You’ve finally adopted an adorable dog to join your family. You’re ready to take him home with you, but there’s one step left: Picking out the perfect name. It’s hard to come up with the right option on the spot — what name will perfectly capture your dog’s unique personality? We’ve done the hard work for you and compiled this list of some of the best boy dog names out there, from cute food names for dogs to dog names from movies. Whether your dog is big or small, athletic or a couch potato, we have the perfect name for your new pup.
What Makes a Good Dog Name?
Shorter names that are only one or two syllables long are easier for dogs to recognize and respond to. Avoid names that sound too similar to common commands like sit, stay, no or leave it, as this can confuse your dog. Lastly, don’t forget to match your dog’s name with his personality for the perfect fit!
Nature-Inspired Boy Dog Names
- Ash
- Aspen
- Bear
- Blaze
- Briar
- Cedar
- Comet
- Everest
- Hawk
- Ocean
- Orion
- Rain
- River
- Rocky
- Hunter
- Stone
- Thunder
- Wolf
Popular Boy Dog Names
- Benji
- Bentley
- Charlie
- Cooper
- Duke
- Jack
- Leo
- Loki
- Max
- Milo
- Oliver
- Ollie
- Otis
- Rufus
- Teddy
- Toby
- Tucker
- Winston
- Zeus
Cute Boy Dog Names
- Ace
- Atlas
- Bingo
- Buzz
- Captain
- Curly
- Doodle
- Kirby
- Kip
- Levi
- Lucky
- Mars
- Oscar
- Rocket
- Roscoe
- Rover
- Rusty
- Sam
- Tubbs
Unique Boy Dog Names
- Alfie
- Angus
- Bandit
- Casper
- Champion
- Elvis
- Finn
- Ford
- Garrett
- Harley
- Houdini
- Jet
- Maverick
- Ryder
- Titan
- Thor
- Waldo
- Xavier
- Zeke
- Ziggy
Classy Boy Dog Names
- Alfred
- Archer
- Augustus
- Bartley
- Beckham
- Bond
- Dickens
- Edgar
- Edison
- Franklin
- Hamilton
- Hugo
- Kingston
- Maxwell
- Preston
- Wolfgang
Food-Inspired Boy Dog Names
- Basil
- Bean
- Biscuit
- Bisquick
- Cheeto
- Chestnut
- Chex
- Churro
- Fudge
- Gin
- Goober
- Hershey
- Jell-O
- Jerky
- Lambchop
- Matcha
- Meatball
- Meatloaf
- Nacho
- Noodle
- Nugget
- Oatmeal
- Oreo
- Peanut
- Pepper
- Pickles
- Pop Tart
- Popcorn
- Porkchop
- Pumpkin
- Scotch
- Shrimp
- Taco
- Tater
- Turnip
- Waffles
- Walnut
- Whiskey
Pop Culture Boy Dog Names
- Bart (The Simpsons)
- Beethoven (Beethoven)
- Bolt (Bolt)
- Buddy (Air Bud)
- Chewbacca (Star Wars)
- Clifford (Clifford the Big Red Dog)
- Copper (The Fox and the Hound)
- Dodger (Oliver & Company)
- Dug (Up)
- Fang (Harry Potter)
- Forrest (Forrest Gump)
- Jaws (Jaws)
- Jedi (Star Wars)
- Kermit (The Muppets)
- Marley (Marley and Me)
- Paddington (Paddington Bear)
- Pluto (Mickey Mouse’s dog)
- Rex (Toy Story)
- Scooby (Scooby-Doo)
- Shiloh (Saving Shiloh)
- Slinky (Toy Story)
- Snoopy (Peanuts)
- Spock (Star Trek)
- Toto (The Wizard of Oz)
- Zero (The Nightmare Before Christmas)
Karla Pope is a longtime writer, editor and blogger with more than two decades of editorial experience. She’s written for a variety of outlets including Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, Travel + Leisure, Tripadvisor, People, Parade and more. Her coverage includes travel, lifestyle, entertainment and wellness content. When she's not exploring the world with her family, you can find her curled up on the couch watching a documentary and eating gummy bears.
Elizabeth Berry (she/her) is the Updates Editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute where she optimizes lifestyle content across verticals. Prior to this role, she was an Editorial Assistant for Woman’s Day where she covered everything from gift guides to recipes. She also has experience fact checking commerce articles and holds a B.A. in English and Italian Studies from Connecticut College.
