, and was scarcely used outside the Latin culture.
- Catalina
Origin:
Spanish variation of CatherineMeaning:
"pure"Description:
This name of a touristed island in sight of Los Angeles makes an attractive and newly stylish variation on the classic Catherine or overused Caitlin.
- Clarence
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"bright"Description:
The name of the guardian angel in It's a Wonderful Life is rarely heard the rest of the year because of its studious, near-nerdy image, but this could change in the current naming climate.
- Cosette
Origin:
French literary nicknameMeaning:
"little thing"Description:
Cosette is best known as the heroine of Les Miserables. In the Victor Hugo novel, Cosette was the nickname given to the girl named Euphrasie by her mother. Although Hugo invented the name, some etymologists believe it's a spin on Colette, originally a female short form of Nicolas.
- Isidore
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"gift of Isis"Description:
Isabel and Isadora are back: could it now be time for a more widespread revival of Isidore? In 2014, both Isidore and Isadore were on the list of fastest-rising names in the US.
- Joy
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"joy"Description:
Joy is from an older generation of word names, which also included Merry, Bliss, and Glory -- all of which exert a certain amount of personality pressure on a child. One interesting name that means the same thing: Chara.
- Stanley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"near the stony clearing"Description:
Although Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire personified brute force, most Stanleys have been portrayed as meek milquetoasts. It could be a Sydney-like girls' choice.-Bette Davis once played a character named Stanley, and it was the name of President Obama's mother (named for her father)--or possibly could be revived down the line a la Walter and Arthur.
- Raymond
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"wise protector"Description:
Now that the show has gone into reruns, does anybody still love Raymond? Though it's been long dormant, some parents, including Jack Nicholson, are finding its cool name component, largely through the nickname Ray.
- Nixie
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"water nymph"Description:
If you love Dixie, Trixie and Pixie, this name of a mermaid-like sprite in German folklore may be for you. It might also make an update for Nicki.
- Marin
Origin:
Latin, of the sea"Description:
Marin is a lovely county north of San Francisco, and a lovely baby name on the rise, one which sounds more refreshing than the more familiar Marina.
- Eugene
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"wellborn, noble"Description:
Eugene is a classic that has rather lost its way. On the one hand, it's a grandpa, even great-grandpa name that hasn't been one of the cool kids recently—or to quote Jim Carrey, who bears this name in the middle spot, "You can never get too cool with a name like Eugene." The hero of Disney's Tangled felt the same way, when he changed his birth name of Eugene to the more romantic Flynn.
- Marley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"pleasant seaside meadow"Description:
Reggae master Bob's surname was one of the biggest risers on the popularity charts for girls in 2008, with spellings Marlee and Marely also leaping in favor. Also used for boys, Marley is one of the top unisex names in the US.
- Ashton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"ash trees place"Description:
The recent ascent of this English surname is due to two things: the megapopular Ash beginning and TV/movie hottie Ashton Kutcher. The name peaked at Number 76 in 2004, a year after Ashton Kutcher's (both Christopher Ashton) hit TV show Punk'd made its debut.
- Aiko
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"beloved child"Description:
Aiko is a very common Japanese name with a lovely meaning that is rarely heard outside the Asian community.
- Harlow
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"rock hill or army hill"Description:
A glamorous surname name most famously borne by 1930s icon Jean Harlow (born Harlean Carpenter), Harlow is also the name of a town in the English county of Essex. Outside of the UK, Harlow would fit right in with contemporaries Arlo and Marlow(e).
- Bodie
Origin:
Variation of BodhiDescription:
The Bodie spelling—in the US Top 1000 since 2014—may be an attempt to Anglicize and phoneticize the fast-rising boys' Sanskrit name Bodhi, but it may also make it more confusing. Is that pronounced like body or like, well, Bodhi, which rhymes with Jody and Cody? It's the latter.