Naming a new pup is a serious responsibility with more than a little pressure. With the vast array of male dog names out there, how does one pick the perfect name for their good boy?
Dog owners often turn to popular male dog names inspired by pop culture, from timeless classics like Snoopy or Scooby to the trending monikers of Thor or Maverick (from the Marvel and Top Gun universes, respectively).
Pet names can come from anywhere, really: famous New York streets, Disney characters, your great-great-grandmother Gertrude Millicent III.
While male dog names like Oscar and Dexter have been staples at dog parks, newer name ideas inspired by TV shows like Game of Thrones, or characters plucked from the pages of Harry Potter, make their mark. And when in doubt, cute boy dog names like Milo and Ziggy never really go out of style.
Some pet parents prefer unique dog names or those with a badass ring—Crusher! Zombie!—while others gravitate towards human names for their furry friend (give Stephen a belly rub).
And, while our focus is on boy dog names, remember that gender is a construct, and there are no rules. Don’t be surprised if you encounter a “Marley” or “Elvis” on a list of female dog names. It’s more fun that way.
Whether you’re seeking boy puppy names for a small dog or a 90-pound rascal, we’ve got over 300 options for your new best friend. Steal our best ones, or simply use them for inspiration.
- Coat or color
- Big dogs
- Small dogs
- The arts, literature, or film
- High-energy dogs
- Chill dogs
- Food-related names
- Wonderfully pretentious names
- Mutt names
- Sport-loving dog names
- Outdoor-loving dogs
- LGBTQ+ history
- Unabashedly hipster names
- Weird & random names
Names that refer to your pup’s coat or color
- Cloud
- Charcoal
- Cobalt
- Onyx
- Chestnut
- Fawn
- Saffron
- Alabaster
- Licorice
- Ginger
- Currant
- Juniper
- Marmalade
- Taffy
- Cashew
- Sable
- Smokey
- Biscuit
- Caramel
- Hazel
- Frost
- Copper
- Umber
- Grizzle
- Russet
- Sterling
- Flint
- Champagne
- Mocha
- Sorrel
- Obsidian
- Soot
- Dapple
- Pepper
- Pyrite
- Sage
- Auburn
- Whiskey
- Oyster
- Birch
Names for big dogs
- Redwood
- Everest
- Tank
- Kodiak
- Mammoth
- Sequoia
- Goliath
- Jupiter
- Hulk
- Avalanche
- Atlas
- Titan
- Sumo
- Brawn
- Maximus
- Vortex
- Mastodon
- Moby
- Boulder
- Whopper
- Bigfoot
- Stallion
Names for small dogs
- Micro
- Button
- Tumbleweed
- Pippin
- Niblet
- Peanut
- Atom
- Pint
- Bonbon
- Smidge
- Kernel
- Bonsai
- Wisp
- Squirt
- Thimble
- Pico
- Dinky
- Twig
- Minnow
- Tick
- Piccolo
- Crumb
- Speck
- Noodle
- Nano
Names inspired by artistic, literary, or film culture
- Renoir
- Lumiere
- Capote
- Warhol
- Mozart
- Murakami
- Hockney
- Twombly
- Dante
- Vermeer
- Lennon
- Poe
- Orwell
- Hemingway
- Marlowe
- Matisse
- Chaplin
- Twain
- Munch
- Banksy
- Aslan
- Gatsby
Names for high-energy pups
- Jitter
- Squirrel
- Sprint
- FourLoko
- Jester
- Comet
- Rocket
- Dash
- Spark
- Zoom
- Tango
- Twister
- Whirl
- Pogo
- Boomer
- Pacer
- Scamp
- Crackerjack
- Whiz
- Scramble
- Dasher
- Fizz
- Scuttle
- Jolt
- Scooter
- Skipper
- Turbo
- Bounce
- Flash
- Blitz
- Zing
- Tornado
- Frisky
- Swifty
- Hurdle
- Buzz
- Flurry
- Zip
- Looper
- Whisk
Names for chill dogs
- Lazybones
- Dozer
- Mush
- Tranquilo
- Sabbath
- Sloth
- Hush
- Whisper
- Velvet
- Yawn
- Pillow
- Loaf
Food-inspired names
- Cannoli
- Meatball
- Nacho
- Gumbo
- Muffin
- Sushi
- Ravioli
- Waffle
- Pretzel
- Cobbler
- Pesto
- Truffle
- Dorito
- Nugget
- Flapjack
- Tater
- Croissant
- Pancake
- Pickle
- Taco
- Sprout
- Scone
- Ritz
- Twix
- Dumpling
- Churro
- Gherkin
- Mochi
- Grits
Wonderfully pretentious names
- Aloysius
- Pennington
- Archimedes
- Beauregard
- Horatio
- Demetrius
- Galahad
- Algernon
- Thackeray
- Cuthbert
- Phineas
- Ignatius
- Bertram
- Ziggurat
Names for proud mutts
- Mixtape
- Pastiche
- Medley
- Remix
- Jambalaya
- Mishmash
- Stew
- Ragamuffin
- Mashup
- Jumble
- Muddle
- Confetti
Names for dogs who love sports
- Dribble
- Blitz
- Puck
- Swish
- Dunk
- Relay
- Rookie
- Punter
- Squash
- Fumble
Names for dogs who love the great outdoors
- Glacier
- Rainier
- Tundra
- Solar
- Terra
- Delta
- Geo
- Thoreau
- Canyon
- Summit
- Dune
- Reef
Names that reference LGBTQ+ history
- Harvey
- Stonewall
- Bayard
- Wilde
- Baldwin
- Turing
- Kinsey
Unabashedly hipster names
- Edison
- Kingsley
- Banjo
- Huxley
- Amos
- Thelonious
- Clancy
- Arlo
- Rafferty
- Ansel
- Lo-Fi
- Sourdough
- Chester
- Oppenheimer
- Orlin
- Aldous
- Linus
- Percy
- Polaroid
- Elwood
- Cormac
- Fitz
- Kombucha
- Ampersand
Just plain weird or random names
- Knickknack
- Sprocket
- Wobble
- Flabbergast
- Lollygag
- Zigzag
- Skedaddle
- Quibble
- Jamboree
- Kerfuffle
- Boondoggle
- Malarkey
- Lollapalooza
- Flimflam
- Flummox
- Archer
- Quasar
- Brio
- Galileo
- Cobblestone
- Quixote
- Bravo
- Drumroll
- Knapsack
- Widget
- Allegro
- Fibonacci
- Hyperbole
- Zamboni
- Snafu
- Loophole
- Shenanigan
- Kerfuffle
- Whimsy
- Fred “I Love Lemonade Pet Insurance” Kibbles
