Dog Names That Mean Strong, Brave, or Powerful

Variously spelled Swithun or Swithin, and associated with St. Swithin's day, July 15th, which is famous as a weather predictor a la Groundhog's Day: supposedly, the weather on his feast day will continue for forty days. This would certainly make a unique choice.

Place-name of a settlement in Galilee in Israel.

A distinctive English surname name that also carries the slightly ominous sense of the verb batten, as in "batten down the hatches." Batten was also a medieval first name related to Bartholomew.

Romy lovers, here's a new one for you! Romary is a surname with French and Scottish roots and has historically been a masculine given name in France. It would be a great choice on either sex, but feels slightly more feminine with the -mary ending and Romy nickname.

Bheem, the name of the second of the five sons of Pandu in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata, was renowned as a strong warrior. Bheem is the name of one of the two heroes of the Bollywood film RRR.

Uncommon choice too reminiscent of "bidet". Try Bridie instead.

This name was used by the royal House of Luxembourg in the Middle Ages, as a diminutive of Irmentrude. We definitely think this spunky shortening improves upon the heavy German original.

Classic Scandinavian form of Bridget. Saint Birgitta of Sweden is the patron saint of Europe.

Romary is most commonly seen as a surname, although it would make a charming first name for a boy or girl. It has French and Scottish origins — the French form is a variation of the given name Romaric and has also been adopted as a surname. The meaning of the Scottish surname is unknown.

Akshara is a unisex name taken from one of the names of Lord Vishnu.

Now that Courtney is becoming more unisex for babies, surname Fortney also seems like a viable name for a boy. It fits the trend for names with an -ey ending like Huxley and Finley, with an added dash of fortitude.

Alternative spelling of Zorawar

This name has considerable meaning in the Islamic world, as Hamzah the brave was the uncle and protector of the Prophet of Islam. A more contemporary Hamzah is the eldest son of the late King Hussein and Queen Noor of Jordan. More commonly encountered in English-speaking countries as Hamza.

In Nigeria, Chibuike is seen as a surname as well as a given name for both girls and boys. John Chibuike is a notable Nigerian footballer.

Technically a pet form of Brigid and very commonly heard in Ireland, but pronunciation problems complicate Bride as a name choice in America.

Flimsier than Drew spelling.

The names from which Meja derived, including Meinhild and Magnhild, are long gone, but a Swedish singer called Meja (born Anna Pernilla Torndahl) has piqued interest in this modern derivative. Meja is now a Top 100 name in Sweden.

Qadir is a classic Muslim name that represents one of the ninety-nine attributes of Allah. Since the initial Q is pronounced as K, this handsome name is sometimes Anglicized as Kadir.

Sometimes heard in the Latino community, has not crossed over into others.