Naming your puppy is an exciting time! And it’s great to be a bit different. In this article we’ve collected over 130 unique names for dogs.
These are names that will make your dog standout from the crowd.
We’ve included some special sections for our favorite Labrador colors too.
A name is more than just a command to call your dog.
Names give your pet an identity, and help cement your dog’s place as an important member of your family.
People are always looking for new and unique names for their dogs. And that’s something we can help with.
Beyond the cliched Rover, Rex, and Fido, there is a whole world of individual and meaningful names for our furry companions. So let’s get started
What are the Best Unique Dog Names
Most of us consider dogs as an addition to our family. We take time to consider the name we’ll give them, and whether it will suit them.
Dog names, unique or otherwise, are important to all new owners. So you’ll want to make sure you put the right amount of thought and time in before coming to a decision.
The best dog names are those that show your own taste and personality. While at the same time reflecting your dog’s character and attributes too.
Ultimately, the best name for your Labrador is the one you’re happy with. And if a unique dog name appeals to you, then a unique dog name is what you need
With that in mind, lets take a look first, at some of these unconventional names for female dogs.
Unique female dog names
Many people choose to give their pets human names, especially when it comes to dogs. This can make our bond and connection with them stronger.
You’ll to be sure to stand out with any of these unique girl dog names!
- Moana
- Ophelia
- Saskia
- Cricket
- Luna
- Jasmine
- Tahiti
- Gail
- Kendall
- Sappho
- Etta
- Avalon
When we’re looking at human names, we can draw a great deal from popular culture.
Referencing a character from film or TV can be a great way to make a name both unique and recognizable.
History is a great source of inspiration too; Sappho was one of the first known female writers. When it comes to unique dog names, female figures can give meaning and real depth.
Continuing with human names, let’s look at some male dogs.
Unique male dog names
If you choose to give your male dog a human name, you’ll want it to suit him and be individual.
With so many male dog names already commonplace it can be hard to find something unique.
As earlier, we can look to popular culture for ideas. This will give us some unique boy dog names that still feel familiar.
- Arlo
- Conan
- Damon
- Finn
- Fletcher
- Reese
- Wes
- Ainsley
- Bertram
- Hunter
- Parker
- Beauregard
- Xander
- Watson
Dogs are often called “mans best friend.” Sidekicks in film, TV and literature can give us great names.
Sherlock Holmes’ right hand man James Watson is a cool example.
Now, inspired by our lovely yellow labs, let’s look at some quirky options for yellow dogs.
Unique yellow dog names
Yellow fur from cream to golden, calls to mind a whole host of images.
Farmyards, blonde hair, cheese, egg yolks … and this is the kind of imagery that yields some truly unique names.
Here’s our list of unique names for yellow labs!
- Harvest
- Sepia
- Ochre
- Straw
- Thor
- Shea
- Sedge
- Ziv
- Vanilla
- Prairie
- Moon
- Cheddar
- Lemon
- Barley
- Blondie
- Autumn
- Daffodil
Next up, we have some unique dog names inspired by the ever popular chocolate Labrador.
Unique dog names for brown dogs
Chocolate colored dogs are usually photogenic. Their striking brown fur makes a basis for some excellent unique names.
Chocolate dogs are often named after our favorite chocolate bars! Here are some different ideas
- Kodiak
- Mocha
- Chestnut
- Cinnamon
- Copper
- Mahogany
- Walnut
- Muddy
- Coffee
- Nutmeg
- Earth
- Manilla
- Raisin
- Sparrow
- Cacao
- Umber
There’s a lot of natural materials and foods we can use for name ideas in this section. These sort of things make excellent and memorable dog names.
Now we’ve explored chocolates, let’s look at black dogs.
Unique black dog names
Black labs are a fixture in homes the world over, they cut a sharp contrast with their surroundings. Unique names for dogs always work great when they play into such an obvious feature.
Black labradors’ coloration remind us of the night, and a whole host of animals. Here is a list of suggestions for unique dog names for black labradors.
- Coal
- Onyx
- Ebony
- Emery
- Stealth
- Raven
- Ink
- Vantablack (vanta)
- Sable
- Obsidian
- Shadow
- Panther
- Ash
- Granite
- Cinder
- Eclipse
- Morticia
- Cerberus
- Liquorice
- Sirius
- Presley
Unique dog names for red dogs
Fox red labradors are becoming more and more popular. So, it’s becoming more necessary to stand out from the crowd with a unique dog name.
The AKC and the Kennel Club place these dogs within the bracket of ‘yellow’ labradors. But I think many of us agree that their aesthetic is deserving of a category of their own.
Here are some ideas for naming orange or red colored dogs.
- Amber
- Brick
- Sienna
- Inferno
- Crimson
- Ginger
- Scarlet
- Apricot
- Henna
- Sorrel
- Vixen
- Blaze
- Fox
- Phoenix
- Pumpkin
- Copper
The fire and earth theme is pretty self explanatory with these orange dogs, and works really well!
Cute unique dog names
Chances are, you think your dog’s pretty cute. Most people probably agree!
You might want to give your adorable pet an adorable name. There are plenty of options for names with a more cutsy feel.
- Africa
- Kai
- River
- Bubble
- Muffin
- Bagel
- India
- Button
- Baobab
- Peanut
- Paws
- Bounce
- Scruff
- Sniff
- Flynn
So now we’ve covered cute names, what about some cool ones?
Cool unique dog names
We’d all like to give our pets cool names.
The kind of names that make people say ‘why didn’t I think of that’.
A cool name will make showing your dog off to you friends even more fun.
You’ll stand out regardless with a unique name. That being said, not all names are equal.
Here are some ideas for ‘cool’ unique dog names.
- Bear
- Zeus
- Ocean
- Orion
- Sabre
- Neo
- Ajay
- Alba
- Dzuwa
- Spectre
- Knight
- Eastwood
- Jackal
- Wolfgang
- Shasta
Finding your unique dog names
To come up with more unique dog names it can help to make lists of names from different topics
We’ve focused quite a bit on color based names here, but you can expand your search to include your own hobbies and interest.
For example: if you are interested in fencing, you could call your dog Parry. If you are a dancer try Plie or Pirouet
Like fishing? Try Ledger or Spinner
Into sailing? How about Spinnaker?
Love to cook? Try Flambe or Omlet
Many of our ideas are taken from different aspects of the environment and you can take inspiration from your own surroundings.
If the names you come up with don’t seem original enough, try dropping them into an online thesaurus to generate more ideas
You can also look at interesting characters from your favorite novels, and at some of our more quirky celebrities, or sporting heros for ideas.
For hundreds more unique and original ideas for naming your dog check out these articles
- Female Dog Names
- Labrador Names
- Big Dog Names
You’ll find additions from our readers in the comments. Hopefully they’ll make your dog-naming experience a little easier.
Remember, there are thousands of potential names for your dog. They don’t have to be conventional. By choosing something unique, you can express your own imagination through your dog’s name.
Keep it original, and most importantly, have fun! If you need any more inspiration, take a look at some of our other dog names articles!
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 can think of many unique male names but I can’t find the one I love for a female rott that I’m getting in a few days. I don’t want one that is long cuz they answer better to shorter names. I don’t want a sissy name either.
How about Nala?
Cute names bruh I love ‘em PICK GOOD NAMES YA’LL. FROM A PERSON NAMED….Buckah John
Also p.s I KNOW MY NAME IS WEIRD OKAY! (Bu ck ah) like what a chicken says…buck buck bugark
i think Bean is such a cute name for a boy or girl dog and for a boy dog i love the name Simon
When I was a teenager my mother had a friend who had two dogs. One was a female black lab , her name was Easy. The other was a male dog , not sure what kind dog he was but when they were trying to name him the dog wouldn’t listen for nothing , till one day she said Damnit come here!!!! The dog came to her fast. So that became his name Damnit .
ridiculously cliche but my dogs are Jax and Chibs 😆 litter mates
We have a blood hound named Jimmy Dean and my brother’s pit is names Elby my favorite dog name has been dishes though, just some suggestions
My nine-year old chihuahua’s name is Tammy Tabita. She also responds to the names Poho, Chihua, Chiwi, and more. My sister wants a siberian husky for her birthday and we are looking for an original name for it. Please give us suggestions if you have. She likes star names.
Eclipse
my golden retriever’s name is Maya Girlfriend Babykins we call her Girlfriend
I have had my pit mix since she was 8 weeks old. She is smaller 53lbs and the most loveable pup ive ever encountered. I named her Sadiqaa (sah-day-ka). I am part Lebanese and in arabic sadiqaa means “my friend”. So when i call her “come here Sadiqaa” im really saying “come here my friend”. Its my own original idea and it’s a very meaningful thing to me.
I have a tri-colored Chiweenie. I named him Tripp (triple – 3rd) also means traveler. I get comments on his name all the time. Unique and different.
We adopted an Akita (brindled) someone at the humane society caller her Ingrid, we tried on other names but the only one she noticed was Lady our beloved and sorely missed Lab/Boarder Collie. Her face looks like a bear I suggested Berri or bear for short but she answers to Ingrid so that our unusual dogs name.
We’ve just named our chocolate La pup, Chester!
tiny chihuahua puppy I just got and named him Gator
my daughter has a dog with bulldog and lab and she name him prince, i think this name is odd to be a boy dog
Very good names are given here, I just 😍it….
I’m fostering 3 puppy’s and we get to name then we chose penny for a girl,Scooter for a boy,and Dexter for another boy dog.I hope these Pitbull and Boxer mixed puppies love their names.
Yellow dog names:Sunflower,Canary,Sundance,Sunny,Amarillo.
This is an amazing site
Actually it’s John watson, not James Watson. James moriarty is the villian. 😉
I think all these dog names are cute I had a hard choosing one name out of all them!!
I’ve got two dogs one is a pressa x staffxpit named tarrick and staff x ridgback called jimmy G they are both great boys I trust them infaticaly
More unique dog names…our female Alaskan Malamute’s name was Cheekah (short for Checotah, an Alaskan tribe). Our Golden’s name was Bacchus (pronounced bock’-us, the roman god of wine). Our Duck Tolling Retrievers are Nash (male), adopted name was Dash. Didnt want to change it too much. We like Nashville. Nova is our female. Like the definition of a super nova.
My heart is broken , where can I get another black lab from 3/ 4 yr old ..
yes man you can