6000+ Dog Names

Glimmer is shimmery but a little too showy, as is Glitter, a character on a TV sitcom-- while Glimmer appears in The Hunger Games.

Armas is an antiquated Finnish word with a loving meaning and a straightforward spelling and pronunciation. A rare name with potential.

Most closely associated with famed English novelist George Orwell (whose real name was Eric Arthur Blair), this English surname is now occasionally sported as a literary first name. Given its meaning, Orwell could also be used by those looking for a more subtle alternative to River.

Names that end in I are hot right now, but Yari has yet to be discovered. It's a unisex name more common among girls, perhaps due to its similarity to Yara.

Author Toni Morrison is an acknowledged master of naming, and Sethe, the name of one of the main characters of Beloved, which can be pronounced as Seth or Seth-eh, relates to the male biblical name Seth but is also the name of the Egyptian god of confusion.

This is the kind of strong one-syllable boy's name many parents are seeking these days. The more musical Chord was introduced by hot young actor Chord Overstreet.

One of the most familiar and attractive Japanese names, though rarely heard outside that culture.

Sure, and we hope he has a good time playing with Buster and Buddy.

A word name with a fire-y personality. Sparky is an old-school nickname for a boy, but Spark sounds both more grownup and modern.

Darling has history as an English surname, but it would most likely be read as a quirky and loving word name, a la Sweetheart or Honey.

A popular choice in Finland, where it ranks among the Top 50 boy names.

Haitian writer Edwidge Danticat highlighted this sophisticated, chignon-wearing choice for literate parents.

Berkeley, with an extra E, is the more familiar variation of this name, associated with the California school. But it's the streamlined Berkley that has proven itself to be more popular as a baby name, at least in the US.

Herby and aristocratic Basil remains a tough sell, but we’d like to introduce you to Basile, the delightful French version. It retains all of Basil’s charm, but sheds some of the pesto linkage.

Beautiful meanings no matter which origin you want to go with. But either way, it rhymes with Paris.

This surname-name oozes Southern charm; nevertheless, its most famous bearer was a New Englander, Rhode Island senator Claiborne de Borda Pell, who sponsored education legislation leading to the much beloved Pell scholarship programme. That connection alone instills this name with intellect as well as style.

Rira is a truly multicultural name with roots in four different languages. It's most common as a Japanese name, where it can be made up of various kanji combinations with meanings such as "good plum" and "easy pear." In French, it means "laugh."

Sounds like exactly what it is: The name of a romance novel hero.

Gwyneth Paltrow's Apple has opened the world of botanical names beyond flowers to trees, herbs, fruits, and — why not — nuts. Cayley and Brandon Jenner have a daughter named Joan Almond.