Dachshund Names

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.

Innocent, sincere, and bright-eyed, and as outdated as its mother name, Gertrude.

On "Sex and the City," Magda was the elderly nanny from the old country -- which is what this name sounds like. While Magdalene and Magdalena are enjoying fresh life, Magda still feels dated.

One of the most familiar German names, with an upright Prussian image. Friedrich might just have been out for long enough to start coming back in.

This nickname-name is very popular in Germany, though Lottie is still the preferred version in the US. The problem, of course, is that you'll have to put up with a lotta jokes. See?

Those "Where's Gretel?" jokes will get old pretty fast.

Its jaunty o-ending makes this name more appealing than most of its Germanic brothers, and we hope we're beyond the constant response to his name being "Where's Waldo?" The weighty reputation of writer and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson adds a measure of backbone to the name.

Save this for your next run to Starbucks.

Ilsa is remembered as the radiant but tragic heroine of "Casablanca," and it's having something of a European resurgence.

A Leave It to Beaver/old comic-strip name, vacationing for years with the Griswolds in WallyWorld, but now back as WALL-E?

Part of the trend for formerly canine royal names; this is one a little girl might love—up till the age of eight.

Peaked in the 1940s, but still an amiable classic, a la Joe and Tom -- though rarely used on its own.

Kiefer is a strong occupational surname associated with "24" star Kiefer Sutherland, but one that could well join the other 'er' surnames currently in favor. Keifer is a German surname transferred to first name use, derived from two old Germanic words, kien and forhe, both of which mean "pine tree."

With Tillie a new favorite of avant-garde parents, the British music-hall Tessie might conceivably follow.

Sprightly and engaging nickname for human, full name for pet. Author Jojo Moyes and dancer/singer Jojo Sliwa have propelled the name into the public eye.

In Germany, Jannis outranks its parent name, Johannes. Virtually no American babies were given the name in the last year on record.

If Frances and Fran are too serious for you, and Fanny too saucy, you might like Franny, still identified by some with J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey stories.

If you're over Allie, consider Alfie. This nickname name has already made a splash as a top 20 pick for boys across the pond. But with the growing trend of scrappy tomboy names, Alfie makes a promising choice for girls too.

A diminutive of the (male) name Dafydd, the Welsh form of David. In the US, it's strongly associated with the candy.

Nicky is a forever-cute short form of Nicholas once used as a full name but now relegated to nickname (no pun intended) status.