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best dog names

Way back in 2017 we launched the International Dog Names survey. This awesome questionnaire ran around the world, gathering data from the most common to rarest names for new puppies.

Top 100 Popular Male Dog Names

The names are listed in descending order of popularity, starting with the left hand column.

Bailey
Chester
CharlieDiesel
MaxHunter
BuddyKoda
CooperStanley
JackThor
TobyBen
BearOakley
ScoutRuger
Teddy or TedSimba
TuckerBentley
DexterCasey
FinnGeorge
RileyRanger
HarleyDixie
HenryHank
OscarHarvey
Brodie or BrodyJax
MurphyJuno
MarleyMoose
MiloRuben
Blue or BluBertie
BrunoGunner
LeoLogan
MontyNova
SamOreo
LokiRudy
AlfieTank
BameyWoody
HarryArlo
JasperBilly
Ozzie or OzzyCody
RockyOliver
AngusRocco
DukeSparky
GusAce
Ollie or OllyBandit
ShadowBarley
ArchieBenji
JakeCopper
ZeusHugo
Rufus
Louie
BruceMerlin
BusterOtis
WinstonReggie
BaxterRemi or Remy
GingerRusty
JacksonWagner
RemingtonArthur
BeauBobby

Top 100 Popular Female Dog Names

And here are the girls!

Bella
Belle
Molly / MollieLady
Coco / CocoaBo
LunaAngel
LucyElla
PoppyEmma
DaisyJess
RubyMartha
LilyPhoebe
BecksRiver
SadieSage
LolaSummer
WillowHarper
Millie / MillyHeidi
MaggieLulu
HollyMeg
PennyNellie
PepperOlive
Sky / SkyePrincess
Grace / GracieSally
MaisieSandy
AbbySugar
Roxy / RoxieTessa
EllieXena
MayaCali / Callie
Rosie / RosyDolly
SophieDusty
ZiggyEvie
BonnieMabel
HoneySassy
StellaStorm
AmberTess
AnnieZoe
TillyBess
ChloeBetty
LuckyCleo
LexiDora
PiperEmie
DakotaJosie
PippaKali
GypsyKatie
Cassie
Maddie
IvyMaggie May
KonaMeadow
MiaMissy
NalaPearl
BrambleSheba
IzzyIngrid
LaylaSnickers
SashaCara

That’s your top 100 girl and boy dog names, but that is just the beginning. Choosing your dog’s name has never been easier. We have hundreds more names in store for you.

We have names for girl dogs, names for boy dogs, dog names from movies, hunting dog names, funny dog names and much more

Check out our categories below and to find the perfect name for your new friend.

You might have noticed that lots of these dogs have human names!

Making our pups sound like people can help our pets become even more clearly a part of the family.

Some names that are no longer as popular for kids can be repurposed as super cute pet names, too!

If you name your pup after a literary character, a celebrity, or a historical figure, that definitely tells people about your personality right off the bat.

  • Achilles (The Illiad)
  • Alice (Alice in Wonderland)
  • Antonia (Tony for short—My Antonia)
  • Argo (The Odessey)
  • Blanche (A Streetcar Named Desire)
  • Buttercup (Princess Buttercup in The Princess Bride)
  • Dantes (The Count of Monte Christo)
  • Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)
  • Elinor (Sense and Sensibility)
  • Garp (The World According to Garp)
  • Gatsby (The Great Gatsby)
  • Jane (Jane Eyre)
  • Jip (David Copperfield)
  • Lad (Lad: A Dog)
  • Lassie (Lassie Come Home)
  • Lily (The House of Mirth)
  • Lolita (Lolita)
  • Macbeth (Macbeth)
  • Marlowe (The Big Sleep)
  • Pipi (Pipi Longstocking)
  • Scarlett (Gone with the Wind)
  • Sherlock (A Study in Scarlet)
  • Nana (Peter Pan)
  • Oliver (Oliver Twist)
  • Pongo (The Hundred and One Dalmatians)
  • Rhett (Gone with the Wind)
  • Romeo (Romeo & Juliett
  • Sancho (Don Quixote)
  • Snowy (The Adventures of TinTin)
  • Toto (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz)

But that is absolutely not the only way to name your dog, of course. You can just pick the style of name that you prefer.

Good dog names - Great name ideas for your dog

Physical characteristics are another great way to name your pup.

There is a brilliant broad range when it comes to feature based names. From markings to fur, color to pattern.

Good dog names – ideas to get you started!

Anything goes! And here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Anise
  • Ash
  • Capucchino
  • Caramel
  • Cinnamon
  • Corky
  • Ebony
  • Fuzzy
  • Ginger
  • Hazel
  • Jade
  • Jewel
  • Mocha
  • Oreo
  • Pearl
  • Patches
  • Pepper
  • Piglet
  • Raven
  • Ruby
  • Rusty
  • Sandy
  • Shadow
  • Sierra
  • Smoky
  • Snowy
  • Sugar
  • Topaz
  • Willow
  • Wrinkles

Do you especially love one particular feature of your pup? Why not name her after it?

help with finding the best dog names for this yellow lab puppyThis is especially fitting when it comes to things like size.

Great Names For Little Dogs

Your tiny puppy may be small, but he thinks he’s as big as one of the giant breed, and he acts that way!

Small dogs pack a whole lot of fun into a little package. Here are some great names for dogs that will suit your little one perfectly, whether he grows into a big one or not!

  • Almond
  • Ariel
  • Beasley
  • Beau
  • Billie
  • Biscuit
  • Bit
  • Boo
  • Britta
  • Bunny
  • Candy
  • Cece
  • Chico
  • Dot
  • Finn
  • Frankie
  • Jingles
  • Kiwi
  • Milo
  • Missy
  • Nugget
  • Nutmeg
  • Peanut
  • Pebbles
  • Pixie
  • Sammy
  • Scampers
  • Sebastien
  • Smidge
  • Sparkles
  • Sparky
  • Toby
  • Toto
  • Tricky
  • Winnie
  • Zoe

Small dog names can also be a hilarious way to name your big dog.

And speaking of larger breeds – is your puppy going to be growing and growing? Then perhaps you’ll choose a name more fitting for a taller dog.

These also work really well if you just love a bit of irony! Who wouldn’t adore a Chihuahua named Tank, after all?

Looking to your dog’s routes or role can be another great way to pick their name.

Hunting dogs have high prey drive, and stacks of energy.

great hunting dog names for this LabradorYou will need to choose a name that works with your recall training. This means one that is easy to say, simple for your dog to understand and isn’t going to get confused with any of his other commands.

Male Hunting Dog Names

When it comes to naming a male hunting dog, you have a lot of options. There are a lot of good hunting dog names out there, so you have a decent number to choose from. The name can be as adorable, classic, or unique as you want it to be. It is really whatever suits your tastes!

  • Apache
  • Aslan
  • Avalanche
  • Bane
  • Bear
  • Blaze
  • Bones
  • Cerberus
  • Chevy
  • Chopper
  • Courage
  • Czar
  • Diesel
  • Echo
  • Fang
  • Ghost
  • Gunner
  • Khan
  • Killer
  • Leo
  • Lincoln
  • Midnight
  • Moose
  • Nero
  • Pepper
  • Pistol
  • Rambo
  • Rocky
  • Sarge
  • Tank

Female Hunting Dog Names

The best girl dog names for hunting breeds are plentiful, just like the boys! However, there is a lot more variety of style it seems when it comes to female names.

You have everything from cute and delicate names, to prim and proper names, to tough and sporty names.

  • Ace
  • Archer
  • Astro
  • Bandit
  • Blitz
  • Bolt
  • Boomer
  • Brigade
  • Boomer
  • Bullet
  • Bulls-Eye
  • Chaser
  • Chief
  • Crash
  • Danger
  • Duck
  • Falcon
  • Fetch
  • Harbor
  • Hawkeye
  • Hunter
  • Montana
  • Nyx
  • Porter
  • Radar
  • Ranger
  • Riptide
  • Rocket
  • Sailor
  • Schooner

As you can see, there are LOTS of different ways you can name your new hunting dog. But what if your pup doesn’t fall into this category?

Finding a fun, unique and suitable name for your new pet can be a challenge regardless of their physical features or breeding background. But great dog names from movies open up a whole new world when it comes to making your decision.

Black Labrador in the moviesNot only are dog names from movie stars often recognisable, they can actually provide good practical suggestions too. After all, they are someone’s name already!

And naming your dog after a character in a movie you love is a great way to celebrate both your dog and your favorite flick.

Dog Names From Movies

Whether you are searching for the best female dog names from movies or male dog names from movies, there are some lovely ideas here. And don’t forget, you are totally at liberty to mix it up a bit. There is no reason your little girl pup couldn’t be called Bolt too, after all!

  • Baxter (Anchorman)
  • Barney (Gremlins)
  • Beethoven (Beethoven)
  • Bolt (Bolt)
  • Boris (Lady and the Tramp)
  • Brinkley (You’ve Got Mail)
  • Bruiser (Legally Blonde)
  • Bruno (Cinderella)
  • Buckley (The Royal Tenenbaums)
  • Buddy (Air Bud)
  • Bull (Lady and the Tramp)
  • Chance (Homeward Bound)
  • Chloe (Beverly Hills Chihuahua)
  • Copernicus (Back to the Future 2)
  • Daisy (Snatch)
  • Daphne (Look Who’s Talking Now)
  • Digby (Diby The Biggest Dog in the World)
  • Dodger (Oliver and Company)
  • Doogal (The Magic Roundabout)
  • Dug (Up)
  • Einstein (Back to the Future)
  • Fly (Babe)
  • Frank (Men in Black – though he was really an alien, of course!)
  • Fred (Smokey and the Bandit)
  • Gromit (Wallace and Gromit)
  • Hooch (Turner and Hooch)
  • Elvis (Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead)
  • Fang (Harry Potter)
  • Freckles (The 101 Dalmatians)
  • Hank (The Truth About Cats and Dogs)
  • Jewel (The 101 Dalmatians)
  • Lady (Lady and the Tramp)
  • Lucky (The 101 Dalmatians)
  • Marley (Marley and Me)
  • Max (Terminator)
  • Milo (The Mask)
  • Odie (Garfield)
  • Patch (The 101 Dalmatians)
  • Pedro (Lady and the Tramp)
  • Peg (Lady and the Tramp)
  • Penny (The 101 Dalmatians)
  • Perdita (The 101 Dalmatians)
  • Puffy (There’s Something About Mary)
  • Quark (Honey, I Shrunk The Kids)
  • Reno (Top Dog)
  • Rex (Babe)
  • Rolly (The 101 Dalmatians)
  • Sam (Lethal Weapon)
  • Samantha (I Am Legend)
  • Sandy (Annie)
  • Shadow (Homeward Bound)
  • Shiloh (Shiloh)
  • Skip (My Dog Skip)
  • Slink (Toy Story)
  • Speck (Pee Wee’s Big Adventure)
  • Tito (Oliver and Company)
  • Toto (The Wizard of Oz)
  • Tramp (Lady and the Tramp)
  • Underdog (Underdog)
  • Zero (The Nightmare Before Christmas)

The best dog names from movies are of course the ones that appeal to you the most. They show off your love for a brilliant film, fabulous actor or even a fantastic canine character.

But that’s enough from the world of the silver screen, let’s go back to those all important choices that you have already made!

Let’s look at the very best names chosen in the past.

Popular Dog Names From Earlier Years

Thousands dog names have been collected from happy puppy owners, who have been keen to share their dog’s awesome names. These were the top 100 dog names for the previous years:

  • Bella
  • Coco
  • Charlie
  • Lucy
  • Becks
  • Max
  • Poppy
  • Bailey
  • Molly
  • Buddy
  • Cooper
  • Jack
  • Daisy
  • Luna
  • Ruby
  • Sadie
  • Toby
  • Henry
  • Bear
  • Holly
  • Willow
  • Harley
  • Scout
  • Lily
  • Maggie
  • Tucker
  • Millie
  • Lola
  • Marley
  • Monty
  • Leo
  • Finn
  • Dexter
  • Barney
  • Abby
  • Riley
  • Alfie
  • Angus
  • Milo
  • Oscar
  • Shadow
  • Sam
  • Gus
  • Annie
  • Murphy
  • Amber
  • Penny
  • Harry
  • Lilly
  • Hunter
  • Teddy
  • Jasper
  • Brodie
  • Rufus
  • Pepper
  • Jake
  • Winston
  • Loki
  • Ellie
  • Kona
  • Bruce
  • Tilly
  • Gracie
  • Stella
  • Dakota
  • Zeus
  • Ben
  • Ollie
  • Lexi
  • Bruno
  • George
  • Ziggy
  • Baxter
  • Koda
  • Archie
  • Ruger
  • Ozzy
  • Sophie
  • Casey
  • Rocky
  • Maisie
  • Harvey
  • Rosie
  • Skye
  • Layla
  • Pippa
  • Remington
  • Ruben
  • Diesel
  • Duke
  • Ginger
  • Moose
  • Honey
  • Oakley
  • Roxy
  • Nala
  • Hank
  • Beau
  • Piper
  • Ranger

But that’s not all!

The survey didn’t just let us know which dogs names you love the most right now. Those who joined in also shared a bit about their dogs and themselves.

Most of the responses so far have been from the UK and the USA, but there have also been answers from all over the world. Including Australia, Canada, India, Italy and South Africa, among others!

Of the dogs surveyed, just under 80% were purebred. Labradors were far and away the most numerous breed.

However the survey did see plenty of Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Cocker Spaniels, Huskies, Collies and many more besides too.

Of the mixed breed dogs by far the most popular was the Labradoodle, with the Borador, Boxador and Cockapoo following on behind.

Most dogs surveyed were two years old or less, but there was a full of ages going all the way up to 13 years and more.

In fact, a whole 3% of the those who responded had dogs in their teens!

One big surprise was perhaps the gender divide that we saw.

With 54% male and just 46% female, the boys have led the way with this one so far.

And Now It’s Your Turn!

Once you have settled on the perfect name for your pup, don’t forget to share with the International Dog Name Survey!

We can’t wait to find out what changes the rest of this year will bring in terms of popular pup’s names from around the world.