6000+ Dog Names

Admirers of the haunting works of esteemed Irish poet and playwright William Butler Yeats might consider this, especially as a middle name.

Derived from the Tigrinya elements hiyab, meaning "gift," and el, "God."

An evocative ancient word that's used as a first name in the New Testament, among other places. It's also the name of an eagle-shaped constellation.

Native-American feel via similarity to Winona.

Pancho is a bit more problematic than such similar names as Pablo and Paco because of the Pancho Villa association.

In Welsh, Lunet is a form of Luned or Eluned, a saint's name that also appears in Arthurian legend as a servant of the Lady of the Fountain who rescues the knight Owain.

Several animal names, from Fox to Wolf and even to Tiger, ccan work, but Cougar should stay in its cage. Even John Mellencamp has dropped it.

Could Renegade be the next Maverick? The rebellious meaning and fashionable nickname Ren make it a real possibility.

Romola is a literary name most notably used by George Eliot for her eponymous 1862 novel set in fifteenth-century Florence. It just may appeal to the parent looking for a name that embodies the ideal blend of the feminine, unusual, and strong. A current bearer is British actress Romola Garai.

Smoky variation of Hayes.

Because of shoe designer Manolo Blahnik, this has become a generic term for pricey stilettos, as in "I must have those Manolos."

A pretty spin on Maria or Marissa.

Young rocker Tennessee Thomas has brought this former one-person name over to the girls' side -- though the census roles of North Carolina in 1850 included a female named Tennessee and called Tincy.

Dashing Latin surname name -- but also a well-known brand of Spanish packaged foods.

A less-popular spelling of on-the-rise Cason.

Peppy cheerleader with African roots.

Lorca is a Spanish place name from the province of Navarre, but more famous as the last name of the eminent Spanish poet and playwright Federico Garcia Lorca, who was the direct inspiration for the name of Leonard Cohen's daughter Lorca.

This upbeat, friendly surname name has appeared on television's Battlestar Galactica a handful of cartoons, and on a literary note, a character in Herman Melville's Moby Dick. Sports fans might think of Boomer Esiason, the NFL quarterback turned color commentator. He's not the only athlete to answer to the upbeat nickname.

Minta is an eighteenth century short form of a literary beauty still used in England today, but yet to be discovered by American baby namers. It has a fresh and dainty feel.