Gray Dog Names

Though associated with a French saint noted for her holiness and strength of character, this name is somewhat dated and it might be better to look to one of the more modern names popular for little girls in France today: Oceane, Lea, Manon.

Medieval name without much of a future.

Conroy is one Con name that feels a bit dated, though perhaps it's so far out it's coming in? Worth consideration if you like Connor but feel it's too widely used.

Lovella is most likely a feminine variation on Lovell, a surname. While it feels one of the invented-yet-antiquated girls' names, has the obvious attraction of containing the word "love" within it, as well as the opportunity to use "Ella" as nickname.

Sure, he'd probably get a certain amount of red-nosed teasing around the holiday, but a boy named Rudolph could probably take it. Besides, he's got other, more distinguished namesakes -- the great ballet dancer Nureyev, silent screen Lothario Valentino and 9-11 Mayor Giuliani.

Hazen is a variation of the Dutch surname Hasin, which has two separate origins. The first is as a nickname for Haso, a Germanic given name derived from haswa, meaning "gray" or "black." Hasin was also a variation of Haas, a Dutch and German surname meaning "hare."

There's a football player called Pepper (born Thomas and given the childhood nickname for sprinkling pepper on his cereal) Johnson -- but this sounds more like the name of a cheerleader.

A nickname name heard in Spanish-speaking cultures, might lead to "loopy" jokes here.

A sparkling choice for a nighttime-born daughter.

Nimbus is a word from nature for a type of cloud that has occasionally -- very occasionally -- been used for a human. But it's evocative and upbeat and certainly makes an intriguing and stylish nature name.

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.

Spelling variant of Arianwen. Note that in Welsh, the -wyn suffix is usually masculine.

This lively pet name has recently been associated with Mexican-born Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o, acclaimed for her role in the 2013 film Twelve Years a Slave.

The mother name Guadalupe, literally "valley of the wolves," relates to Our Lady of Guadalupe, revered in Latino culture as a protector of the Mexican people.

A half-man, half-wolf character in the Elden Ring video game franchise bears this name, which fittingly is the Welsh word for "wolf".

Mason is a supertrendy name for boys that's starting to cross over -- Kelsey Grammer used it for his daughter. Creative speller's delight.

Tora is the female version of Tor or Thor, the name of the Norse god of thunder. Actress Jeanne Tripplehorn chose it for her daughter.

Ubbe or Ubba was a 9th-century Viking and one of the commanders of the Great Heathen Army that invaded Anglo-Saxon England in the 9th century.

Brixi was a Saxon lord thought to have erected a stone boundary of an ancient meeting place on the site that is now Brixton, a suburb in south London. Brixton is a newly fashionable boys' name and shortened form Brix was used for more than 40 baby boys in the US last year.

The tree, not the charred bit of soot in the fireplace, usually used for boys, but, as a short form of Ashley, works for girls too.

A domesticated take on Wolf, if the animal name is too ferocious for your liking. Wolfie has never charted as a given name in the US, but that may soon change now that Wolf names are of interest following Kylie Jenner's baby name change.