Lucky Names for Dogs

Seeley is a Medieval surname with a happy, fortunate meaning.

Macario is used in the modern US, the Spanish form of the ancient Greek Makarios or Latinized Macarius, the name of several early saints. Accessible and worldly, Macario can lead to the friendly nickname Mac.

Why is Evangeline so popular -- close to Number 200 in the US -- while Evangelina hasn't charted in the Top 1000 since the early 1950s? The stardom of Evangeline Lilly has something to do with the relative popularity of that form, but Evangelina is just as pretty and romantic but given to only 10% as many baby girls.

Welsh heritage choice that's rare today even in its native land.

Ayan is an African name heard for both sexes.

Resonant and unusual.

Upbeat choice.

This feminine name, pleasingly reminiscent of Kismet, has a similarly lovely meaning: Rainbow.

This feminine version of the Welsh name Carwyn could be a good choice for parents looking for something fresher than Bronwen.

Theta is the name of the eighth letter of the ancient Greek alphabet, which is also the symbol of death. As such, it has rarely been used as a baby name.

Selig comes from the Yiddish vocabulary word meaning 'happy, fortunate, blessed.' Most of us are more familiar with its Woody Allen variation, Zelig.

Ventura started life as a shortening of Bonaventura, Spanish for good luck or good fortune, but now stands on its own. It has a pleasant sound and the stylish 'V' ending, but Angelenos would associate it with the Valley's main stem--Ventura Boulevard, and others might think of Ace or Jesse Ventura.

Chance has risen far on the baby-naming charts, but Hazard has a considerably more dangerous edge. It was the middle name of famed US naval commander Oliver Hazard Perry.

The name of the elephant-headed Hindu god of wisdom is rarely heard outside India.

Brimming over with a sense of good fortune. Could make a little girl feel very lucky.

There are several fine Ben-beginning boy's names, such as BENJAMIN and BENEDICT, but girls names like this and BENJAMINA don't fare as well.