Male Dog Names – Top Ideas

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Finding dog names that all the family agree on can be challenging! The best male dog names often turn up when you least expect them. In my family we take turns to put a name on a piece of paper in a random position. Each day we strike out the least popular idea, until there is just a single name left!

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Male dog names don’t have to be traditionally masculine. We’ll show you how to find inspiration for awesome and unique names in some unlikely places! Whether you are looking for badass or cultured there’s something in our themed name lists for everyone

Have you got your pen and paper ready? Let’s choose the perfect male puppy name for your new friend.

Top Male Dog Names

These are the boy animal names that are trending right now and include some great American boy names too!

  • Max
  • Bear
  • Toby
  • Lucky
  • Charlie
  • Cooper
  • Teddy
  • Loki
  • Rocky
  • Finn
  • Wagner
  • Bruno
  • Chester
  • Buddy
  • Duke
  • Zeus
  • Dexter
  • Jasper
  • Ziggy
  • Milo
  • Ollie
  • Bailey
  • Jack
  • Oscar
  • Gizmo
  • Thor
  • Ozzy
  • Harley
  • Winston
  • Ace
  • Murphy
  • Blu
  • Blue
  • Arlo
  • Brody
  • Leo
  • Henry
  • Tank
  • Griffin
  • Buster
  • Comet
  • Bruiser
  • Bruce
  • Cash
  • Baxter
  • Cosmo
  • Diesel
  • Banjo
  • Gunner
  • Jax

It can be surprisingly hard to find the right top dog name for your gorgeous boy puppy. Names are so much more than a way to get your boy dog to come back when you call them. Even the most common dog names establish identities, and help your beautiful dogs to fit into their special place in the family.

Popular Male Dog Names

Do you like to capture the zeitgeist, or do you prefer male puppy names which have stood the test of time? These dog names for boys have consistently occupied the top male pet names lists for years:

  • Max
  • Charlie
  • Buddy
  • Cooper
  • Jack
  • Rocky
  • Bear
  • Duke
  • Toby
  • Tucker
  • Jake
  • Oliver
  • Teddy
  • Harley
  • Riley
  • Cody
  • Buster
  • Lucky
  • Milo
  • Leo

Boy Names for Dogs

Great dog names can come from fairly standard human male names. As you can see there’s a real trend towards giving our dogs human names. It’s a logical progression from thinking of pets as part of the family. A way of saying that in our hearts, our dogs have the same status as people. And they can make for quite unusual dog names as well. So here are some more names for boy dogs that are human names too:

  • Thomas
  • Caleb
  • Lucas
  • Jackson
  • Wyatt
  • Gabriel
  • Carter
  • Asher
  • Dylan
  • Cliff
  • Ron
  • Monty

Uncommon Boy Names for Male Dogs

Boy pet names are also a fun chance to use human names that are a bit more unusual. These human names aren’t too common, but they’d all be good boy dog names:

  • Turner
  • Cedric
  • Seamus
  • Gilbert
  • Harris
  • Lyle
  • Reuben
  • Heath
  • Alistair
  • Douglas

We had some great human male dog names in our Dog Name Survey, too. Here were some of our favorites:

  • Keanu
  • Benedict
  • Jonah
  • Clive
  • Victor

Unique Male Dog Names

Coming up with a one of a kind name for your dog can be a real challenge. You never know when an obscure name is about to surge in popularity, or if someone else on your street is about to have the same flash of inspiration. But it’s still fun to find something a bit special, like these unusual male dog names:

  • Zyron
  • Hurricane
  • Odin
  • Corvus
  • Inchyra
  • Stirling
  • Lulworth
  • Hobbs
  • Auster
  • Fisher
  • Moss
  • Ash

Place Names for Male Dogs

One way to find cute boy puppy names is to pick a theme you like and see where it leads you. I’ve come up with this list by thinking of American places and landmarks:

  • Smoky
  • Rio
  • Elias
  • Sanford
  • Huron
  • Tahoe
  • Kennedy
  • Rockefeller
  • Bryce
  • Cimarron (This could be reckless, since cimarrón is Spanish for “wild” or “untamed”!)
  • Cartwright
  • Zoar (Cartwright and Zoar are both small settlements in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada)

Cute Boy Dog Names

Will your dog be the baby of the family even when he’s fully grown? Here are some cute boy dog names for puppies that are going to be adorable forever:

  • Angel
  • Beau
  • Prince
  • Babe
  • Jesse
  • Bodhi
  • Blue
  • Zebedee
  • Neo (Neo means both “new” in Greek and “gift” in Tswana – how perfect?)
  • Fuzz
  • Cupid

Cool Dog Names Male Dogs Will Love

Is your dog going to be a legend in his own time? Obviously what’s cool is a matter of taste and perception, and I’m not saying that I’m an authority on what definitely is cool. But I might be.

  • Ace
  • Maverick
  • Ryker
  • Bix
  • Frank
  • Cash
  • Toro
  • Bogart
  • Dylan
  • Jet
  • Orion
  • Loki

There were some seriously ice cold names in our Dog Name Survey, as well. Try these on for size:

  • Astro
  • Yeti
  • Nitro
  • Bohdi
  • Cowboy
  • Knight

Cute Dog Names for Boys

There seems to be a trend at the moment for naming animals after other animals. For example the A Cat Called Mouse story books, and Rhino the hamster in the Disney film Bolt. Whether you rate it or hate it, here are some more suggestions that might work as names for male dogs:

  • Wolf
  • Tiger
  • Raven
  • Bear
  • Lynx
  • Puma
  • Fox
  • Sparrow
  • Buffalo (or just Buff!)
  • Gopher

Good Boy Dog Names

Do you have a hunch that your dog will be a loyal, reliable and upstanding member of the canine community? Honor his noble side with one of these good male pet names:

  • Noah
  • Lincoln
  • Theodore
  • Sam
  • Joe
  • Captain
  • Norman
  • Benjamin
  • Seth
  • George
  • Pops

Unusual Male Dog Names

An unusual name will help your pup stand out in the park, and be a great ice-breaker when you’re doing that all-important socializing:

  • Beckett
  • Bayer
  • Darwin
  • Huxley
  • Logan
  • Falstaff
  • Womble
  • Sunny
  • Tanner

And here are some great male dog names that only came up once in our massive dog names survey.

  • Farmer
  • Mojo
  • Bullseye
  • Cheeto
  • Bungee
  • Biggie
  • Rocket

Big Dog Names for Male Dogs

Was your pup the biggest in the litter? Or are you renaming a rescue dog who’s already head and shoulders above his friends? These names all call great size to mind:

  • Titus
  • Groot (as well as a Marvel hero, groot is the Dutch word for “large” although the Dutch pronunciation is tricky! )
  • Hercules
  • Jupiter
  • Montaro (Japanese name meaning “big boy”)
  • Orson (Latin name meaning “bear”)
  • Odin
  • Berg (berg means “mountain” in several Germanic languages)
  • Tan
  • Redwood
  • Everest
  • Elbrus (Mount Elbrus is the tallest mountain in Russia and Europe)

That’s just a taster of course! We have three hundred and fifty more big dog name ideas just waiting for you!

Small Dog Names Male

Are your puppy’s parents petite? Is your puppy more of a mini than a max? Maybe your dog is going to fall at the other end of the scale, and there’s nothing wrong with that. They say that the best things come in small parcels. These great boy dog names celebrate being a little more compact:

  • Pebble
  • Bean
  • Peagreen (from The Borrowers)
  • Frodo (from The Lord of the Rings)
  • Atom
  • Kerwin (Gaelic name meaning ‘little black one’)
  • Beetle
  • Nugget
  • Acorn

Great Dog Names Male

Some dogs are born great, and others have greatness thrust upon them. Recognize their nobility with one of these strong male dog names:

Male Dog Names
  • William (I can hardly paraphrase his words without including Shakespeare’s name!)
  • Armstrong
  • Endeavor
  • Sirius
  • Nelson
  • Majesty
  • Augustus
  • Maximus
  • Hero
  • Arkin
  • Zeus

Dog Names From Nature

  • Storm
  • Willow
  • Tarragon
  • Rocky
  • River
  • Buck
  • Pebble
  • Ranger
  • Bramble
  • Bracken
  • Star

Famous Dog Names Male Pups Might Suit

Some of our favorite famous dogs and male dog characters include:

  • Marley (From Marley and Me, Marley was a yellow Labrador Retriever)
  • Brian (From Family Guy, Brian Griffin is a white Labrador Retriever)
  • Vincent (the Labrador Retriever in the TV series Lost)
  • Pal (Did you know that Lassie was almost invariably played by male dogs, because they were a better scale next to children? Pal was the first)
  • Ghost
  • Grey Wind
  • Shaggydog (Ghost, Grey Wind and Shaggydog are direwolves in Game of Thrones)
  • Zuma (A chocolate Labrador, and grossly underused member of kids’ favorite, PAW Patrol)
  • Bolt (Of the eponymous Disney film)

Our Dog Name Survey through up some other famous names, too. Although these weren’t originally used on dogs….

  • Chewbacca
  • Yoda
  • Wicket
  • Bagheera
  • Baloo
  • Starsky

Alphabetical Boy Dog Names

Can’t find what you’re looking for? No problem! Have a scan through the alphabet to find the name of your dreams! We’ve stuck with mostly retro old man names or popular modern human names. And those which are short, easy to say and don’t sound like any of the more common commands.

Boy dog names that start with A

Some of the best dog names that start with A are really popular boys names at the moment. But others are a little more out of the left field. We’ve got a range for you here, so whether you are into popular or rare naming trends, there is something here that’ll make you say Aaaaaaaah.

  • Alfie
  • Archie
  • Albie
  • Arthur
  • Atlas
  • Austin
  • Alyus
  • Allan
  • Axel
  • Anton
  • Anders
  • Adam

Male dog names that start with B

These cute boy dog names beginning with B are the best of the bunch!

  • Bernie
  • Boris
  • Brad
  • Barney
  • Brandon
  • Baxter
  • Benny
  • Buddy
  • Bryn
  • Bobby
  • Byron
  • Bentley

Boy dog names that start with C

C names for boys are the leader of the pack for dogs and humans alike right now, with C dog names include some of the biggest ever hits like Charlie. Our selection of male names that start with C are gorgeous ideas for every sort of guy!

  • Charlie
  • Chester
  • Casper
  • Clyde
  • Clive
  • Callum
  • Chad
  • Carlo
  • Colt
  • Clayton
  • Caleb
  • Claude

Male dog names that start with D

There are some fun ideas here, that are from a range of locations, periods of history, fantasy and reality.

  • Derek
  • Dave
  • Danny
  • Donny
  • Dexter
  • Declan
  • Damian
  • Dom
  • Drake
  • Dylan
  • Dustin
  • Dante

Boy dog names that start with E

These male names that start with E are a really nice way of getting something a bit special. They include male names that are well known, but that you might not have thought to use for a dog!

  • Ezra
  • Ellias
  • Elliot
  • Every
  • Emmett
  • Eamon
  • Euan
  • Evan
  • Ethan
  • Eric
  • Elonn
  • Edgar

Male dog names that start with F

The boy puppy names in this category include some of my particular favorites, because of that hard starting eff you get a name that packs a punch but is still as cute as your pup is!

  • Freddy
  • Faron
  • Flint
  • Finn
  • Flynn
  • Forde
  • Fanon
  • Forrest
  • Finnick
  • Fab
  • Farley
  • Frankie

Boy dog names that start with G

Funnily enough this selection include some older generational names that despite being a little outdated on people are really lovely names for boy puppies.

  • Garrick
  • Greg
  • Gil
  • Griff
  • Garret
  • Gabe
  • Greyson
  • George
  • Gordon
  • Gildroy
  • Gerald
  • Guy

Male dog names that start with H

The male puppy names are great choices for healthy young pups!

  • Harry
  • Henry
  • Hank
  • Hovis
  • Hamish
  • Higgins
  • Howie
  • Horace
  • Hugh
  • Heath
  • Hudson
  • Herb

Boy dog names that start with I

The best boy dog names might just be those that are a little less common. Which is one of the great things about this selection!

  • Izak
  • Idris
  • Idriz
  • Ian
  • Io
  • Ivan
  • Irwin
  • Isco

Male dog names that start with J

Male J names include some top names right now, like Jake, and some seriously cool ones, like Jed.
Making J dog names a great choice for anyone!

  • Jack
  • Jules
  • Jerry
  • Jordon
  • Jed
  • Junior
  • Jake
  • Jeb
  • Jimmy
  • Jeff
  • Jarod
  • Justin

Boy dog names that start with K

Are K dog names your preferred picks? Let’s find out!

  • Kaleb
  • Kerry
  • Kamil
  • Klay
  • Kaden
  • Kevin
  • Keith
  • Kane
  • Kit
  • Kyle
  • Karl
  • Kory

Male dog names that start with L

These cute male dog names start with a lovely soft ell sound, which makes them some of the best for your little softie.

  • Leroy
  • Lemmie
  • Lenon
  • Lawrence
  • Larry
  • Lee
  • Les
  • Levi
  • Lincoln
  • Leon
  • Lenny
  • Lex

Boy dog names that start with M

Male names that start with M swing wildly in and out of fashion, but they have some long term popular choices, like magnificent Matt!

  • Manny
  • Mickey
  • Morris
  • Milton
  • Matt
  • Max
  • Mateo
  • Marshal
  • Marcus
  • Miles
  • Mica
  • Maddox

Male dog names that start with N

N names for boys really vary in their sound and style, and have a lot to offer the owner looking for something a bit less common.

  • Norris
  • Norm
  • Ned
  • Nicky
  • Niels
  • Nate
  • Norbet
  • Noah
  • Newt
  • Niles
  • November
  • Nathan

Boy dog names that start with O

O names for boys are very popular at the moment. From Oscar to Ollie, they are as cute for our pups as they are for our babies! We’ve chosen two syllable boy names that start with O as the best fit for your new dog.

  • Ollie
  • Oscar
  • Otto
  • Oakley
  • Owen
  • Obie
  • Orion
  • Ozwell
  • Oberon
  • Ozzy
  • Orson
  • Ovi

Male dog names that start with P

Good male dog names fit puppies perfectly when they start with a pretty P!

  • Petey
  • Prince
  • Patrick
  • Predrag
  • Pauley
  • Patton
  • Paddy
  • Parker
  • Paxton
  • Perry
  • Pat

Boy dog names that start with Q

Boy names that start with Q are a rare breed, but all of these Q names for boys are good options, despite there being fewer of them!

  • Quentin
  • Quirrell
  • Quince
  • Quin
  • Quill
  • Quantis

Male dog names that start with R

These R dog names are inspired by history and fiction, but they make equally awesome ideas!

  • Robby
  • Rich
  • Reggie
  • Ralph
  • Ricky
  • Randell
  • Renn
  • Ryker
  • Rowan
  • Riggs
  • Roger
  • Romeo

Boy dog names that start with S

Guy names that start with S have a long and lovely tradition, with some cool pet names for guys always hitting the top spot.

  • Sammy
  • Sandy
  • Seth
  • Simba
  • Sage
  • Scotty
  • Stewie
  • Stevie
  • Silus
  • Sirius
  • Sherlock
  • Shaun

Male dog names that start with T

There are so many top options to choose from when it comes to the terrific T!

The Labrador Handbook by Pippa Mattinson
  • Teddy
  • Terry
  • Tanner
  • Tracker
  • Timmy
  • Toby
  • Tommy
  • Talon
  • Trevor
  • Tate
  • Tristin
  • Theo

Boy dog names that start with U

Good boy dog names are often unusual, and what’s less common than cute boy puppy names that begin with U!

  • Ulrick
  • Uno
  • Ulysses
  • Urwin
  • Uzziah
  • Urick

Male dog names that start with V

You’ll find some very unusual male dog names here, but they are all nice ones too!

  • Vin
  • Vinny
  • Vincent
  • Vernon
  • Vern
  • Vic
  • Vaughn
  • Vito

Boy dog names that start with W

From the old to the new, W has a lot to offer our little boy dogs!

  • Will
  • Whisky
  • Winston
  • Winchester
  • Wade
  • Wes
  • Wesley
  • Wilbur
  • Wilf
  • Warde
  • Wendell

Male dog names that start with Z

We’ve had to delve into mythology here a little, but I’m sure you’ll be delighted if you find a Z name that fits your puppy!

  • Zeus
  • Zeke
  • Zach
  • Zeno
  • Zeo
  • Zachary
  • Zaden

Choosing The Best Male Dog Names

The best name for your dog is one you fall in love with, and don’t mind shouting out in public. Wherever you get your inspiration from, finding the perfect name for your newest family member is a satisfying moment. And remember, if you can’t decide between two then why not use them both? Dog middle names are totally a thing!

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

217 COMMENTS

  1. Got a new Jack Russell, pure white with 3 black perfectly round spots. One spot on the left ear and two near his tail. So the obvious name that spring to mind was DOMINO. 😉

  2. I have a female chocolate lab and her name is Bella, and I am getting a male mini golden-doodle and I have no idea what to name him! Can you please recommend names?

  3. Thinking about Chance for my adopted dog……we saved him from being euthanized therefore giving him another “Chance”, as well as us a “Chance”.

  4. My black lab’s name is King. He’s a big baby that for some reason always looks sad so I think we should have named him Eeyore. I also have a red pit named Trouble. She fits her name and wants nothing but love. Growing up I had a Dalmatian named Queen who suited her name. I also had a Rottweiler named Ciara as a baby, she was a sweety.

  5. I have a pure white boy Lab who we adopted, he was named Ralph but after a couple of weeks he responded to the name Alfie and it’s stuck.

  6. Anyone have a good name for a mostly white small male dog with a black spot on top of head and a black “mask” other than bandit?

  7. When I turned 5 my mother gifted me a crested Chinese terrier mixed with airman pincher collie. Cutest bugger ever. We named her Ellen degeneres (I swear on my life this is before I knew who Ellen degeneres was. Turns out she was lesbian too

  8. I have a chocolate lab/boarder collie mix and her name is Smoochi, and my shepherd is Fauzzy. This new one I got I am thinking Beetle since he is so much smaller than the other two.

  9. My dogs name is Myles, like the jazz singer Miles Davis. Then my very first dog name was MoeMoe. I’m in the process of getting another dog and I’m thinking of calling him Bijan or Milan

  10. My beloved Golden (RIP) was named Scuppers after Scuppers the Sailor Dog in the children’s book by Margaret Wise Brown.
    And he was a great sailor too. Miss him.

    • My dogs names are Toby,Nikki,Hailey and Lucas.I now have a black toy poodle but I dont know what to name him!Any name suggestions!?!?

      • I had a small toy black poodle over 50 years ago – Mine was named “Nuisance” But, “Herbie” (for the Love Bug) is cute too!

      • The name Myles will fit your newest family member because I have a A big Bischon Shih Tzu mix and it fits him perfectly

  11. Hi I am buying a border collie he is brown and white paws can’t think of a name can you recommend any names for collies

  12. I have a chocolate lab/pit mix he looks more like a chocolate lab he does have a pitbulls mouth he kinda reminds me of simba from the lion king except he is not the same color. Can anyone help with name ideas for a puppy that looks like simba, I would like a different name than naming him simba bc he will be big and I’m not sure simba is the name.

  13. We have 7 dogs names are rosebud…kodie….benjimia….lassie…..willy wonka….chicoman…sadie…2 rabbits jack…and rex….kittens are shamrock….clover…sacketta…sasorry….

  14. I had a beautiful pit mix named Ludo, from The Labyrinth movie, my female lab/retrivers name is Okley and my female pug is Daisy. Now i just got a tiny white male mix and I’m naming him Loki.

  15. Ok, here’s our list over the years.
    Niah – Black Lab (f). it’s the first 2 letters of one son and the last 2 letters of the other. My FIL won the naming contest on that one. ?
    Mojo – Chocolate Lab (f) She was so big and had a fierce bark she needed a strong name to match her color. She was Coco but when we rescued her we changed it to Mojo.
    Spike – A 4lb Chihuahua (m) Lol! He fit every bit of that name! He’d take your hand off if you got near me. Lol!
    We also have/had Izzi, Lulu, Phoebe, Layla, Bella, Ellie, Zoe, Allie, Abby. And I swear, the girl theme was not intentional! Spike was my only boy. BUT, all of our cats are/have been boys except one! Exact opposite! Lol! Those names are Thor, Otis, Bob, Dash, Hobo, Ollie, Jack then our only girl, Lucy. 😉 Im here looking for a strong, menacing name for a German Shepherd puppy. We like Lex, Bodie, Kaiser, Tobias, Koda, Blu, (Misde)”meanor”, Jax, Titan & Magnum or Magnús. Any suggestions?

  16. We have had some great golden retrievers. 1st one was Barris, 2nd was Molson, 3rd was Midas. All great names for great dogs.

  17. My favorite dog was a Golden Retriever named Gunther and I now have a Golden named Carson ! Everyone loved the name Gunther and chuckled when they first heard that’s was his name ! You can tell by my email that I’ve had a few dogs .

  18. My 11 year old Yellow Lab is named Sailor. He was a gift from my husband, a Navy vet, at the beginning of my 2 year battle with cancer. He has been a wonderful companion and is great around other people! After spending most of his life in a country setting, he transitioned beautifully to apartment living last year.

  19. Our boy, a cavilear King Charles Spaniel, needed a bit of royalty … and some isle flavor, so we named him after our favorite whiskey: Jameson. Fits still!

  20. I have a dog named Loki. He is a 2 year old yellow lab mix. Not pure, but he is a rescue dog, so we don’t know what else. If I had to name another, Circe (female)

  21. I named my yellow labrador Blaise. Fits him perfectly. He is unique. One of 10 pups. He was born first. The others came the next day after midnight. He is strong. Loveable and handsome.

  22. My black lab is called Merlin. I have always had an interest in World War 2 aircraft,so he is named after the engines on a Lancaster Bomber.

  23. I have 4 female dogs. All but 1 have boy names..
    I prefer female dogs but boy names…weird right?
    Ok. Yellow lab…..Shooter
    Chocolate lab…..Nicko (pronounced Neeko)
    Black lab/pit……Hanley
    Jack Russell/dachshund……Rosie…(daughter named her)

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