21 Ideas For The Perfect Dog Name

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The real first training step when you get a dog is giving that dog a new name.

Choosing a unique identifier for your pupper is part of the fun. In fact, unless you live alone, there may be a debate.

I’m here to help with these 21 ideas to help you brainstorm the perfect name for your dog.

So, gather the fam around and find a name on neutral ground!

First, some guidelines to help make sure that you have found the perfect dog name.

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“This post contains affiliate links—aka magical portals to cool stuff for your pup. If you sniff out something tasty and decide to fetch it, we might earn a few biscuits in commission. No extra kibble from your wallet, promise!”

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New home = new name

When a dog is adopted, it can be helpful to change the dogs name. This gives the dog the chance to totally leave behind their previous life and live up to their full potential.

A new name is especially useful for dogs that have been removed from a bad situation. No looking back.

An exception might be if you already know the dog well and you have spent a significant amount of time together.

For example, I did not rename my mom’s dog when he came to live with me. He was 8yrs old, I had been around his entire life and he always stayed with me when mom was away.

What’s in a name?

Loki was a Sampson and Meatball was a Bella.

At 7 months, Loki was just a pup when I changed his name, but Meatball was a full 3 years old!

And with Meatball, for a week or two she was a Maddie. It just didn’t fit. You can read about that journey in my post From Bella To Meatball.

A dogs name is their brand so it has to be just right.

I think that Loki and Meatball are two of the coolest canine call names around. They fit my pups perfectly!

My Loki is super smart. He is a mischief maker that knows when to straighten up and fly right. Meatball is all meatball all the time. She is fully committed to living up to her name.

I am always making note of standout dog names for the next possible pooch in my life.

I have met dogs named to honor every thing from food to celebrities.

When is comes to dog names almost anything goes!

Types of dog names to avoid

These tips will help you avoid negative situations for you and your best friend.

–No name. Don’t be one of those people that says the dog never told you their name. A name lets the dog know exactly who the command for. Also don’t name your dog, dog, because, well, it’s thoughtless and this is your best friend we’re talking about.

–Don’t choose a name that sounds like a command. This can be confusing for dogs. Kay & Grey sound like “stay”, Jo & Bo too much like “no”.

–Avoid names that sound mean. Humans will not want to interact with a dog with a scary name. That goes double for breeds that are perceived to be aggressive by the general public. For instance, no Rottweilers named Fang or Cujo.

–Stay away from names that are too similar to other beings in the house. If you live with Frank, don’t name the pet Hank.

–Politically incorrect names should be avoided, unless maybe you live way out where no one will ever, ever hear you call your dog or you like making public enemies.

Test the mouthfeel of the dog name

Say the name over and over. This test will help you decide if you have found the perfect name.

If you choose a long name, test out shorter versions as it is likely that you will end up calling the dog a nickname.

Two-syllable names vibe better with dogs. A name that takes slightly longer to say allows the dog more time to pick up on the tone of your voice. Because they don’t speak your language, dogs rely on the emotion of what you are saying to gain better understanding.

Dog names can have multiple meanings

A name like Chuck is fun to say. Could be to honor actor Chuck Norris or it could because Chuck begs you to chuck sticks for him to fetch.

Cash could be for Johnny Cash or cash like money $$.

I had a Rottweiler named Remington. Could be related to guns, razors or power tools. And when you shorten it nickname style, Remy, it’s related to Cognac. I just liked the name, stole it from another dog I had met years earlier.

*Feel free to steal any dog name in this post 🙂

21 Ideas to inspire the perfect name for your dog

1 – Common dog names

Want to pick a name and move on? Here are some common canine names that have stood the test of time.

Daisy, Bella, Max, Scout, Charlie, Buddy, Maggie, Molly, Jake, Bingo, Lucky, Lady, Teddy, or Bandit

Common dog names are common for a reason, they work fine. If you want to be more creative, keep scrolling

2 – Ask a kid

If you live with children they are probably excited to be a part of picking pupper’s new name. They are going to win the name debate. Give in, let it happen, move on.

If you don’t have kids, ask a nephew or a neighbor’s kid about their favorite pet name. Modern kids come back with some real creative suggestions.

3 – Opposites attract

Ironic names are an easy fun idea.

Name a solid color dog Spot, a giant dog, Smalls, a tiny dog, House or Moose.

People are more leery of big black dogs, so names like Sunny, and Casper can help win them over.

This strategy can also help misunderstood breeds like Pit Bulls make friends. Who could resist a Pitty named Smooches?

4 – Look to the heavens

Astronomy or Astrology works here! Name your dog after the stars, planets, Zodiac signs, or constellations. There is literally an infinite amount of stuff to choose from.

Apollo, Jupiter, Pluto, Gemini, Nova, & Orion…

Since we’re in the heavens, why not a name straight from the gods?

5 – More than Zeus

Believe in them or not, there are plenty of gods past and present all with names worthy of being considered.

Elpis, the Greek goddess of hope, Vesta, Roman goddess of the hearth, Bacchus, Roman god of wine & intoxication. Belun, Slavic god of Heaven, bringer of luck, Chunda, Buddhists goddess of wisdom. Manannan Mac Lir, Celtic god of the sea.

6 – Foodie names

Everyone enjoys food.

My Meatball is an English Bulldog. Her name makes everyone smile.

Other foods can make great names too!

A beer lover might choose Barley or Hops.

Use the mouthfeel test on these delicious names: Sprinkles, Mushroom, Meaty, Meatball, Ham, Hammy, Hambone, Mocha, Cheese, Snacks/Snax, Cookie, Candy, Sugar, Spice, Udon, Sushi, Sweets… this menu is too long to list ’em all.

7 – Fictional characters

Characters from books and movies make great dog names with meaning.

Sure you can go with popular, Furlock Holmes, but obscure personal favorites are sure to inspire something a little more unique.

An Ayn Rand fan might name their pooch Roark after Howard Roark’s character in The Fountainhead.

Cult classic film lovers might choose Ozark, after Lens Ozark in Ozark Savage.

Children’s book characters often have some delightfully unusual names. Matilda, Beezus, and Ursula, come to mind.

8 – Politically incorrect

Didn’t I say this was a bad idea?

I personally love politically incorrect names for dogs. Dogs are not hurt by words. They only care about the tone. Happy owner voice = good words, angry owner voice = bad words.

Use your imagination here. Be aware that you will call the dog by this name in public at some point, even if by accident.

My Remington’s nicknames were actually Remy, Fatty, FatAss, and FatDog. All terms of endearment, of course.

Calling Fatty got awkward more than once. I definitely appeared to be yelling “FatAss!” to random people before I could stop myself.

The kids from The Christmas Project movie trick their mom and name the family dog Farding, which means to apply make-up but when said aloud sounds exactly like ‘farting’!

Skidmark, Booger, Snot are some more mild unpopular words to use as politically incorrect names.

9 – Think outside the box

You can go beast mode and pick a word from another language for your best friend.

Get a translation app and test words for coolness.

This is a great way to bring new life to common dog names.

Fun Fact— Dog training is often done in another language to keep random people from accidently using certain command words.

10 – Hidden monster, fun dog name

Name your little monster after another monster.

How about Nessie, Yeti, Minotaur, Chimera or even Krampus, the Christmas demon?

Or choose from movie monsters like Rancor of Return of the Jedi fame or Otachi from the film Pacific Rim.

Cartoon monsters can also fit the bill, try Beast, Sully from Monsters Inc., Gizmo of Gremlins fame, Shrek, Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, Krumm from the Aaahh! Real Monsters gang or maybe Zorak from Space Ghost Coast to Coast.

11 – Feel the music

A favorite singer or musician could be the perfect namesake for your dog.

Band mascots and even some band member names make great dog names for music lovers. Musicians often give themselves colorful stage names that you can borrow.

For example: Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein of the band Misfits. However, Axel, Jagger, Hendrix, Joplin, or Zappa might be an easier choice.

Consider Allister Fiend, the mascot for the band, Mötley Crüe or Korgull mascot of Voivod.

Joseph Martens, host of the radio show Sunday Morning Coming Down occasionally mentions his dog named Emmylou Harris after the singer/songwriter. I love the fact that such a long name really works.

12 – Other famous people

The famous people category has both real and fictitious choices that you can use as your pet’s namesake, since these folks also use stage names quite often.

Maybe you are The Roc’s biggest fan or your pup looks a bit like Vanna White. This could be a no-brainer way to come up with your hound’s handle.

Edgar Allen Poe admirers might use the entire name or just Edgar.

For sports fanatics named are abundant. What about Barkley or Jordan after famed basketball players? All sports have standout players that you can name your dog after.

Director Clive Barker’s name seems like a natural for lovers of horror films.

13 – Infamous people

Want a name with a bit of edge?

D.B. Cooper, Capone, Gotti, or Dillinger could be a good fit.

Famous rebels like Spartacus, Daniel Shays or Mae West are surely deserving of being your dogs namesake.

14 – Famous dogs

There are lots of celebrity pooches, past, present, real and animated that have touched the lives of devoted fans.

Bruiser from Legally Blonde, whose real name is Moonie.

Butkus Stallone from the Rocky films.

Benji, real name Higgins.

Sykes, a UK canine actor.

Gidget, the Taco Bell dog. ¡Yo quiero Taco Bell!

Classics like Rin Tin Tin, Lassie, and Toto.

Cartoon pups like Slinky, Bolt, and Clifford

Want more of these inspiring names? Check out Good Housekeeping’s list of 40 Famous Dogs From Movies and TV Shows That Stole Our Hearts. BONUS, this list doubles as a “must watch or read” list for dog lovers.

15 – Go retro with your dogs name

Everything old is new again. All it needs is a modern spin.

Choose Fido, Bowser, ol’ Red, Duke, Rex or Rover, Champ, Scruffy, Buster, Scamp, Bandit, Patch, or Socks

16 – Brand bandit

High end luxury brands and make great elegant dog names.

Name brand enthusiast have many to choose from!

Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Versace, Dolce

Car hobbyists might select Bently, Porscha, Lexus, Lambo,

17 – Words with cool meanings

A Thesaurus is a valuable tool. I just happened to stumble on a perfectly good dog name using Thesaurus.com

Trounce: to defeat overwhelmingly. Maybe change it to Trouncer…

UrbanDictionary.com can also be a resource for this idea.

18 – Make it up

Every have a secret language with a friend? A made up name ensures a unique name for your pet.

19 – Go patriotic

Proud patriot?

Regal names like Justice, Liberty and Freedom describe the best that the America has to offer!

English patriots may be more about names like Hope and Glory from their popular patriotic song.

From the military side, names like Sergeant, Gunner, Admiral, Colonel, Cadet, or maybe even Brigadier.

20 – Search the net for pages like this until the perfect name is found

Click the link for a good one from LoveToKnow.com

21 – Some random favorites to spark the fire

The Don, Vanta, Ooodle, Bishop, Joker, Jester, Chester, Infinity, Tango, Uggie, Zip, Inky, Booper, Bumper, Strider, Copper, Stubbs, Maui, Slobster, Zero, Hero, Zed, Snugs, Mugsy, Sparkle, Lester, Cooper, Pouncer, Beavis, Boris, Goblin, Piggy, Jewelz, Mr. Charm Charmer, Jinx, Jax, Jazz, Striker, Vibes, Bert, Astrid, Dudley

Surely, these ideas have helped you come up with the greatest dog name of all time!

Now let’s tell your doggo their new name!

The how-to

Assigning a dog a name is easy. The training process for giving a name and changing a name is the same.

Use only the new dog name.

Get the dogs attention, say the name and give a treat. Repeat.

That’s it!

Really.

*For faster results practice with praise, clapping and a happy voice.

Once Fido has learned his name, start with commands. Treat for the name/command combinations and stop treats for just the name.

Good luck and enjoy your new best friend!