Dog Names That Mean Strong, Brave, or Powerful

Abelard brings to mind Peter/Pierre Abelard, the great twelfth century Breton scholastic philosopher and theologian, who was equally celebrated for his tragic love affair with Heloise--one of the world's most famous love stories.

On trend for boys but with plenty of unisex appeal too, the place name Cairo was put on the map for girls when model Beverly Peele chose it for her daughter. Given to around 50 girls each year, it hasn't caught on just yet but with its similar sounds to Kaia and Skyler, it might do in the future.

Hardy is a spirited and durable un-Germanic German surname that is starting to be used in this country.

Muscular German name that never fully assimilated into American culture.

Well used in Japan, appreciated for its powerful meaning.

If there are too many Connors in your neighborhood, this name is equally authentic and much more unusual. Spelled Conal or Conall, it's a prominent name in Irish history, borne by a number of kings and heroes.

Rock definitely has a macho image, if a somewhat caricatured one, ala The Rock. But with the rise of word names and also of tough guy names, Rock feels more plausible than it did a generation ago.

Aza is an excellent Arabic choice: elegant and simple. Too simple for you? Consider Aziza.

Enigmatic choice of enigmatic John Malkovich.

A name most common among middle-aged Japanese men.

Irie is an upbeat and modern name that originated as a Rastafarian term for "positive and powerful."

As a masculine name, Gauri is Finnish in origin and derives from Gabriel.

Unfortunate identification with an army of rats in the movie of the same name.

Aza's similarity to the biblical name Asa makes it ripe for adaptation. If you want something more elaborate, you might consider Azariah. Something simpler? It doesn't get much simpler and that is the beauty of Aza (or Asa).

Any boy with this name, a synonym for power via the Greek mythology figure, better be strong of body, and of psyche.

This traditional Arabic name, found throughout several other Middle Eastern and African languages and cultures, is one of the 99 names of Allah. Colorful and energetic, it was brought into the realm of crossover possibility via the lively personality of Aziz Ansari, stand-up comic and star of "Master of None" as well as a featured actor on "Parks and Recreation," playing cocky Tom Haverford (born Darwish Sabir Ismael Gani).

Warrick has recently come into the spotlight as the character Warrick Brown on the TV show CSI. The more conventional spelling is Warwick, a medieval English noble name.

If you want a pan-Scandinavian name with energy and style that could have been a winner, if not for the sound-alike water filtration company Brita.

It's been shown that notable political figures often impact the use of their names, and the same can — sort of — be said about Bernie Sanders. His name increased in use by 47% between 2015 and 2016 (albeit, to a peak of only 21 baby boys given the name). By 2017, Bernie has decreased in usage by almost 60%.

This short and sweet multicultural name has a lot of potential meanings packed into its two letters!