Famous dog names can inspire you when searching for the perfect name for your canine companion. You may find a famous dog name you like from a TV series, film, book or animated movie, or you may be inspired by the name of a real life dog hero. These celebrated dog names offer plenty of great choices.
Famous Dog Names of Real Life Dogs
The first famous dog names you may want to consider are those of real life dogs. Some of these dogs are celebrated heroes for various acts of courage, often putting their lives in danger to save a human being. Some of these dogs have been memorialized in books and movies, while others hold a world title, trophy, or award.
- Bingo: The brand label iconic dog sidekick of Cracker Jack of the snack food, Cracker Jack.
- Gibson: Gibson the Great Dane, Guinness World Record certified tallest living dog (42.2" tall)
- Jo-Fi: Sigmund Freud's dog
- Lady Greyhound: Logo brand dog for Greyhound Lines transport company
- McGruff: Cartoon Bloodhound mascot of the National Crime Prevention Council
- Pickles: Discovered stolen 1966 FIFA World Cup trophy
- Rex: K-9, US Marine, Military Police K-9 dog, real life movie
- Sinbad: US Coast Guard Mascot
- Snuppy: First dog cloned from adult dog ear cell in 2005
- Strongheart: Dog actor appeared in various movies
- Togo: 1925 serum Alaskan run dog, Disney real life movie
- Trakr: Time Magazine's one of history's most heroic dogs for rescuing last 9/11 World Trade Center attack survivor
- Zorba: Guinness World Record holder - longest and heaviest dog (8'3" long and 343 pounds)
Famous Dog Names in Comics, Cartoons, Animated Series
Many movies originated as a comic strip/book. A cartoon or modern animation was created to tell the story of the characters.
- Astro: The Jetsons, cartoon
- Balto: Balto, animated movie
- Blue: Blue's Clues cartoon
- Clue: Mary Kate and Ashley, animation of video game
- Deputy Dawg: Cartoon
- Dino: Flintstones, cartoon TV series
- Dogbert: Dilbert comics
- Dug: Up, animated movie
- Goofy: Walt Disney Studios animated character
- Gromit: Claymation animated Wallace and Gromit movies
- Hotdog: From Jughead, Archie comics
- Jake the Artist: Adventure Time, animated TV series
- Krypto: Superman comics
- Lady: Lady and the Tramp, animated Disney movie
- Marmaduke: Marmaduke, comic strip
- Odie: Garfield comic and animated TV series
- Perrito: Dora, the Explorer, animated TV Series
- Pluto: Cartoon, Walt Disney Studios
- Pork Chop: Doug, animated TV series
- Pouch: Chicago Fire, TV series
- Rin Tin Tin: Comic strip/book, non-animated movie, and non-animated television series
- Rover: Red and Rover, comic strip
- Sandy: Little Orphan Annie, comics, radio shows, Broadway shows, and movie
- Santa's Little Helper: The Simpsons, animated TV series
- Scooby-Doo: Animated series, later comic series, and movies
- Slink: Toy Story, animated movie series
- Snoopy: Peanuts comic, television show, and movies
- Spike: Rugrats, animated TV series
Famous Movie Dog Names You'll Remember
- Asta: Thin Man, movie
- Beethoven: Beethoven, movie
- Benji: Benji played by dog, Higgins, movie series
- Boomer: Independence Day, movie
- Brandy: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, movie
- Bruiser: Legally Blonde, movie
- Chance: Homeward Bound, movie
- Cujo: Cujo, movie
- Daisy: John Wick, movie
- Fly: Babe, movie
- Frank: Men in Black, movie
- Hercules: The Sandlot, movie
- Hooch: Turner and Hooch, movie
- Milo: The Mask, movie
- Otis: The Adventures of Milo and Otis, movie
- Puffy: There's Something About Mary, movie
- Rocco: The Drop, movie
- Verdell: As Good As It Gets, movie
- Yellow: Far From Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog, movie
Famous TV Dog Names You'll Love
TV shows offer a great wealth of dog names for you to consider. You may find one of your favorite series a great choice for your dog's name.
- Allen: The King of Queens, Spence's dog, TV series
- Apollo and Zeus: Magnum-PI, TV series
- Backup: Veronica Mars, TV series and movie
- Bear: Person of Interest, TV Series
- Bismarck: Dr. Hyatt's dog on Checkmate, TV series
- Blacktoe: Captain Riker's dog on Star Trek: The Next Generation, TV series
- Bullet: The Roy Rogers Show, TV series
- Cerberus: Seal Team, TV series
- Dog: Columbo, TV series
- Fearless: Providence Fearless, TV series
- Freeway: Hart to Hart, TV series
- Happy: 7th Heaven, TV series
- K9: Robot dog on Doctor Who, TV series
- Lassie: Lassie, TV series
- Marlowe: Simon and Simon, TV series
- Maximillion: The Bionic Woman, TV series
- Murray: Mad About You, TV series
- Pepper: Seal Team, TV series
- Pony: Another dog on Veronica Mars, TV series
- Porthos: Captain Archer's dog Star Trek: Enterprise, TV series
- Vincent: Walt's dog in Lost, TV series
Famous Dogs on TV Comedy or Sitcom Series
Many sitcoms and comedy TV series feature a dog. You may rediscover famous dog names by reviewing a list of these popular TV shows.
- Arlo: Rosa Diaz's dog, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, TV series
- Brandon: Punky Brewster, TV series
- Buck: Married with Children, TV series
- Buster: The Wonder Years, TV series
- Chamsky: Everybody Loves Raymond, TV series
- Cheddar: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, TV series
- Chester: The Nanny, TV series
- Cinnamon: The Big Bang Theory, TV series
- Claude: The Beverly Hillbillies, TV series
- Cleo: The People's Choice, TV series
- Coco: The Donna Reed Show, TV series
- Comet: Full House, TV series
- Digby: Pushing Daisies, TV series
- Djinn Djinn: I Dream of Jeannie, TV series
- Dog: Petticoat Junction, TV series
- Doug: The Sarah Silverman Program, TV series
- Dragon: Wizards of Waverly Place, TV series
- Duke: The Beverly Hillbillies, TV series
- Eddie: Frasier, TV series
- Fang: Get Smart, TV series
- Flash: The Dukes of Hazzard, TV series
- Fleegle: The Banana Splits, TV series
- Jim: Mike & Molly, TV series
- Jupiter: I Dream of Jeannie, TV series
- Ladadog: Please Don't Eat the Daisies, TV series
- Schatzi: That '70s Show, TV series
- Speedy: The Drew Carey Show, TV series
- Spunky: Happy Days, TV series
- Stella: Modern Family, TV series
- Stinky and Nunzio: Dharma and Greg, TV series
- Tiger: The Brady Bunch, TV series
- Tramp: My Three Sons, TV series
Famous Dog Names in Literature
Famous dog names in literature can be obscured by the success of a movie or animated version. Still, the book was the original format that made the dog name famous.
- Fang: Hagrid's Neapolitan Mastiff in the Harry Potter books and movie series.
- Old Yeller: Old Yeller, book and then movie
- Tock: Phantom Tollbooth, book
- Patch, Penny, Perdita, and Pongo: The Hundred and One Dalmatians, book (One Hundred and One Dalmatians, animated Disney movie)
- Buck: Call of the Wild, Jack London, book
- Lassie: Lassie Come Home (1940), book, inspired TV series
- Winn-Dixie: Because of Winn-Dixie, book and then movie
- Ribsy: Ribsy, book
- Carl: Good Dog, Carl, book
- Lad: Lad, A Dog, book
- Big Red: Big Red, book
- Irish Red: Irish Red: Son of Big Red, book
- Outlaw Red: Outlaw Red, book
- Ellie: Ellie's Story, book
- Atticus: Following Atticus, book
- Gracie: Amazing Gracie: A Dog's Tale, book
- Wishbone: Tale of Two Sitters, book, then TV series
All the Presidents' Famous Dog Names
A list of a few of the United States Presidents who had canine companions reveals quite a bit about the presidents' personalities when it came to naming their pets. Many U.S. presidents had a menagerie of pets that included parrots, horses, alligators, and bears, that were often gifts from heads of states. The more exotic animals were typically given to a zoo. Some presidents had a tremendous number of dogs, such as George Washington, who was rumored to have over 50 dogs during his lifetime. The pets listed are companions the presidents had during their presidency.
- George Washington: Sweet Lips, Drunkard, Taster, Mopsey, Cloe, Tipsy, Captain, Tipler, Lady Rover, Vulcan, Forester, and Searcher
- John Adams: Juno, Mark, and Satan
- Thomas Jefferson: Bergère and Grizzle
- James Monroe: Sebastian
- John Tyler: Le Beau
- James Buchanan: Punch
- Abraham Lincoln: Fido
- Ulysses Grant: Faithful and Rosie
- Rutherford B Hayes: Dot, Hector, Duke, Grim, Otis, Juno, Shep, Jet
- James A. Garfield: Veto
- Grover Cleveland: Hector
- Benjamin Harrison: Dash
- President Harding: Laddie Boy and Old Boy
- Theodore Roosevelt: Blackjack, Gem, Susan, Jack, Peter, Manchu, Pete, Rollo, Skip Sailor Boy
- William Howard Taft: Caruso
- Woodrow Wilson: Davie, Bruce
- Franklin Roosevelt: Fala, Major, Meggie, Winks, Tiny, President, Blaze
- Harry S. Truman: Feller
- Dwight D. Eisenhower: Heidi
- John F. Kennedy: Charlie
Famous Dog Names to Consider
With 150 famous dog names to consider, you may recall the source that featured the dog, such as a favorite TV show. You may decide the name of a U.S. president's dog fits your companion best of all.
