Girl Dog Names That Start With W

Sweet, modern descriptive name, but perhaps a little too cute for its own good.

Spelling used by country singer Wynonna Judd, one of two celebrities (the other is Winona Ryder) who brought this unusual Native American name widespread notice.

Classic Wilhelmina is still the dominant form of this name, but the more intuitive, streamlined Willamina is rising alongside it. The phonetic spelling eliminates some of Wilhelmina's bulk, taking it from geek-chic to modern feminissima.

The Wylie spelling (with that feminine Y) is much more common among girls than Wiley, but both have been climbing the ranks. Could Wiley be the next Riley?

Wrigley is a fast-rising name for boys and girls right now in the US. You're unlikely to hear it outside of Chicago, though, as most of these parents are huge fans of the Chicago Cubs, who play at Wrigley Field. For a more subtle Cubs-related baby name, try Addison or Clark—two streets that border the ballpark.

Wylie is one Celtic surname with as much appeal for girls as for boys. Wylie is ripe for spelling variations: Wiley is as appropriate as Wylie but when you spell it Wylei, as Corey Parker did for his son, you're getting into yooneek naming territory.

An ancient saint's name belonging to an 8th century English missionary. Variants include Walpurga and Walpurgis.

Windsor may have male references, such as Britain's royal House of Windsor and a tie's windsor knot, but this name also has a definite feminine feel, as in Windsor Rose. That seems appropriate, as Windsor is used equally these days for boys and girls. Nicknames might include Win, Wind, Windy, and Winnie.

With the rise of all those other popular feminine W names, like Winnie, Willa and Winona, why not consider the lovely Winika? Win and Winnie are likely nicknames and it is associated with a dainty Pacific orchid that blossoms at Christmas time. If you're looking for international names for Christmas babies, this is one for the short list.

Less month, more trendy, more times needing to spell it to people. This spelling variation entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2013—and doesn't appear to be going anywhere any time soon.

Sometimes heard in Scotland, where its heyday was in the times of Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott, here we would prefer the Germanic version, Wilhelmina, brought into the spotlight by the conniving character on "Ugly Betty."

Native-American feel via similarity to Winona.

Winnet is a long-forgotten nickname for Winifred that was used in the US in the 18th and 19th centuries. These days, it's more often found in South Africa.

A bit too self-congratulatory and, understandably, exceedingly rare. Still, if you're looking for a modern virtue name for your daughter, this may be one of the best qualities to exemplify.

Win might be an upbeat short form for a girl named Winifred or the new-fangled Winslet, or can stand on its own. The Welsh name Wynn feels more complete and sounds the same.

Oprah's almost mononymic first name is too closely tied to her personality (and brand) for us to recommend it as a baby name in good faith. Her surname, however, is definitely name-worthy. Winfrey works as a modern update to Whitney, with the added bonus of being associated with one of the most influential women of our time.

Where's Walda? Out of the running.

Short for Waverly or a fresh twist on Navy, Wavy is a quirky and interesting new word name option.

Wave is used as a name in its own right, but on girls, it's most often seen as a nickname for Waverly. It lends a beachy, bohemian air to the classy English surname.