151 Male Dog Names for Every Kind of Dog

Tons of perfect picks for your perfect pup

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Updated on 02/28/22

Portrait of a happy brown and white dog smiling up at camera from grass. — Rachel Lodin / Getty Images

Trying to think up names for your male dog? There are so many great ones to choose from, with a ton of variety depending on whether you want to name your pup something classic, something modern, or something that’s totally one of a kind.

Where do you even start? With so many male dog names out there to choose from, we get that it can be totally overwhelming. So to help you out, we’ve compiled 151 of the best names for male dogs, with plenty of options that might be worth putting at the very top of your list.

Top Male Dog Names

The name that you choose for your male dog will be with them for life, so it’s important to choose one that you love and that fits their personality. To get the ball rolling, let’s look at the tried and true male dog names that are topping the popularity list.

Ace
Bailey
Baxter
Bentley
Charlie
Cooper
Dexter
Duke
George
Leo
Max
Milo
Riley
Rocky
Roscoe
Sammy
Toby
Tyson
Walter
Zeus

Tips For Naming Your Dog

There are no definitive rules when it comes to what name you choose for your male dog, but there are some general best practices that you should follow so that you choose a name that isn’t confusing for your pup. Whether you go with inspiration from your dog’s size, breed, or personality, picking out a name is a big deal. It needs to be a name that both of you love for a long time—so it’s important to choose wisely.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when you’re naming your dog:

For training purposes, a name that starts with a hard letter such as S, T, or R might be easiest for your dog to pick up on.
Try to keep your dog’s name to just one or two syllables, since that will help them understand what their name is and learn it faster. If you prefer a longer name, you may just want to keep that name on paper but have a shorter nickname that you use for day to day communication with your dog.
Names that rhyme with key commands, such as Ray (“stay”), Bo (“no”), and Mitt (“sit”) could get confusing for your dog, so keep that in mind when making your choice.
Don’t pick a name that you’ll be embarrassed to say out loud. While it may seem like a silly choice in the moment, keep in mind that whatever name you choose for your dog is one that you’ll have to call out regularly, including in public places like the vet and dog park.

And remember, it’s perfectly okay to change your dog’s name if you don’t like it after a couple of days! Pick a name, try it out, and see how it works out for you—as well as how your dog responds to it. If the name seems off, it’s better to switch it then stick with it.

60 Unusual Male Dog Names

Classic Male Dog Names

You can’t go wrong when you choose a classic. These male dog names have stood the test of time for a reason, and they’re perfectly suitable even for a modern day pup.

Bear
Beau
Benedict
Benji
Bernie
Bingo
Biscuit
Bodie
Buddy
Champ
Chance
Clifford
Chester
Commander
Digger
Dusty
Electro
Flash
Fido
Franklin
Ghost
Grover
Harvey
Hunter
King
Levi
Lucky
Mac
Major
Moose
Outlaw
Pepper
Ralphie
Rocky
Roscoe
Rusty
Sam
Scout
Shadow
Skipper
Sparky
Wrangler
Xyzlo

Modern Male Dog Names

If you’re thinking that you’d like to go a bit more out of the box, then you’ve got your pick of modern names, too. How about one of these not-so-traditional options?

Ash
Archer
Blaze
Briggs
Cruz
Diesel
Enzo
Everest
Finn
Fox
Guiness
Harley
Harper
Hudson
Jack
Jax
Jett
Kai
Kip
Knox
Kodak
Luca
Maddox
North
Nemo
Oakley
Omega
Otto
Ozzy
Peyton
Ringo
Ryder
Scupper
Watson
Zephyr

Adorable Male Dog Names

Want a name that’s as cute as your dog is? One of these adorable male dog names might be just the way to go.

Archie
Augie
Avenger
Bean
Boots
Buttons
Chugg
Dingo
Elvis
Flex
Frankie
Gizmo
Gremlin
Gus
Hammer
Hoover
Iggy
Inky
Jojo
Lenny
Magnet
Munchkin
Nacho
Ninja
Nugget
Ollie
Pip
Pippin
Remy
Romper
Sir
Teddy
Tugboat
Vino
Waffles
Winston
Yoda
Yoshi
Ziggy
Zipper

Famous Male Dog Names

We’ve already touched on quite a few notable names throughout dog naming history, but here are some other top male dog name choices if you’re looking to give your pup a moniker based on famous dogs from showbusiness and literature.