names for future dogs, 'cause it don't look like I'm having anymore babbies

Short, unusual & pronounceable names. Except some not so short or unusual.
  1. Aldis
    • Alonzo
      • Origin:

        Italian diminutive of Alphonso
      • Meaning:

        "noble, ready"
      • Description:

        Alonzo is dashing and debonair, with a large measure of Latin flair.
    • Arwen
      • Origin:

        Literature, Sindarin, Welsh
      • Meaning:

        "noble maiden; fair, blessed"
      • Description:

        Best known as the princess of the Elves in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Arwen is a fantasy-inspired choice that feels perfectly down to earth. In 2022, it entered the UK Top 400, making it one of the fastest rising names, more than doubling in use from the previous year.
    • Cassia
      • Origin:

        Feminine form of Cassius or Greek
      • Meaning:

        "cinnamon"
      • Description:

        Cassia is related to the cassia tree, which has yellow flowers and produces a spice that can be a substitute for cinnamon. Keziah, the name of Job’s daughter in the Old Testament, derives from the name of the plant as well. Cassia also has ties to the Ancient Roman name Cassius, an Ancient Roman family name meaning "hollow."
    • Cordelia
      • Origin:

        Latin; Celtic
      • Meaning:

        "heart; daughter of the sea"
      • Description:

        Cordelia is exactly the kind of old-fashioned, grown-up name for girls that many parents are seeking for their daughters today. The name of King Lear's one sympathetic daughter, Cordelia has both style and substance along with its Shakespearean pedigree.
    • Emrys
      • Origin:

        Welsh, variation of Ambrose
      • Meaning:

        "immortal"
      • Description:

        If you're looking for a Welsh name less common than Dylan, Griffin, Evan, or Morgan, you might want to consider this offbeat epithet of the wise wizard Merlin.

        Root name Ambrose is an ancient saints' name derived from the Greek ambrosia, the food and drink of the gods that conferred immortality.
    • Farasha
      • Origin:

        Arabic
      • Meaning:

        "butterfly"
      • Description:

        Farasha is butterfly in Arabic, which means that to English-speakers, it feels more like a soft feminine name and less like a fluttery animal. Pretty without feeling flighty.
    • Harrison
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "son of Harry"
      • Description:

        Harrison, a name made viable by Harrison Ford, is increasingly popular with parents who want an H name that's more formal than Harry or Hank but doesn't veer into the stiff Huntington-Harrington territory.
    • Leo
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "lion"
      • Description:

        Leo is a strong-yet-friendly name that was common among the Romans, used for thirteen popes, and is now at its highest point ever in the US thanks in part to Leonardo "Leo" DiCaprio.
    • Lovella
      • Origin:

        Feminine of Lovell
      • Meaning:

        "wolf"
      • Description:

        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.
    • Lowen
      • Origin:

        Cornish
      • Meaning:

        "joy"
      • Description:

        Could Lowen be the next Owen? This Cornish name certainly has the right sounds to be an American hit, and is rising dramatically for both boys and girls.
    • Lucy
      • Origin:

        English variation of Lucia, Latin
      • Meaning:

        "light"
      • Description:

        A versatile classic, Lucy is both sweet and solid, a saint's name, and the heroine of several great novels. First fashionable in England and Wales, Lucy is now a popular choice in the US, The Netherlands, and New Zealand.
    • Mariposa
      • Origin:

        Spanish
      • Meaning:

        "butterfly"
      • Description:

        Mariposa is a rare, romantic choice with an intriguing meaning.
    • Neema
      • Origin:

        Swahili
      • Meaning:

        "born during good times"
      • Description:

        Offbeat name sometimes heard in the African-American community.
    • Osla
      • Origin:

        Scottish
      • Meaning:

        "God consecrated"
      • Description:

        This name originally comes from the wild and remote Shetland Islands. Although it bears a lot of similarities to the new darling of Scottish names Isla, it is nearly completely unknown.
    • Remy
      • Origin:

        French from Latin
      • Meaning:

        "oarsman"
      • Description:

        Remy is one of the hottest names today for both boys and girls, sometimes spelled Remi. . It entered the popularity list in 2009 and has quickly become one of the fastest-rising names on the list.
    • Rue
      • Origin:

        Botanical names or word name
      • Meaning:

        "herb; regret"
      • Description:

        Rue has gone from Golden Girls actress to Hunger Games heroine. This botanical name is also a coincidental double word name, meaning "regret" in English and "street in" French. Despite these unfortunate secondary meanings, Rue has real potential to be one of the most popular new middle names for girls.
    • Senara
      • Origin:

        Variation of Azenor, Breton
      • Meaning:

        "light"
      • Description:

        The origins of Senara, the name of a Cornish saint who is patron of the village of Zennor, are not so straightforward. Some say she was the same person as Azenor, a legendary Breton princess whose mother-in-law cast her out to sea in a trunk. Other stories say she was a mermaid turned Christian.
    • Seren
      • Origin:

        Welsh, Turkish
      • Meaning:

        "star or sail mast"
      • Description:

        Seren is a top girls' name in Wales – and a lovely choice almost unknown elsewhere. Seren, in the Sirona form, was an ancient goddess of the hot springs.
    • Severin
      • Origin:

        French variation of Severus; Latin
      • Meaning:

        "stern, serious"
      • Description:

        Severin is an ancient Roman family name borne by several early saints. It's still alive throughout Europe, and could be ready for import here. Severin Winter is a wrestling prodigy character in John Irving's The 158-Pound Marriage and, in its original Latin form, Severus Snape appears in Harry Potter.