International names

If you're naming a breed with a strong country of origin, this is where to start: an Akita with a Japanese name, a Vizsla with a Hungarian one, a Wolfhound with an Irish one. It's a better-aging instinct than naming for how the puppy currently looks, and it usually sounds better too.

These are real given names in living languages, so two courtesies apply, both set out in the origins guide: learn the actual pronunciation, and check that what you've picked is a name rather than a title or an honorific.

What's in this theme

• Filter by cultural origin in the name quiz to see one language at a time.
• Many are already two syllables ending in a vowel, which is the shape you want anyway.
• Say it out loud, properly, before you commit. That is most of the respect this category asks for.

60 names, with what they mean

A cross-section of the 984 names tagged World Heritage. Every one of them, and 924 more, is filterable in the name quiz, where you can stack this theme with your animal, a personality and a syllable count.

Where to go next

• Dog names
• Cat names
• Mythology names

Other themes with their own page:

• Mythology names
• Fantasy names
• Food names
• Nature names
• Space and science names