Dog Names for Babies?

Brent Schoepf via Dribbble

I've been thinking non-stop about dog names since we just got a puppy a week ago. When coming up with a name for the little guy, I was adament about giving him a name that didn't sound too "dog like," (aka, not Fido or Rover). I wanted him to have a real name. A person name. We ended up calling him Fisher, and it's really the perfect name for him. It's not too dog like, and it's not too common among animals or people (it ranked #799 last year). However, this whole situation got me wondering: if we like people names for pets, what about pet names for people? Are they off-limits or fair game?

Beau- Beau was the quintessential dog name for a while, but ever since the early 2000s, he's been climbing up the charts for baby boys. Alternate spelling Bo is also on the rise (and is the name of the Obama's dog). Beau definitely works for both dogs and babies.

Boomer- I was hesitant to include Boomer on this list, because--much like Fido and Rover--I thought he had absolutely no potential as a baby name. But Michael Phelps gave the name to his son a couple weeks ago, which changes things. My brother has been telling me forever to expect a nephew named Boomer in a dozen years or so (Beau also makes his list). I've always thought it was to annoy me with its non-nameness, but who knows, maybe he sees the future of baby names. Do you think Boomer could be a hit in 2028?

Coco- Coco is a name I have my eye on. I've seen a couple of bloggers and other tastemakers use the name recently, and I think it wears really well. They are often ahead of the curve by many years though, so I suspect we'll see a big Coco rise in around 3-5 years.

Duke- Duke still feels decidedly doggish to me, but I'm curious to hear what you all think. He came back into the top 1000 in 2013, and is on the rise, along with many other royal names. Giuliana and Bill Rancic have a son named Duke, which may be inspriring many parents to go for it with their baby as opposed to their dog.

Huck- Huck is a sweet nickname-y name whose most obvious full form is Huckleberry. It makes sense that parents would want to skip over that, and just give the name to their pet instead. However, I'm more of a fan when it's used on a baby. There are plenty of full name options besides Huckleberry, as illustrated here.

Murphy- Fun loving, Irish surname Murphy has always been common among pets, but dropped out of the top 1000 for baby boys in 1956. These days I can see Murphy working for a baby boy or girl, especially in this era of last-names-first.

Rex- Rex may seem like the classic dog name, but he's actually not too popular among pooches or people. I am a big champion of using Rex on babies--he's the perfect alternative to Max! Plus, he's actually fallen lately in popularity. Rex is currently at #682, down from a peak of #617 in 2011.

Roscoe- Hipster favorite Roscoe is currently a hit for dogs, and I suspect the number of children and pets with the name will only go up. He really is a fun and sweet name--I wouldn't be surprised to see him break the top 1000 in the next few years.

Roxy- Roxy (or Roxie, if you're a Broadway fan) is not used as often on babies as she is on pets, most likely because her most obvious full name is the outdated Roxanne. However, she'd work just as well as a nickname for any of the Rose names, or even names like Aurora and Veronica.

Scout- All the buzz about To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman led to increased interest in the name Scout, but I can't tell if it's going to stick or not. For a long time, Scout sounded too wordy to bestow on a child (i.e.: perfect for the dog), but I think she's a totally viable choice nowadays.

Thor- People love to give their dogs slightly comical names, which is why you meet many a small dog named Thor. This is one of the few that I would not give to child--I think it's best for the family pet. Try the variation Tor instead.


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As you may have noticed, I'm taking a lighter summer schedule. Regular posting should resume in October, when I go back to school.

British Nicknames Ready for Import

Cheryl M Photography via 100 Layer Cakelet

It's no secret that I fall into the "name them what you call them" camp. If you're never going to use your child's full name, then just skip it! The Brits are true followers of this philosophy--much of their top 500 consists of nickname names. I compiled the ones I think Americans should also embrace as full names right here. After all, if you only plan on calling her Pixie, you're better off discarding Patricia.

Girls
Beau
Betty
Billie
Bonnie
Cleo
Connie
Dolly
Edie
Effie
Elsie
Emmie
Evie
Georgie
Gracie
Hallie
Hattie
Holly
Indie
Josie
Kitty
Maisie
Marnie
Millie
Minnie
Lacie
Lexi
Libby
Lottie
Penny
Pippa
Pixie
Polly
Poppy
Rosie
Sylvie
Tilly

Boys
Albie
Alfie
Ali
Archie
Beau
Bertie
Billy
Bobby
Buddy
Danny
Eddie
Frankie
Freddie
Georgie
Harry
Hugh
Jamie
Jan
Jay
Joe
Joey
Johnny
Junior
Kit
Lee
Lenny
Louie
Monty
Nico
Ollie
Rafe
Reggie
Remy
Rex
Rio
Ronnie
Rory
Rudy
Shay
Sonny
Ted
Teddy
Toby
Tommy
Vinnie
Woody
Zac

Romantic Word Names for Valentine's Day

Levi Fignar via Dribbble

Word names are always a good choice (especially when it comes to middle names), and I love the subtle whimsy of using one to play homage to the holiday that your baby was born around. The following romantic word names are perfect for a baby born any day this week.

Beau- Beau is an established name that no longer seems very wordy, which makes him the perfect inconspicuous Valentine's Day choice.

Bisou- Bisou is the French word for "kiss," but would sound charming and name-like to many American ears.

Chérie- Another French choice, "ma chérie" is a phrase meaning "my darling." How cute would that be on a little girl?

Cherish- A modern virtue name that reminds us of love and affection.

Crimson- This shade of red pops up all over the place in February.

Darling- Can Darling shed her pet-name status? For now, at least, she makes a great middle.

February- An unexpected month name that's fresher than April or June.

Fidelity- I think Fidelity will one day give Felicity a run for her money. Until then, she's an under-the-rader choice that connotates love and attachment.

Harp- One of the most romantic instruments, and a lovely alternative to Harper.

Heart- The symbol of Valentine's Day. For a less obvious spelling, go with Hart.

Holiday- More bold and obvious than most of the other names on this list, but there's nothing wrong with that.

Love- At it's essence, Valentine's Day is a holiday about love. How sweet would Love be on a February 14th born baby?

Poem- Poem is one of my favorite word names for any time of the year, but she works especially well around Valentine's Day.

Promise- Another up-and-coming virtue name with romantic undertones.

Rose- No other flower is as synonymous with Valentine's Day.

Sonnet- The most amorous type of poem, used regularly by Shakespeare.

Unity- Love unites two people, making Unity a sweet and subtle choice for a Valentine's Day babe.

Valentine- Of course, you could always get straight to the point with Valentine.

Names Ending in -ow(e)

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-O names have been in style for a while now. As of 2015, it seems like we have a new trend. Names that end in -ow or -owe--while similar to -o names--have a different feel. There's a real unisex quality to them. Most of these names can be used on a girl or boy. More than a few of them have nature ties, which is also appealing to today's parents. I'm excited about this trend. -ow names have real potential, and I suspect quite a few of these will make it into the top 1000 this year.

Arrow- As a symbol, it's a popular hipster motif--and as a word name, well, he's still a little hipster-ish. With names like Fletcher on the rise, I wouldn't be surprised to meet a baby Arrow (in fact, I have!).

Barlow- I included Barlow in my 10 B Names You Never Thought of Using list, which means he's perfect if you want an under-the-radar, trendy name.

Bowe- Bo and Beau (especially) have been on the rise. A lot of times stylish names get quite a few unique spellings, so I'm surprised no one has thought of using Bowe yet. I think this spelling would work great on girls, but I could see it on a boy as well.

Carlow- Carlow is a college name, as well as an excellent baby name. It would be nice on either gender, and makes a nice alternative to Charlie.

Fallow- Fallow is a light brown color, one that is often used to describe the color of deer. Like it on a girl? You can nickname her Doe or Fawn. 

Harlow- Oh Harlow. People are loving her. She currently ranks at #540, but she is making a steep climb up the charts. Maybe that cute pup on Instagram has something to do with it.

Marlowe- Marlowe is rising extremely quickly. Even though she ranks at #1284, she will definitely make it to the top 1000 this year. Use her while you can, this one is about to get real popular.

Meadow- At one time she may have sounded like a 1960s flower child, but today Meadow makes for a lovely nature pick. She has a sweet quality about her, and in the age of flower names, Meadow seems perfect.

Nowe- I have a couple of problems with this name. They mostly consist of the name is pronounced like the word "no," which would be horribly confusing for a toddler. I can really only justify putting this one in the middle.

Rainbow- Rainbow is similar to Meadow, except I don't think she lost her hippie-chick vibe. Try Rain. Or Bo.

Snow- Snow is a delightful, whimsical name for a winter baby girl. There are princess ties, which can be a plus or a minus for some people.

Sparrow- Bird names are so fun, and I adore Sparrow. Nicole Richie and Joel Madden named their son Sparrow (brother to Harlow), but it works on either gender.

Willow- She's the most popular on this list, coming in at #155. Willow is still on the rise, so I'll bet she breaks the top 100 for 2014. Willow is a very ethereal nature name, and it's easy to see why people love her.

Winslow- Currently, Winslow is used for boys 97% of the time. But, since fewer than five children were given the name last year, I think it is absolutely usable for girls.

10 I Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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Everyone loves Imogen. She doesn't even rank in the top 1000, but she's Nameberry's most popular girl name. I love Imogen too, but she's gotten so much attention lately, that I don't know if would want to use her. Thankfully, I have a list of I names that are no where near as trendy. So take a look and tell me what you think.

Ida- Ooh, I adore Ida! I love her retro feel (and wouldn't she make a good sister for Nell?). More people should use this quirky favorite.
 
Inbar- What a gorgeous Israeli name. I think she would work really well in the states. She's perfect if you want to honor your heritage with a less common name.

Indra- Okay, so India is not too popular, but Indra makes a good alternative. I personally prefer her over India. I think Indra has more spunk.

Io- Ask any baby name fanatic to name a two letter name, and the answer you get will be Io. Granted, she's one of the only two letter names out there, but she's well talked about in the community. I love Io on her own, but if she's too short for you, try one of these next two.

Iola- She's heavy on the vowel sounds, but that L in the middle makes her sound extra feminine and fluid.

Ione- Ione is such a cool name, yet almost no one knows about her. You could also use Iona, which would be a fun way to honor a Fiona.

Inoa- Noa has been getting some attention as of late for being a cool option for girls. Inoa lets you use that nickname, while having a more feminine appellation to fall back on.

Isabeau- Another favorite in the baby name community. I hear about Isabeau all the time. She is a lovely choice, and the nickname Beau is extra adorable.

Isaura- This name reminds me of a medieval princess. She sounds regal and grand, and I can picture her on a girl of all ages.

Italia- Maybe it's because I just got back from Italy, but man! Italia seems like a wonderful name for a girl. Florence, Roman, and Milania are all well used, so why not Italia?