Dog Names: Over 200 Ideas for Males & Females

The name is the first word your dog really learns. You will say it thousands of times: at the door in the morning, right across the dog meadow, in the woods when it runs too far ahead, and at the vet when you want to calm it. A good name will be with you for twelve, fifteen years. That is why it is worth thinking for a moment rather than grabbing the first idea that comes to mind – even if, in the end, your gut often decides. On this page you will first find the most important rules for a name that works in everyday life, and then over 200 ideas, sorted by males, females, origin and character.

What makes a good dog name?

Above all, a name has to do one thing: work in everyday life. Your dog does not distinguish meanings, but sounds. The clearer the sound, the faster it understands that it is the one being meant – and the more reliably it turns its head when you call it across a busy meadow.

• Keep it short. One or two syllables are what the dog learns fastest, and in an emergency you call them out reflexively. A long favourite name soon turns into a short form anyway.
• Choose clear sounds. Names with distinct vowels and hard consonants carry further outdoors than soft, blurred syllables – a crisp o, a or i is something the dog hears even over wind and distance.
• Do not sound like a command. Avoid names that sound like No, Sit, Down or Leave it. A dog called Beau and the command No? It only causes confusion. The same applies to names that rhyme with a common cue.
• Do not clash with family names. If the dog's name sounds almost like your child's or your partner's, it is always the wrong one who turns around in the end.
• Practical for everyone. Choose a name that everyone in the household is happy to call out loud, without hesitation, on the playground or on a crowded train.
• Call name & official name. You may call your dog whatever you like. Officially it is identified via the microchip and the entry in the AMICUS database; pedigree dogs additionally carry a longer kennel name on the pedigree certificate. The everyday call name may be much shorter than the long name in the papers.

Popular & classic male names

You hear these names again and again on Swiss dog meadows – and for good reason: they are short, sound friendly and are easy to call. As a starting point for your male dog:

Balu, Rocky, Bruno, Max, Ben, Charlie, Bello, Rex, Sam, Oskar, Fido, Buddy, Cooper, Milo, Leo, Filou, Paul, Emil, Fritz, Hugo, Moritz, Rudi, Willi, Anton, Theo, Carlo, Diego, Nero, Aslan, Amigo, Bosco, Django, Gustav, Jasper, Wotan, Aramis, Cäsar, Falko, Iwan, Ozzy, Pablo, Rambo, Simba, Timon, Zorro.

Popular & classic female names

For a female it can be playful or elegant – the main thing is that the name can be called out clearly. A colourful selection:

Luna, Bella, Emma, Nala, Kira, Lucy, Maja, Amy, Lotte, Frieda, Molly, Lola, Bonnie, Chili, Cleo, Ronja, Alma, Elsa, Fanny, Greta, Hazel, Ida, Juna, Kaja, Lilly, Mia, Nora, Paula, Rosa, Sina, Tinka, Vera, Wilma, Yuki, Zita, Chica, Diva, Emmy, Gaia, Kessy, Maila, Nelli, Perla, Selma, Wanda.

Short & snappy names (1–2 syllables)

If maximum call-ability matters to you, go for a genuinely short name. These stick straight away and work for males and females alike:

Bo, Fee, Cato, Nio, Enzo, Jack, Kai, Levi, Ole, Pino, Toby, Uno, Vito, Cash, Skye, Suki, Hero, Jazz, Mika, Nox, Pia, Remo, Taro, Zoe, Ari, Gus, Bax, Fenn, Juno, Zea.

Names by origin

A name from a particular language or culture instantly gives your dog a character of its own – and often goes nicely with the breed's origins. A few ideas from three popular directions:

Italian: Gino, Luca, Marco, Chico, Dante, Rocco, Bianca, Dolce, Fiore, Stella, Gina, Aldo.

Nordic & Scandinavian: Loki, Freya, Odin, Thor, Balder, Saga, Nanook, Kenai, Frost, Sif, Ylva, Njal.

Celtic: Finn, Bran, Cara, Kian, Nessa, Rory, Bria, Aidan, Maeve, Ronan, Fiona, Nia.

Names with a link to Switzerland, mountains & nature

If you would like to give your dog a name with a sense of home, you will strike gold in the mountains and in nature. Classics like Bläss, Senn or Barry – after the famous St Bernard from the Great St Bernard Pass – belong here just as much as peaks and nature words:

Bläss, Senn, Barry, Heidi, Nina, Aletsch, Rigi, Säntis, Eiger, Titlis, Jura, Pilatus, Enzian, Edelweiss, Tanne, Fels, Wolke, Föhn, Murmeli, Flöckli, Bergli, Nova, Alpi, Gletsch, Stern, Bächli, Distel, Nebel.

Unusual & playful names

It does not always have to be a classic. If you are looking for something that raises a smile at dog class, you will find it here – from snack names to pop culture:

Keks, Mochi, Nugget, Pixel, Wasabi, Zimt, Curry, Gizmo, Yoda, Chewie, Elvis, Bowie, Frodo, Gandalf, Nacho, Taco, Mango, Kiwi, Olive, Pepper, Biscuit, Momo, Pesto, Schoggi, Brezel, Cookie, Peanut, Pancake, Tofu, Ravioli.

How do you introduce the new name?

The loveliest name is of little use if your dog does not associate it with something good. Fortunately that happens quickly and is fun. Say the name kindly in a quiet moment, and the instant your dog looks at you, there is immediate praise, a treat or a short game. If it does not look, make yourself interesting – a click of the tongue, a pat on the thigh – and reward the attention. After a few days the name simply means one thing to it: something good is about to happen.

Just one rule matters: the name always stays positive. Never use it to scold, and never to call the dog to something unpleasant, such as away from a beloved game and back home. Otherwise it learns that its name means bad news and, sooner or later, tunes it out. Keep it short, cheerful and generous with praise – then the name will stick within a few days.

No dog yet – or still unsure?

If you are still looking for the right four-legged friend, it is worth looking beyond the name. In our breed wiki you get to know the character traits of the individual breeds – and a feel for which type of dog suits which name. If you are unsure which breed even fits your life, the breed finder will help you in just a few minutes. And when things get concrete, our guides Buying a Dog, Puppy and Adopting a Dog from a Shelter have everything you need to get started. The name then comes almost by itself.