99 Best British Dog Names (Plus Naming Tips)

Feeling positively chuffed over your newest furry family member? Whether you're an anglophile, a royal family fan, or a British culture and history buff, the United Kingdom offers plenty of inspiration for naming your dog. Don't worry—you don't need to own an English bulldog or a Scottish terrier to nick a brill name from across the pond.

The Top British Dog Names

If you're looking for a British dog name, why not go straight to the source? According to a poll conducted by The Independent, a popular British newspaper and online news outlet, these are some of the top dog names in the United Kingdom.

• Alfie
• Archie
• Bella
• Buddy
• Charlie
• Daisy
• Max
• Millie
• Milo
• Molly
• Oscar
• Poppy
• Rosie
• Teddy
• Tilly

Tips for Naming Your New Dog

Bringing home a dog is exciting. Besides preparing for your new friend with food, a cozy bed, and toys, you also need a name—the perfect name. It may feel impossible to choose a name that suits your dog and is loved by every member of the family, but we've rounded up some tips to help make the selection easier:

1. Consider names with hard consonants and one to two syllables. These kinds of names will be easier for your dog to hear and understand.
2. Avoid names that can sound like a command. Naming your dog Kit could get a little confusing when you really want him to sit.
3. Skip any names that you'd be embarrassed to use in public. Imagine yourself sitting in your veterinarian's waiting room and a vet tech calling out your pet's name. Are you cringing? If so, don't use it.
4. Choose a name that's simple to say and spell. Remember that your family, friends, and veterinarian will be saying (and sometimes, writing) your dog's name for years and years to come.

Dog Names From British Culture

It's easy to be enamored with British culture. From television and movie stars to cheeky characters and music marvels, the pop culture of the U.K. is becoming ever more popular around the globe. Here are some names you may recognize, one of which might be perfect for your pup:

• Bond (James Bond)
• Q (James Bond)
• Beckham (soccer player David Beckham)
• Ed (Ed Sheeran)
• Monty (Monty Python)
• Clouseau (Pink Panther)
• Cato (Pink Panther)
• Cuckoo (TV series)
• Emma (actresses Emma Watson or Emma Thompson)
  
• Ginger (former Spice Girl)
• Mr. Bean (comedic movie)
• Jane (author Jane Austen)
• Sherlock (Sherlock Holmes books and movies)
• Watson (Sherlock Holmes books and movies)
• John, Paul, George, or Ringo (The Beatles)
• Winston (former Prime Minister Winston Churchill)
• Gandalf (wizard from Lord of the Rings book and movie)

Dog Names From Game of Thrones

This popular television series featured six direwolves, which were fictional wolves of enormous size owned as pets by the six children of Winterfell. These were the wolves' names, with the names of their owners in parentheses:

• Lady (Sansa)
• Grey Wind (Robb)
• Shaggy Dog (Rikon)
• Summer (Bran)
• Ghost (Jon)
• Nymeria (Arya)

Dog Names Inspired by the Royal Family

Do you wake up at dawn for the British royal family weddings? Can't get enough gossip about them? Love a good fascinator headpiece? Then maybe you should consider choosing a name from the world's most famous family.

Royal Females

• Anne
• Beatrice
• Diana
• Fergie
• Camila
• Charlotte
• Elizabeth
• Kate
• Meghan
• Princess
• Queenie
• Dutchess
• Lilibet

Royal Males

• Charles or Charlie
• George
• Harry
• William or Bill
• Louis
• Prince
• King
• Duke

British Dog Names Inspired by Geography

Ready for a little geography lesson? Pull out a map and find these notable locations across the United Kingdom's gorgeous island landscapes. One might have just the right ring to it when calling your dog.

• Carrick: A famous bridge constructed by salmon fisherman in 1755, the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge suspended 100 feet over the Atlantic Ocean. It's a major destination for daring tourists in Northern Ireland.
• Ives: Saint Ives Bay is a beautiful inlet on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall, England. What better name for your English springer spaniel, retriever, or other water-loving dog?
• London: Sure, it may seem a little on-the-nose, but if it's good enough for Slash (Guns 'n Roses guitarist whose son is named London), it's good enough for us!
• Ness (Nessie): Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands is the stuff of legends, so it only makes sense to name your legendary dog after this famous lake—or its mythological inhabitant.
• Stone: Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument located in Wiltshire, England, is probably the United Kingdom's most famous landmark—making Stone the ideal name for the canine cornerstone of your family.

Dog Names From British Slang

If you're looking for a less formal moniker for your mutt, there are gobs of names to be gathered from the snappy slang vocabulary of the Brits.

• Bonnie (pretty girl)
• Lass/Lassie (girl)
• Bloke (man, guy, dude) 
• Lad (boy)
• Bonkers (silly, crazy)
• Barmy (crazy)
• Cheerio (goodbye)
• Jiffy (right away)
• Cheeky (charming, ornery)
• Muppet (clueless)
• Geordie (someone from Newcastle)
• Manc (someone from Manchester)
• Nosh (food)
• Blimey (expression of surprise)
• Kerfuffle (scuffle)
• Bruv (brother)
• Peng (London slang for interesting or desirable)
• Chippy (pub that sells fish and chips)
• Quid (one pound, British currency)
• Rugger (Rugby)
• Numpty (silly, absurd)
• Shiner (black eye)
• Tidy (Welsh slang for fantastic)
• Wee (small)
• Jammy (lucky)
• Kip (nap)
• Bagsy (to call dibs)
• Mitts (hands)
• Rosie Lee (Cockney slang for a cup of tea)
• Tickety-boo (all's well)
• Uncle Ned (bed)
  
• Vino (cheap wine)
• Wonky (unbalanced)
• Ace (great, awesome)
• Bants (banter, telling jokes)

More Dog Naming Ideas

Need a little more inspiration? Be sure to check out:

• 43 Latin Dog Names
• 40 Greek Dog Names
• 75 Italian Dog Names