Randall

Randall comes from the name Randolf, a Norman given name which means "shield wolf" or possibly "raven wolf." Randall is the vernacular form of Randolf that was used in medieval times--which simply means that the spelling "Randall" represents how "Randolf" was pronounced. The surname Randall comes from the use of Randolf as a given name in medieval times, and more modern use as Randall as a given name in its own right is a result of the surname. Randall enjoyed some real popularity in the middle decades of the 20th century, but has been steadily falling in popularity since the 1960's. It is still used often enough to almost make the top 500 list in the U.S., however, and could eventually regain some popularity. The main drawback to the name is the fact that its most obvious nickname, Randy, is a slang term in England meaning "horny."

Cole

Cole is a surname that is now used as a given name for boys. The surname itself came from a given name from medieval times. The origin and meaning of the original name are not known for certain. According to Ask Oxford, "It may represent a survival into Middle English of the Old English byname Cola 'swarthy', 'coal-black', from col 'charcoal'." Cole is currently a popular name in the U.S., Canada, and Scotland. The children's nursery rhyme "Old King Cole," like many nursery rhymes, might have a factual basis. There were several rulers of ancient Britain named Coel, and one of them was probably at least the inspiration for "Old King Cole." Which one seems to be open to some debate. The most famous Cole whose existence is not in doubt, was Cole Porter. This makes a wonderful name for a black dog, such as a black lab.

Walter

Walter comes from the Germanic name Waldhari, which meant, essentially, "ruling warriors." The form Walter was brought to England by the Normans. The English already had their own form of this name, Wealdhere, but since the two names apparently meant the same thing, came from the same original source, and sounded much the same, Walter eventually became the version that was used. Walter was quite popular with the Normans, and then with the English in Medieval days. It has been in constant use ever since and was a top 20 name in the U.S. in the first few decades of the 20th century. Its popularity has dropped since then, but since this name has been around for so long, it will probably continue to be used, and will probably see other peaks in popularity as time goes on. Walter is a relatively common surname, but in this case, the first name came first and the surname came last. Famous Walters include Walter Cronkite, Walter Brennan, and Walter Pidgeon. Incidentally, Walter is wonderful name for a dog.