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Unique Dog Names and Meanings
Every dog owner knows how important it is to choose the perfect name for his/her dog.
The animals deserve to have a name that suits their personality or appearance.
There are numerous names available and we have made the list below as a great way to find that perfect name.
Plus, we have added the right meaning of each name so as to help you in the naming process.
Take your time to go through all of them and we are sure that you will find the one that best fits your new family member.
Male Dog Names A–C
| Name | Meaning |
| Ace | One, single unit; poker card |
| Al Fresco | In the open air |
| Aladdin | Story and cartoon star |
| Albo | Derivative from dog food |
| Alcatraz | Famous US prison |
| Alfie | A version of the name “Alfred”; counselor, guide |
| Ali Baba | From “Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves” |
| Alpaca | Type of animal with soft fur |
| Andre | This can be like Andre the Giant (wrestler) |
| Apex | At the very top of |
| Apollo | Destroyer; can be a reference to Rocky films or Greek mythology; also space missions |
| Balboa | Money in Panama; famous movie character |
| Baldwin | Number of famous movie and TV actors |
| Bane | The famous villain in Batman shows |
| Basil | Type of herb |
| Bengal | A type of orange tiger |
| Bentley | Ranch or farm with grass |
| Benz | Luxury type of car |
| Beowulf | The oldest story that is known to man |
| Berber | Indigenous North African people |
| Biscuit | Either a type of small bread or cookie, depending on the US vs. the UK |
| Blizzard | The snowstorm that can often cause whiteouts (can’t see) |
| Boa | Type of snake that constricts |
| Bobo | Highly educated liberal that is non-uniform |
| Bogart | To keep to yourself; also a famous actor |
| Bomber | Type of airplane that dispenses bombs |
| Bookie | A bookmaker; often involved in gambling |
| Borat | Famous comedy film character |
| Boris | A contender, warrior |
| Brewster | A person who makes beverages; very male-oriented |
| Bubbles | Air pockets inside a liquid |
| Buckwheat | Famous TV character; confused for the type of grass |
| Buddy | Friend; very common dog name |
| Byron | From the outbuildings or barns |
| Cameo | Type of cover that hides; also a walk-on role |
| Canyon | Large ground opening often cut by glaciers |
| Cappy | Short term for “captain” |
| Casey | Steadfast in war |
| Caspian | From the Caspian Sea |
| Champ | Short term for “champion” |
| Charlie | Freeman |
| Chauffeur | A person who drives another around |
| Chewbacca | Star Wars character (furry, brown) |
| Clapton | Famous guitar player |
| Conan | Dog, Wolf |
| Crockett | Name of explorer |
Male Dog Names D–H
| Name | Meaning |
| Dale | First name of the famous driver |
| Dane | Play on words, think of calling a small dog a Great Dane |
| Dante | Everlasting |
| Dexter | Towards the right side (also famous fictional killer) |
| Diddley | Acting in a silly manner |
| Dilbert | Cartoon character |
| Diesel | Type of fuel used for motors |
| Dingo | A wild Australian dog |
| Dingus | Slang for Dingo and silly person |
| Divot | Small indentations |
| Donner | To put on or wear; slang for “to beat up” |
| Doodle | To draw idly; small drawing |
| Doyle | Irish name that combines “dark” and “stranger” |
| Dragon | Type of mythical creature |
| Dynamo | Somebody with incredible vitality and power |
| Eddard | A famous character from Game of Thrones |
| Edward | A famous character from a number of movies |
| Elvis | Famous singer |
| Emerson | Fortitude and force |
| Espresso | Type of compressed coffee |
| Euphrates | Famous river |
| Fabian | Successful farmer, green thumb |
| Falco | Famous video game character |
| Falcon | Type of bird that eats rodents |
| Fender | Brand of guitar, part on a car |
| Fergus | Man of power, presence |
| Fletch | To put feathers on (like an arrow) |
| Frankenstein | Lumbering and big dog |
| Franks | A shortened version of Frankenstein |
| Gabe | Name of character from the TV show The Office |
| Gage | An item presented to show good intention (collateral) |
| Gannon | The villain from Zelda games |
| Garrett | Lance; bold |
| Genghis | A famous leader from Mongolia |
| Ginko | Type of root and Chinese tree |
| Gizmo | A mechanical gadget or thingamajig; a contraption |
| Griswold | German word meaning from a gray forest |
| Guinness | Beer; famous records book; calling an actor versatile |
| Gulliver | Glutton, hungry |
| Gyro | Type of food, relative to motion (gyroscope) |
| Hinkley | A town in the State of California |
| Hogan | Famous wrestler, Navajo hut with logs and dirt |
| Hooligan | Slang for a troublemaker |
| Horace | Gatekeeper; timekeeper |
| Hugo | Savvy, intelligent |
| Hulk | Like the superhero or pro wrestler |
| Hunter | Seeks or finds |
| Hyde | Dazzling |
Male Dog Names I–N
| Name | Meaning |
| Iggy | Blazing one (Fun FYI: Many people know this name through vocalist and lyricist Iggy Pop) |
| Igor | Russian for Warrior of Peace |
| Indiana, Indy | The place where there are Indians (Fun FYI: People know this name from racing and the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark.) |
| Jabba | From Star Wars villain, describes a lazy dog |
| Jake | A variant of Jack or Jacob |
| Jagger | Famous rocker; someone who owns a stable of pack horses |
| Jay | Reference to a blue jaybird |
| Jax | Child of Jack |
| Jetta | Latin meaning is a black gem |
| Jinx | To bring bad luck or ill fortune; Usually used for cats, but can be used for funky dogs |
| Jojo | Born on Monday; fun to say |
| Judge | Determines law and passes opinions |
| Jumbo | Large |
| Kahuna | The local medicine man or cleric |
| Kazoo | Musical toy, the name can be used for silly dog |
| Kevlar | Type of woven armor |
| King | Ruler |
| Kirby | From the town with the church |
| Kite | A toy that flies in the wind |
| Kodak | Camera company, slang for outdated |
| Larry | Like a famous basketball player |
| Leo | Lion, great for yellow labs |
| Lead | A substance used to make many other items |
| Levi | Jean brand, Hebrew for attached/joined |
| Loki | The god of underhandedness and mischief |
| Lux | A shortened version of Luxury |
| Macbeth | Famous fictional character and play |
| Magee | Child of Aodh |
| Malcolm | Scottish for a disciple of St. Columba |
| Melvin | Irish name meaning “chief” |
| Merc | Often short for “mercenary” but can be short for “mercury” |
| Milo | Quiet and peaceful |
| Monk | Religious practitioner |
| Morris | Derived from Maurice which means dark-skinned; swarthy |
| Muggs, Mugsy | Gangster sidekick |
| Muscles | Type of anatomy that contracts using calcium and electrical signals |
| Mustafa | Chosen |
| Nacho | Type of food; orange |
| Napoleon | Famous French conqueror; often slang synonym with “French” |
| Nero | Roman emperor that was known for cruelty |
| Nike | Shoe brand, Greek for Victory |
| Nitro | Chemical gathering |
| Noodle | A slender strip of dried dough |
Male Dog Names O–S
| Name | Meaning |
| Odie | Wood slope |
| Oliver | Relates to an olive tree |
| Oscar | Movie award; used as a code word in radio communications |
| Ozzie, Ozzy | Divine spearman |
| Paddington | Famous bear and train station |
| Pagoda | Asian temple or sacred building |
| Paladin | A chivalrous champion; protector of a noble cause |
| Panda | Type of black/white bearlike animal |
| Pharaoh | Ruler of Ancient Egypt |
| Picasso | Famous painter; slang for attractive from one angle/not the other |
| Pistol | Handgun, slang for energetic |
| Pixel | The tiniest part of a digital image |
| Popeye | Famous fictional sailor/cartoon |
| Quark | Physics particle, low-fat cheese curd |
| Radar | Sonar equipment, slang for detection |
| Rags | Discarded cloth pieces |
| Ramstein | Famous German band |
| Ranger | Outdoor explorer |
| Rascal | Trouble maker |
| Rasta | Jamaican origin |
| Reece | Eagerness |
| Remington | Brand of the gunmaker, a brand of typewriter maker |
| Romeo | Famous fictional romance character |
| Royce | Royal |
| Ryder | Mounted delivery person or warrior |
| Sage | Type of herb; a person who knows a lot |
| Samson | Like the sun |
| Scooter | Shuffling movement |
| Seal | Sea creature and famous singer |
| Sinatra | Famous singer |
| Slicker | Type of jacket; smooth or glossy |
| Sonata | Song style |
| Strider | To stroll with huge steps |
Male Dog Names T–Z
| Name | Meaning |
| Tamale | Type of Mexican food |
| Taz | Shorthand for a Tasmanian Devil; often known as a cartoon character from Looney Tunes |
| Thumper | The thing that beats or thumps; slang for a passionate person |
| Tonka | Toy truck brand |
| Trojan | A culture that used a trick horse to invade |
| Trooper | To go along with; a state police officer |
| Trout | Type of fish |
| Valentino | Great health |
| Venga | Impolite command phrase meaning “speed up” or “hurry on” |
| Vesper | Evening star |
| Vladimir | Vlad to rule |
| Waddles | Short stepper that sways |
| Wanderer | Explorer looking around |
| Warhol | Famous artist |
| Wicket | A little entryway |
| Woodsy | Outdoor driven, or characteristics that relate outdoors |
| Wrangler | Brings things together; horse handler at a ranch |
| Xander | Safe guarder of men |
| Xavier | The new house |
| Xerxes | Greek name meaning “leaving” |
| Star | |
| Yo-Yo | Type of toy that leaves down a string and returns; slang for fluctuating |
| Yodel | Type of singing among Swiss Mountaineers |
| Zazu | Movement |
| Zephyr | Gentle breeze; Greek god of wind |
| Zed | British for the letter “Z” |
| Zero | The text form of “0” |
| Ziggy | Famous cartoon character |
| Zoomer | Fast mover |
| Zuma | Frowns in anger |
Tips on Naming a Dog
As you have gone through the above-mentioned lists of names, and you have selected a few names that you found interesting, we know that you may still be wondering which one is the best for your dog.
Yes, choosing a dog name can be tricky and time-consuming but take enough time as your pet’s name should be unique.
Furthermore, giving our dogs the same name that our friends have given to their dogs or the name that is most frequently heard in the park is not a solution.
If you cannot choose only one, as many of the names are attractive, you can always give a dog a regular name and a nickname, or a middle name as well.
To make this task easier, we give you some methods to choose the best dog name.
Avoid Puns: People tend to give dogs names based on what dogs frequently do. For example, a dog named Gnarles Barkley growls and barks a lot, but this name may not fit him in 10 years. Or calling your dog Chewy because he chews a lot on stuff. If you name your dog using puns, people might assume that you are a fan of any product name you give your dog.
Go Long: Some people rather choose a longer name that is later on shortened to a cute small name. For example, Bently is often shortened to Ben or Bennie. However, it is worth noting that your dog has to know a long name before you start using short names. Owners tend to add a “Sir” or “Captain” before the dog’s regular name.
Favorite Character: There are numerous situations when owners give their dog a name of a popular character from TV or a movie. However, if you choose to do this, you need to make sure that this show has been around for a while so that the name has the more staying-power.
Human Names: Of course, many dogs have human names. Our suggestion is to use a short “dog-like” name. That way you will avoid situations where a friend has the same name as your dog. Have in mind that naming your dog the same as a new friend can cause that person to feel insulted.
Dog Traits: You can name your fog after a specific trait but only if it is a positive reminder. You should definitely avoid tying a negative experience to a dog. An example of the name for a dog that chews up slippers is Sir Chews-a-lot.
Don’t Worry: Experiencing trouble and stress when choosing a dog’s name is not uncommon. investing so much energy in finding the right fit with so many possibilities can cause paralysis. All in all, we hope that after going through this list of tips and names, you will certainly choose a great dog name.