Christmas Names for Pets

A wonderful meaning for a bright and musical West African name.

One of several snowy options, this one lacking a tie to a specific place: an asset.

Cookie is most often used as a dog name, and it should stay that way.

A very Christmas-y Christmas baby name, that may avoid the Santa image by instead adopting the alternative spelling Klaus.

An alternative to the more familiar Aviva.

Merilee and Merrilee were early respelled or word names, ahead of their time in some ways. Merrilee hit the Top 1000 for a couple of years in the 1940s, but last year no baby girls were given either version of the name in the US, which makes it more appealing.

Mittens is a common name for cats with mitten-like fur patterns on their paws. The word actually has feline origins — it shares a root with mite, an Old French pet name for a cat. It became linked with mittens because they were made of fur.

Christmas is a day name long and quietly used as a name for babies born at Christmas. Prettier and more modern than Noel or Noelle.

A word name that's appealing when applied to a person boogying or doing ballet; a different story in the context of Santa's reindeer.

Kantuta is the Quechua name for the national flower of both Bolivia and Peru, which is known for flowering around Christmas time. With its vivid green foliage and extremely bright red bell-shaped flowers, the plant encapsulates many traditional Christmas symbols, making Kantuta one of the great unique names for Christmas babies.

The Finnish word for Christmas, occasionally given as a name to children born around the holiday.

A warm and musical name with a lovely meaning. There is a popular song called Dembe by famous Ugandan artist named Bobbi Wine, who also ran for President.

Should only be used when singing Christmas carols.

Malak is an Arabic and Turkish name high on the popularity list in several European countries on the girls' side.

Do everyone a favor and spell it Coco, an up-and-coming choice.

Rosebud, a charming flower name, was the childhood nickname used for author Nathaniel Hawthorne's daughter Rose, who made a name for herself by founding the modern hospice movement. Rose Hawthorne Lathrop converted to Catholicism and, after her husband's death, founded a religious order called the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne. As a nun and head of that order, she became known as Mother Mary Alphonsa and is now in line for sainthood in the Catholic Church.

Sachi, often short for Sachiko, was given to 25 girls in the US in a recent year. While it is technically Japanese, this short form has an unidentifiably international feel and might be a relative of the stylish Sacha.

Dora's monkey best friend, and possibly the name of your cat.

A common name for cats with boot-like markings on their feet. In the same vein: Mittens, Socks.

A Top 100 name in Israel, where it is overwhelmingly feminine. Zohar is currently used equally between girls and boys in the US but is rising far more quickly for boys.