As a Labrador loving family we’ve come up with more than our fair share of black dog names over the years. My personal preference is for any puppies regardless of fur color to have human names. Black dogs in our family have been Jack, Ted, Holly, Millie, all very traditional and not a reference to their fabulous fur color at all. Yet each time we name a new black puppy, we do the same dance of running through ideas that match their gorgeous coats as well as their perfect personalities. What this means is I’ve got an awful lot of excellent ideas ready to share! And i’ve put them into handy lists, to help you find exactly what you are looking for.
Contents
- Names that mean black
- Black dog names for girls and boys
- Cute ways to get inspired
- Powerful names for black puppies
Top 40 Black Dog Names
- Shadow
- Jet
- Raven
- Guiness
- Ember
- Liquorice
- Ebony
- Midnight
- Zorro
- Coal
- Dusk
- Bear
- Pitch
- Crow
- Inky
- Storm
- Voodoo
- Treacle
- Nightshade
- Panther
- Pepsi
- Espresso
- Mamba
- Sooty
- Cinders
- Ash
- Thunder
- Blackie
- Twiglet
- Nero
- Bullet
- Goth
Best Names for Black Dogs
Naming your dog should be fun. Having a list of dog names for black dogs to flick through can be helpful. You don’t have to think up a whole lot of names or look all over the internet. With our list of over 200 names you can be a step ahead in making this important decision. Maybe you chose this list because you’re getting a black puppy and have something in mind that’s connected to its strong black color. So that’s where we’ll kick off.
Names That Mean Black
Names that mean dark are a great way of giving your black puppy a special name. Every one of us attaches to symbolic meaning to the color black – it’s shrouded in mystery. Some of the associations are negative and dark. But black also represents power and authority, elegance and dignity, calm and protection. You’re bound to find something in the list below linking the meaning you attach to black and how you see your dog in the future.
- Ebony
- Dusky
- Inky
- Storm
- Zorro
- Graphite
- Morticia
- Liquorice
- Jet
- Boss
- Zulu
- Pitchy
- Batsho
- Moor
- Villain
- Blackster
- Monk
- Coalface
- Diablo
- Prince
- Night Rider
- Knight
- Sir
- Miner
- Limousine
And black and white dog names for pups with pale markings:
- Domino
- Panda
- Bishop
- Friar
- Cookie
- Spotty
- Raven
People names for dogs have become more popular recently compared to the old days. Let’s have a look at girl names and boy names for black dogs next.
Girl Names for Black Dogs
We tend to choose black female dog names to reflect how we feel about our pet. Psychologists believe that we’re forming closer emotional bonds with our pets now than in the past. More than ever before dogs and cats are seen as part of the family. For some people they even take the place of children – at least for a while. There are a lot of great female black dog names out there and here are a few of them.
- Sherry
- Kali
- Cindy
- Sadie
- Trudy
- Grace
- Aurora
- Sarah
- Abby
- Liz
- Candy
- Susan
- Rose
- Lily
- Kate
- Katherine
- Sonya
- Darlene
- Yolanda
- Vilma
- Georgina
- Christine
- Nancy
- Yasmin
- Britney.
Girl dog names for black dogs are often sweet sounding but they don’t have to be. You can find a huge range of brilliant girl puppy names in this fun list.
Boy Black Dog Names
When it comes to boy black dog names, there are tonnes of choices. A lot of these names may be short, but they’re fun and cute all at the same time. Some of the names are also associated with famous people. This includes characters in movies or series, musicians, and even royals and well-loved public figures. Popular culture has started to feature strongly in naming dogs. And they’re not always the good guys!
- Jasper
- Jake
- Jeb
- Rosco
- Ernie
- Elmo
- Tony
- Nate
- Cree
- Cobb
- Bart
- Jerry
- Johnny
- Paul
- Boris
- Zander
- Brad
- Trent
- Cooper
- Kent
- Silas
- Franklin
- Sam/Sammie
- Raymond.
And the male dog names don’t end there. Sometimes you just want to come up with a fun name for your dog. Next we’ll have a look at fun and then cute black dog names.
Fun Ideas
Some families just have that great sense of humor. They usually come up with dog names that are fun and funny. Here are some names that will get lots of smiles.
- Goob
- Reeces
- Juicy
- Blondie
- Hershey
- Chicken
- Jersey
- Muddy
- Mosley
- Tater
- Topper
- Foo
- Knobby
- Fancy
- Ford
- Trouble
- Chancellor
- Lager
- Guinness
- Boss
- Stick
- Berry
- Daisy
- Bevis
- Tipsy
There is plenty more fun to be had in our massive funny dog names guide here! And cute dog names are also fun.
Cute Names for Black Dogs
Little cute dog names are plentiful. Cute names should make you want to smile – if it doesn’t then it probably can’t be considered cute! Here are a bunch of choices that are sure to get grins from everyone that hears them.
- Chippy
- Kaluha
- Brownie
- Morris
- Sweetie
- Cookie
- Shandy
- Lori
- Lawna
- Twizzler
- Madison
- Thumbelina
- Toodles
- Zippie
- Flea
- Daisy
- Tippy
- Skippy
- Prancer
- Alice
- Fiona
- Frannie
Cute names are usually given to small black dogs. When you know your dog is going to be big and strong you may want to choose an extra special name.
Big Black Dog Names
Do you have one of the big black dog breeds, like a Newfie? Take a look at your puppy’s paws and if they’re big then you might be looking forward to having a lovable big black dog! A powerful name will suit a big black dog. On the other side of the coin it can also be really cute when a big, sweet natured, lovable dog has a big name!
Here are more than a few fabulous choices for your giant bundle of dog love. There are names for both male and female dogs.
- Brandon
- Ragnar
- Odin
- Zeus
- Thor
- Zena
- Ben
- Fin
- Cujo
- Al
- King
- Bear
- Athena
- Helen
- Ava
- Tank
- Hugo
- Diego
- Victor
- Truman
- Trent
- Cosmos
- Roth
- Fallon
- Mercedes
- Nero
- Bosco
- Caleb
- Fjodor
- Jabu
- Flare
Cool Ways To Get Inspired
OK, so maybe you’re into finding a really cool black dog name. While we have some fabulous choices, once you start thinking there are countless cool dog names. Kids are really good at coming up with cool names. If you can handle a cool name then listen to what they have to say! You just may get a name that’s awesome and a lot of fun!
- Muttly
- Knut
- Barkley
- Tanner
- Stout
- Barker
- Bowser
- Sierra
- Fleur
- Speck
- Dandy
- Eddie
- Leroy
- Ronnie
- Adriel
- Ariel
- Brantley
- Chandler
- Chance
- Mason
- Josh
- Tom
- Chopper
- Eli
- Colton
- Jordan
- Shadow
- Nooner
- Hank
And talking about cool black dog names – what about popular black cartoon characters?
Unique Black Dog Names
Maybe you’re someone that likes to think outside the box and not go along with the crowd. Here are some black dog names that not many dogs have.
- Crowe
- Elvis
- Gracie
- Grover
- Landis
- Loki
- Larson
- Tilly
- Digger
- Drover
- Texas
- Jackson
- Dylan
- Hunter
- Cash
- Bailey
- Iris
- Bandy
- Bandit
- Washington
- Chomp
- Champ
- Tara
- Mullet
- Hoth
- Hoss
- Hal
The Labrador Site Founder
Pippa Mattinson is the best selling author of The Happy Puppy Handbook, the Labrador Handbook, Choosing The Perfect Puppy, and Total Recall.
She is also the founder of the Gundog Trust and the Dogsnet Online Training Program
Pippa's online training courses were launched in 2019 and you can find the latest course dates on the Dogsnet website
I’m adopting a designer mix, made up of a Havanese, Yorkie and Poodle. He’s adorable and mostly black with a bit of white on his chin and chest. I think “Shadow” will suit the little guy.
I lost my black lab Shadow 10 yrs ago & still miss him so. Funny that I am giving Kai as my dog’s middle name & then I see your post. Hunter Kai
I had 13 dogs: 12 Labs, 1 poodle. Labs: Jahn Dog (blk), Nora (blk), Missy (choc), Misty (blk), Buddy (choc), Baby (blk), Coco (choc), Maggie Mae (blk), Tonka (blk), Nemo (blk), Rascal (blk), Teal (blk). Poodle: Moe (silver grey). They were the best companions, miss them all to this day…..
i named my puppy nova
I had a black male lab named (Sully).. I loved him so much and miss him everyday. I also had a black female lab named (Sadie) but I always called her Sadie May. I miss both my babies so very much
Named my black lab female River
What about Spanky for a male black labrador with a little white stripe on his brest ?
This is such a trippy comment… I had a brown boxer lab mix named spanky when I was younger and you posted this on my birthdate 👀🤯
My in-laws and I had sister black lab/golden retriever mix pups that were almost entirely black… they named their pup “Ebony” and we named ours “Kenya”. They were good girls.
After having a few black labs in my life I decided to find a name that fit my black lab sheperd mix, I have used Katy, Shadow, Tammy, Sheba, Dakota and Ringo. They all had good long lines with Dakota going 14 years, and yes I’m old. After researching for a few days I came up with a name that I think fit her great and is somewhat unique. Its Ciara! Pronounced like Sierra but spelled different. In Ireland its definition is Dark haired one. A common name there and I think fitting for a female black Lab puppy. Anyway might not matter to anyone but her and I but it works for me.
We had a girl puppy who we named Tuppeney ,as in Tuppeney. We were lucky to have her for 15 yrs lpved her to bits from the moment we set eyes on her.
I have two black labs, which I LOVE with all my heart!!! The first one is named: WINSTON and the other one is named: JEFFERSON.
Our Labrador is named Nikos, it’s a name derived from Greek.
Scourge
MoonLight
Shiva
SHANK (lol)
Khan
Saix
Our black labs name is Tornado (and he can act like one!)
My 1st black lab was Jericho Star
2nd black lab/coon dog Jypsi Rose
I have a new black lab puppy, her name is Rayne Jade & is Jypsi Rose’s half sister.
My 1st and only female: Onyx (my first black lab – got me hooked)
2nd Male: Ranger (my son was into Power Rangers)
3rd Male: Westley (the “man in black” or the “dread pirate Roberts” from the Princess Bride)
My black lab is called Dennis and golden lab is called Beryl from the cartoon
Beta
Cinder
Alpha
Midnight
Glace
Cookie
Whisp
Eclipse