80s Inspired Male Dog Names

Looking for the raddest 80s-inspired male dog names? Whether you’re a child of the 80s or just love its neon glow, finding the perfect name for your new pup is a serious (and tubular) task. After all, your dog’s name will be with them for life: on every vet record, tag, and that precious name you’re using a thousand times a day. And hey, while you’re busy picking out the most nostalgic name, give a little thought to pet insurance. It’s a smart move to keep your furry friend protected.

So, let’s crank up the boom box, dust off those VHS tapes, and dive into the best 80s male dog names that’ll make your pup the coolest dog in the park.

What’s in a dog name?

We get it, naming your dog is kind of a big deal. It’s not just a name; it’s your dog’s identity and a reflection of your style, personality, and maybe even your favorite era. A little dramatic? Maybe. But let’s face it; you want something memorable, something cool, and definitely something that sticks. Lucky for you, the 80s is a goldmine of inspiration.

Time to channel your inner John Hughes and see if you can find the perfect name for your four-legged bestie!

Action heroes and blockbuster legends

The 80s gave us some of the most iconic action heroes to ever grace the silver screen. These names are for the dog who struts like he owns the place.

• Rambo
• Maverick
• Axel
• Cobra
• Riggs
• Murtaugh
• Braddock
• Snake
• Hawk
• Blaze
• Striker
• Cobretti
• Rocky
• Dutch
• Dillon
• Matrix
• Commando
• Foley
• Tango
• Cash
• Colt
• Shaft
• Bronson
• Renegade
• Slater
• Tracker
• Gunner
• Brock
• Holt
• Ranger
• Clint
• Stallone
• Norris
• Arnie
• Mel
• Eastwood
• Brannigan
• Flint
• Hannibal
• Murdock
• Face
• Howling-Mad
• Hammer
• Sledge
• Rourke
• Markov
• Dalton
• Swayze
• Dexter
• Rex

Rock gods and hair metal legends

Big hair, bigger riffs. These names are for the dog who howls like he’s headlining Madison Square Garden.

• Ozzy
• Axl
• Slash
• Jagger
• Bowie
• Lemmy
• Dio
• Nikki
• Tommy
• Vince
• Mötley
• Ratt
• Blackie
• Poison
• Kix
• Dokken
• Warrant
• Winger
• Ryder
• Leppard
• Bon
• Angus
• Springsteen
• Petty
• Benatar
• Morrissey
• Cure
• Siouxsie
• Rollins
• Danzig
• Glenn
• Frey
• Henley
• Sammy
• Hagar
• Keel
• Raven
• Steele
• Pyro
• Lita
• Cruee
• Sixx
• Lee
• Mars
• Thunder
• Lightnin
• Wylde
• Dagger
• Slade
• Riot

MTV icons and pop royalty

Before streaming, there was MTV. These names belong to the dog who demands attention and always looks incredible doing it.

• Thriller
• Jacko
• Prince
• Madonna
• Cyndi
• Duran
• Wham
• Flock
• Seagulls
• Toto
• Falco
• Nena
• Depeche
• Mode
• Moroder
• Giorgio
• Blondie
• Devo
• Sting
• Bono
• Wilde
• Idol
• Billy
• Lauper
• Lionel
• Richie
• Huey
• Flea
• Kiedis
• Navarro
• Vega
• Bennie
• Oakey
• Levan
• Jam
• Lewis
• Eddy
• Grant
• Vandross
• Ingram
• Teena
• Tina
• Melle
• Flash
• Grandmaster
• Afrika
• Bambaataa
• Rakim
• Kurtis
• Blow
• Sugarhill

Radical 80s movie teens

John Hughes understood teenagers. These names are for the pup who’s misunderstood, a little too smart for the room, and deeply lovable.

• Ferris
• Cameron
• Sloane
• Bender
• Duckie
• Blane
• Spader
• Bueller
• Pee-Wee
• Marty
• McFly
• Biff
• Ralphie
• Gordie
• Chris
• Teddy
• Vern
• Corey
• Crispin
• Ducman
• Andie
• Steff
• Judd
• Nelson
• Vernon
• Watts
• Keith
• Hardy
• Chet
• Jake
• Farmer
• Samantha
• Weird
• Uke
• Wyatt
• Gary
• Sherman
• Gus
• Hooper
• Lips
• Booger
• Poindexter
• Lewis
• Ogre
• Belushi
• Bluto
• Otter
• Pinto
• Flounder
• Neidermeyer

Saturday morning cartoon heroes

Weekend mornings, a bowl of sugary cereal, and the best cartoons ever made. These names are for the dog who’s always ready for an adventure.

• He-Man
• Skeletor
• Panthro
• Tygra
• Lion-O
• Snarf
• Optimus
• Bumblebee
• Grimlock
• Starscream
• Megatron
• Soundwave
• Duke
• Snake-Eyes
• Destro
• Flint
• Roadblock
• Shipwreck
• Zartan
• Serpentor
• Hordak
• Beastman
• Trap-Jaw
• Mer-Man
• Whiplash
• Greyskull
• Castle
• Teela
• Cringer
• Battlecat
• Voltron
• Defender
• Lion-Force
• Scooter
• Gargamel
• Brainy
• Hefty
• Smurfette
• Thundercats
• Cheetara
• Mumm-Ra
• Wilykat
• Wilykit
• Quick-Draw
• Bucky
• Silverhawks
• Steelheart
• Steelwill
• Bluegrass
• Stargazer

Arcade and video game legends

Quarters were currency, and these names belong to the legends who lived on the leaderboard. Perfect for the dog who’s always chasing something.

• Pacman
• Donkey
• Mario
• Luigi
• Bowser
• Toad
• Link
• Zelda
• Pitfall
• Frogger
• Centipede
• Asteroids
• Galaga
• Defender
• Joust
• Qbert
• Zaxxon
• Tempest
• Robotron
• Atari
• Sega
• Nintendo
• Konami
• Namco
• Midway
• Activision
• Coleco
• Vectrex
• Intellivision
• ColecoVision
• Berzerk
• Tapper
• Burgertime
• Dig-Dug
• Mappy
• Pengo
• Popeye
• Donkey-Kong
• Jumpman
• Kong
• DK
• Ryu
• Ken
• Hadouken
• Guile
• Blanka
• Zangief
• Dhalsim
• Balrog
• Sagat

Totally tubular surfer and skater slang names

Gnarly, radical, tubular: the 80s had a language all its own. These names are for the free-spirited dog who lives life at full speed.

• Tubular
• Gnarly
• Radical
• Bogus
• Righteous
• Bodacious
• Stoked
• Shredder
• Ripper
• Grommet
• Grommie
• Wipeout
• Banzai
• Pipeline
• Backdoor
• Barrels
• Primo
• Nollie
• Kickflip
• Nosebone
• Grindstone
• Shaka
• Aloha
• Mahalo
• Cowabunga
• Dude
• Dudester
• Hammie
• Slashdog
• Bonkdog
• Lipslide
• Nosegrind
• Fakie
• McTwist
• Airwalk
• Indy
• Slater
• Caballero
• Hawk
• McGill
• Roskopp
• Natas
• Gelfand
• Mullen
• Steadham
• Hosoi
• Blender
• Feeble
• Crailslide
• Primo-Grind

80s TV heartthrobs and sitcom legends

Must-see TV before anyone called it that. These names belong to the charming, charismatic dog who wins everyone over in thirty seconds flat.

• Magnum
• Higgins
• T.C.
• Rick
• MacGyver
• Murdoch
• Hannibal
• Faceman
• B.A.
• Bosco
• Baracus
• Remington
• Steele
• Moonlighting
• Maddie
• Addison
• Hawk
• Stringfellow
• Dominic
• Spenser
• Hawk
• Quirk
• Manimal
• Riptide
• Colt
• Nick
• Huggy
• Starsky
• Hutch
• Kojak
• Lenny
• Squiggy
• Fonzie
• Richie
• Chachi
• Balki
• Larroquette
• Newhart
• Coach
• Norm
• Cliff
• Woody
• Sam
• Fraiser
• Frasier
• Carla
• Diane
• Malone
• Chambers
• Peterson

80s sports legends

The 80s were a golden age of sports. These names are for the athlete of the dog world—fast, competitive, and absolutely unstoppable.

• Gretzky
• Lemieux
• Messier
• Coffey
• Bossy
• Trottier
• Potvin
• Lafleur
• Dionne
• Hawerchuk
• Magic
• Bird
• Kareem
• Jordan
• Barkley
• Drexler
• Ewing
• Malone
• Stockton
• Isiah
• McEnroe
• Connors
• Lendl
• Becker
• Edberg
• Wilander
• Nastase
• Montana
• Rice
• Marino
• Elway
• Payton
• Ditka
• Singletary
• McMahon
• Riggins
• Dorsett
• Dickerson
• Walker
• Rozelle
• Pele
• Maradona
• Platini
• Zico
• Gullit
• Rijkaard
• Robson
• Rush
• Lineker
• Shilton

80s sci-fi and fantasy legends

From galaxy far, far away to right here in Hawkins, Indiana. These names are for the dog with an otherworldly presence.

• Skywalker
• Vader
• Han
• Chewie
• Lando
• Yoda
• Boba
• Fett
• Jabba
• Rancor
• Endor
• Dagobah
• Tatooine
• E.T.
• Elliot
• Gertie
• Kenobi
• Jabber
• Tron
• Flynn
• Clu
• Sark
• Cinnabar
• Gizmo
• Stripe
• Mogwai
• Gremlin
• Peck
• Futterman
• Doc
• Emmett
• Biff
• Needles
• Tannen
• Lorraine
• Predator
• Xenomorph
• Ripley
• Hicks
• Newt
• Bishop
• Vasquez
• Hudson
• Gorman
• Burke
• Terminator
• Skynet
• Connor
• Reese
• Ginger

New Wave and synth-pop icons

Cool, a little mysterious, and impossible not to love. These names are for the dog who stares dramatically out the window while listening to something you’ve never heard of.

• Depeche
• Vince
• Clarke
• Gore
• Gahan
• Fletch
• New-Order
• Hooky
• Sumner
• Morris
• Gillian
• Tears
• Fears
• Orzabal
• Smith
• Tolhurst
• Gallup
• O’Donnell
• Bamonte
• Thompson
• Currie
• Mackay
• Roxy
• Ferry
• Manzanera
• Thompson-Twins
• Alannah
• Tompkins
• Arif
• Erasure
• Andy
• Vince-II
• Yazoo
• Alison
• Soft-Cell
• Almond
• Ball
• Human-League
• Oakey
• Crowded
• Finn
• Hester
• Seymour
• Nick
• Breathe
• Sade
• Womack
• Prefab
• Paddy
• McAloon

Boombox, breakdance, and hip-hop pioneers

The 80s were the birthplace of hip-hop culture: block parties, cardboard on the pavement, and beatboxing that shook the block. These names are for the dog with moves, swagger, and serious street cred.

• Kurtis
• Grandmaster
• Melle-Mel
• Bambaataa
• Rakim
• Eric-B
• Lovebug
• Starski
• Herc
• Caz
• Furious
• Scorpio
• Cowboy
• Creole
• Kid-Creole
• Whodini
• Jalil
• Ecstasy
• Kangol
• Biz
• Markie
• Slick
• Rickster
• D.M.C.
• Jam-Master
• Run-Dog
• LL
• Roxanne
• Shante
• Spoonie
• Schoolly
• Boogie
• Down
• Blastmaster
• KRS
• Heavy
• Chuck
• Flav
• Terminator-X
• Griff
• Frukwan
• Posdnuos
• Trugoy
• Maseo
• Phife
• Jarobi
• Q-Tip
• Ali
• Shaheed
• Busta

Preppy and yuppie culture names

Power suits, suspenders, and a brick-sized cell phone. These names are for the dog who insists on the good stuff.

• Brooks
• Brooksie
• Lacoste
• Polo
• Ralph
• Lauren
• Preston
• Winthrop
• Prescott
• Pemberton
• Exeter
• Windsor
• Biff-Brax
• Tad
• Skip
• Trip
• Chip
• Muffy
• Buffy
• Chadwick
• Bradford
• Ashford
• Whitmore
• Darien
• Greenwich
• Westport
• Ridgefield
• Fairfield
• Davenport
• Aldrich
• Kingsley
• Sterling
• Barrington
• Harrington
• Pennington
• Worthington
• Wellington
• Remington
• Lexington
• Hamilton
• Fitzgerald
• Bancroft
• Ashworth
• Dunmore
• Colby
• Hartford
• Stratford
• Whitfield
• Wentworth
• Alcott
• Bradshaw

Punny 80s mashups

Because sometimes the best name is the one that makes everyone at the dog park groan and then immediately repeat it to their friends.

• Bark-arita
• Paw-cman
• Labra-cadabra
• Fur-ris Bueller
• Chew-bacca
• Paw-seidon
• Snoop-Dogg
• Grr-mlock
• Bark-gyver
• Hound-solo
• Mutt-gyver
• Woof-man
• Howl-igan
• Terrier-minator
• Bark-adillo
• Sniff-inator
• Drool-io
• Paw-casso
• Ruff-igan
• Fleas-Witherspoon
• Pawly-Shore
• Slobber-Hawk
• Fetch-aroo
• Bork-arita
• Droolius-Caesar
• Growl-ington
• Bark-abunga
• Sir-Woofs-a-Lot
• Woofgang
• Paw-ly Shore
• Sniff-aroo
• Bark-lobber
• Heel-inski
• Paw-ther
• Growlverine
• Husky-Hawn
• Biscuit-Springsteen
• Pawl-McCartney
• Flop-gun
• Top-Paw
• Bark-ly
• Chow-zen One
• Herbie-Fully-Loaded
• Pup-arazzi
• Chop-stitute
• Fluff-gyver
• Snarl-enegger
• Pawtalion
• Fur-nando
• Ruff-alo

Now that you’ve chosen the perfect name

Now that you’ve chosen the perfect 80s dog name, it’s time to help your pup learn it! Start using your chosen name consistently from day one, saying it with joy and enthusiasm before meals, walks, and playtime to create positive associations. Remember that dogs typically respond best to names that are one or two syllables, but don’t let that stop you from choosing longer names, you can always use a nickname for everyday use while keeping the full name for special occasions.

Practice calling their name in different tones and situations so they recognize it whether you’re calling excitedly at the dog park or speaking softly when they’re resting. Most dogs learn their names within a few days to a week with consistent, positive use.

Before we go

Choosing your dog’s name is an exciting first step in your journey together. Whether they’re a Ferris, a Bowie, or a Winston, their name marks the start of so many incredible memories. And as you gear up for those adventures, don’t forget to consider pet insurance to protect your new best friend. With Lemonade, it’s easy to give your pup the care they deserve, whatever comes your way. Here’s to a lifetime of happiness and skateboarding into the sunset!

A few quick words, because we <3 our lawyers: This post is general in nature, and any statement in it doesn’t alter the terms, conditions, exclusions, or limitations of policies issued by Lemonade, which differ according to your state of residence. You’re encouraged to discuss your specific circumstances with your own professional advisors. The purpose of this post is merely to provide you with info and insights you can use to make such discussions more productive! Naturally, all comments by, or references to, third parties represent their own views, and Lemonade assumes no responsibility for them. Coverage and discounts may not be available in all states.