Sometimes, when you get a new puppy, it can be difficult to choose the right dog name. While some people focus on looking for unique monikers for their pets, others prefer traditional choices. If you're a fan of the tried and true, you just might find your new dog's name on this list.
Traditional Old Dog Names
Dog lovers often pick names that paint a picture of their pup's looks — it's like naming a masterpiece! Whether it's "Fluffy" for that cloud-like fur or "Spot" for those unique markings, choosing a name that captures your furry friend's physical traits is a favorite move for many. Here are some descriptive names that do just that:
- Ash
- Bandit
- Brownie
- Cinnamon
- Cocoa
- Coffee
- Fluffy
- Freckles
- Ginger
- Goldie
- Patch
- Pepper
- Red
- Rusty
- Scruffy
- Socks
- Spot
- Tiny
Classic Dog Names That Show Personality
Some folks prefer to spotlight their pup's sparkling personality when picking a name, choosing ones that fit like a snug collar as their dog grows. After all, while their puppy bodies grow, their quirky traits tend to stick around. Here are some top picks for names that capture those adorable dog dispositions:
- Cuddles
- Joker
- Joy
- King
- Lady
- Nibbles
- Prince
- Princess
- Scamp
- Scooter
- Shadow
- Sparky
- Speedy
- Wag
Majestic Dog Names From Famous Movies
Some new pup parents roll out the red carpet for their furry friends, bestowing upon them the names of iconic characters from the silver screen, both two-legged and four-legged. Whether it's a dashing hero, a timeless beauty, or a legendary canine star, these names bring a touch of Hollywood glamour right to your backyard.
- Asta: The Thin Man
- Beethoven
- Chance: Homeward Bound
- Fly: Babe
- Hooch: Turner & Hooch
- Lassie: Lassie Come Home
- Lester: Halloween
- Old Yeller
- Otis: Milo & Otis
- Petey: The Little Rascals
- Rin Tin Tin
- Rusty: The Adventures of Rusty
- Shadow: Homeward Bound
- Shiloh
- Skip: My Dog Skip
- Wilby: The Shaggy Dog
Historical Dog Names From Film
Naming your dog after a movie star from one of those blockbuster classics? Now that's a way to show off your cinema smarts and give your pooch a touch of Hollywood flair.
- Audrey: Hepburn
- Ava: Gardner
- Bardot: Brigitte
- Basil: Rathbone
- Bette: Davis
- Brando: Marlon
- Cagney: James
- Chaplin: Charlie
- Clark: Gable
- Constance: Bennett
- Cooper: Gary
- Cora: Sue Collins
- Dean: James
- Elizabeth: Taylor
- Faye: Alice
- Greta or Garbo
- Harlow: Jean
- Hazel: Ascot
- Hedy: Lamarr
- Humphrey: Bogart
- Ingrid: Bergman
- Judy: Garland
- Laurence: Olivier
- Lucille: Ball
- Mae: West
- Marilyn: Monroe
- Marlene: Dietrich
- Mickey: Kuhn
- Rita: Hayworth
- Sophia: Loren
- Vivien: Leigh
- Wayne: John
Old Puppy Names From Literature
If you love to read, some names from classic books can provide a wealth of inspiration for puppy names.
- Argos: The Odyssey
- Atticus: To Kill a Mockingbird
- Buck: Call of the Wild
- Celie: The Color Purple
- Clifford: Clifford the Big Red Dog
- Cosette: Les Miserables
- Dorian: The Picture of Dorian Gray
- Eliza: Pygmalion and My Fair Lady
- Evangeline: Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie
- Eyre: Jane Eyre
- Falstaff: From the Shakespeare plays
- Frodo: The Lord of the Rings
- Gable: Anne of Green Gables
- Gandalf: The Lord of the Rings
- Gatsby: The Great Gatsby
- Hamlet
- Harper: To Kill a Mockingbird
- Holden: Catcher in the Rye
- Homer: The Odyssey
- Huckleberry: Huckleberry Finn
- Juliet: Romeo and Juliet
- Lewis: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
- Moby: Moby Dick
- Moll: Moll Flanders
- Nana: Peter Pan
- Oliver: Oliver Twist
- Rhett: Gone with the Wind
- Scarlett: Gone with the Wind
- Sherlock Holmes
- Toto: The Wizard of Oz
- Truman: Breakfast at Tiffany's
- Watson: Sherlock Holmes
- Winn-Dixie: Because of Winn-Dixie
- Winnie: Winnie the Pooh
Classic Dog Names From Cartoons
Classic cartoons are a goldmine of name ideas for your new pup! Whether you opt for a legendary dog hero or decide to go quirky with a name from your favorite non-canine cartoon character, you're sure to find a name that's as animated as your furry friend.
- Bambi
- Bart: The Simpsons
- Betty Boop
- Blue: Blue's Clues
- Bluto: Popeye
- Boo Boo: Yogi Bear
- Bugs: Looney Tunes
- Casper: Casper the Friendly Ghost
- Elmer: Elmer Fudd, Looney Tunes
- Felix: Felix the Cat
- Goofy: The Goofy Movie and cartoon series
- Homer: The Simpsons
- Magoo: Mr. Magoo
- Marmaduke
- Odie: Garfield
- Olive: Popeye
- Pluto
- Popeye
- Sandy: Annie
- Scoobert: Scooby Doo
- Scooby Doo
- Shaggy: Scooby Doo
- Sylvester: Looney Tunes
- Yogi: Yogi Bear
- Wile: Looney Tunes
Old-Fashioned, Traditional Dog Names
If you're a traditionalist at heart and also want an easy name to remember and for others to understand, choose a puppy name that's familiar from years of use.
- Champ
- Duke
- Fido
- Fluffy
- Lucky
- Rex
- Rover
- Queenie/Queen
- Scout
- Teddy
Popular Dog Names From Back in the Day
Just like fashion trends, dog names have their seasons of fame, with the hot picks changing faster than you can say 'fetch!' Here's a list of current crowd-pleasers that were once popular back in the day that you might want to ponder:
- Bailey
- Bella
- Buster
- Buddy
- Charlie
- Chloe
- Cody
- Daisy
- Jack
- Jake
- Lola
- Lucy
- Maggie
- Max
- Molly
- Rocky
- Sadie
- Sally
- Sophie
- Toby
Victorian Dog Names to Celebrate History
The Victorian era fascinates people around the globe. This was a time of great progress, elegance, and class systems, and we can't forget about the magnificent art that came from this period. If you're picking a name that celebrates Victorian history, check these out:
- Albert
- Archibald
- Barnaby
- Beatrice
- Cecil
- Clara
- Darcy
- Edmund
- Eleanor
- Florence
- George
- Harriet
- Isabella
- Jasper
- Lancelot
- Margaret
- Matilda
- Neville
- Oliver
- Penelope
- Quentin
- Rosalind
- Sebastian
- Tabitha
- Theodora
- Ulysses
- Victoria
- Wallace
- Winifred
- Xavier
- Yvonne
- Zachariah
Vintage Dog Names Based on Historical Change-Makers
Just welcomed a furry little game-changer into your life? Why not name them after a legendary historical figure who's left a paw print — or, let's say, a footprint — on the sands of time? It's a fun way to honor their impact on your heart and the world!
- Alexander: Alexander the Great
- Amelia: Amelia Earhart
- Aphra: Aphra Behn
- Bach: Johann Sebastian Bach
- Bonaparte: Napoleon Bonaparte
- Brutus
- Caesar: Julius Caesar
- Casanova: Giacomo Casanova
- Cleopatra
- Dali: Salvador Dali
- Darwin: Charles Darwin
- DaVinci: Leonardo Davinci
- Dickens: Charles Dickens
- Einstein: Albert Einstein
- Elizabeth: Queen Elizabeth I
- Florence: Florence Nightingale
- Franklin: Benjamin Franklin
- Freud: Sigmund Freud
- Galileo: Galileo Galilei
- Gandhi: Mahatma Gandhi
- Genghis: Genghis Khan
- Goliath: Giant from the Bible
- Hannibal: Hannibal Barca
- Houdini: Harry Houdini
- Isabella: Queen Isabella of Castile
- Joan: Joan of Arc
- Kennedy: John F. Kennedy
- Leonardo: Leonardo da Vinci
- Lief: Lief Ericson
- Lincoln: Abraham Lincoln
- Marie: Marie Curie
- Napoleon: Napoleon Bonaparte
- Octavia: Octavia the Younger
- Parks: Rosa Parks
- Plato: Greek philosopher
- Queenie: Queen Victoria
- Roosevelt: Theodore Roosevelt
- Shakespeare: William Shakespeare
- Socrates: Greek philosopher
- Solomon: King of Israel
- Tesla: Nikola Tesla
- Tutankhamun: Egyptian pharaoh
- Victoria: Queen Victoria
- Voltaire: French writer
- Washington: George Washington
- Winston: Winston Churchill
- Xerxes: Xerxes I of Persia
- Yuri: Yuri Gagarin
- Zenobia: Queen Zenobia
- Zoroaster: Founder of Zoroastrianism
Choosing Your Favorite
While your favorite puppy name may be one on the popular list, it may also be something that is absolutely unique to your puppy. You should name your dog something that you like and will continue to like, no matter what the rest of society is naming their dogs. Part of the fun of adopting a puppy is getting to know them and choosing a name that fits their individual personality. Once you've named your new puppy, give them a chance to get used to their name.
