Top 100 Boy Dog Names

ALL STAGE CANINE DEVELOPMENT

While naming your male dog may not have the same lifetime significance as naming a baby boy, it’s a name you and your dog will be living with for a long time, so it deserves some thought. A good dog name can actually enhance his responsiveness and improve communication between you.

How to Choose the Right Dog Name

Dogs have an easier time hearing hard consonants and long vowels, so a name like “Lucky” or “Benny” will be easier for him to distinguish from other sounds. Most dog training experts recommend a one or two-syllable name that you can say quickly. It’s also commonly recommended that you avoid names that sound like commands, for example, “Kit,” which sounds like “sit,” or “Bo,” which sounds like “no.”

Pick a name you like to say (and that you won’t be embarrassed to yell across the dog park). You’ll be saying your puppy’s name a lot over time, as a quick attention grabber or just as part of their overall training and socialization.

Trending Dog Names

Looking for boy dog names in 2019? Just like baby names, dog names rise and fall in popularity. The number of dogs named after “Frozen” characters rose 900 percent the year after the movie came out, so don’t be surprised if your dog meets an “Olaf” in obedience class. Names from the “Twilight” movies and “Game of Thrones” have also risen over time, so expect to meet boy dogs named “Ghost,” “Tyrion,” or maybe “Stark.”

Food and drink are favorite themes, too. There was a 37 percent rise in food-themed names from 2013 to 2014, so expect to run into a “Jameson,” “Bud” or “Java” on your daily walks. And at least 20 percent of dogs have human names like “Edward” or “Jesse.” Sports figures are a perennial favorite; the year Derek Jeter retired from the New York Yankees, “Jeter” was in the top 10 dog names. If you’re looking for a more original name, try our list of unique dog names. (We’ve got girl dog name suggestions, too.)

If you’re lucky, you’ll meet your dog, get to know him a bit, and come up with an inspired choice. But if you’re at a loss for a great dog name, here are the top 100 boy puppy names in the country right now.

  • Ace
  • Apollo
  • Bailey
  • Bandit
  • Baxter
  • Bear
  • Beau
  • Benji
  • Benny
  • Bentley
  • Blue
  • Bo
  • Boomer
  • Brady
  • Brody
  • Bruno
  • Brutus
  • Bubba
  • Buddy
  • Buster
  • Cash
  • Champ
  • Chance
  • Charlie
  • Chase
  • Chester
  • Chico
  • Coco
  • Cody
  • Cooper
  • Copper
  • Dexter
  • Diesel
  • Duke
  • Elvis
  • Finn
  • Frankie
  • George
  • Gizmo
  • Gunner
  • Gus
  • Hank
  • Harley
  • Henry
  • Hunter
  • Jack
  • Jackson
  • Jake
  • Jasper
  • Jax
  • Joey
  • Kobe
  • Leo
  • Loki
  • Louie
  • Lucky
  • Luke
  • Mac
  • Marley
  • Max
  • Mickey
  • Milo
  • Moose
  • Murphy
  • Oliver
  • Ollie
  • Oreo
  • Oscar
  • Otis
  • Peanut
  • Prince
  • Rex
  • Riley
  • Rocco
  • Rocky
  • Romeo
  • Roscoe
  • Rudy
  • Rufus
  • Rusty
  • Sam
  • Sammy
  • Samson
  • Scooter
  • Scout
  • Shadow
  • Simba
  • Sparky
  • Spike
  • Tank
  • Teddy
  • Thor
  • Toby
  • Tucker
  • Tyson
  • Vader
  • Winston
  • Yoda
  • Zeus
  • Ziggy

Now that you picked the perfect name, register your dog with the American Kennel Club!