100 Old-Fashioned Dog Names

Are you a history buff or love all things vintage? Do you get overcome by waves of nostalgia for the years gone by? If you do, maybe you'll be looking for a classic name for your dog that has stood the test of time. We've outlined 100 old dog names below for you to peruse as inspiration.

Top Old-Fashioned Dog Names (Unisex)

• Berry
• Buttons
• Lucky
• Mopsie
• Patch
• Pepper
• Pip
• Red
• Rusty
• Scruffy
• Shadow
• Shandy
• Socks
• Sweep

Old-Fashioned Dog Names Inspired By Books, TV, and Movies

We've gathered together some old dog names from popular historical culture. Maybe you could name your dog after a classic book, movie, cartoon, or comic doggy character.

• Argos ("man's best friend" in Homer's "Odyssey")
• Astro (the Great Dane from the "Jetsons" TV show)
• Beethoven (the lovable Saint Bernard from the "Beethoven" film)
• Belle (the Great Pyrenees from Cécile Aubry's novel "Belle and Sébastien")
• Buck (the Saint Bernard cross from Jack London's novel "The Call of the Wild")
• Buddy (the golden retriever from the sports comedy film "Air Bud")
• Bullseye (the bull terrier from Charles Dickens' novel "Oliver Twist")
• Clifford (the big red cartoon dog that was inspired by a bloodhound or a giant Vizsla from the classic 1960s book series and later TV cartoon)
• Comet (the golden retriever from "Full House" TV fame)
• Dino (the Snorkasaurus from "The Flinstones" cartoon)
• Droopy (the wrinkly faced white basset hound cartoon dog along with Drippy, a twin brother, and Dripple, the son)
• Eddie (the feisty wire-hair Jack Russell terrier from the "Frasier" TV show)
• Frank (the pug from the science fiction action comedy film "Men in Black")
• Gnasher (the Abyssinian wire-haired tripe hound in the long-running comic series "Dennis the Menace")
• Huckleberry (the blue coonhound nicknamed "Huck" the cartoon character)
• Jip (the Labrador retriever from the "Dr. Doolittle" books by Hugh Lofting)
• Lady (the American cocker spaniel from the Disney movie "Lady and the Tramp")
• Lassie (this rough-coated collie is arguably one of the most iconic dog characters from TV and movies)
• Muttley (the mixed-breed dog featured in the "Wacky Races" cartoon series by Hanna-Barbera Productions )
• Nana (the famous Newfoundland in J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan")
• Perdita (from Dodie Smith's "101 Dalmatians")
• Pluto (the bloodhound cartoon character of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse fame)
• Pongo (also from "101 Dalmatians")
• Scooby (the iconic Great Dane from the cartoons and movies of the same name: "Scooby-Doo")
• Scrappy (Scooby-Doo's nephew)
• Slink (the stretchy dachshund from the film "Toy Story")
• Snoopy (the iconic spotted white beagle cartoon dog)
• Snowy (the wire fox terrier in Hergé's TV series "The Adventures of Tintin")
• Snuffles (the German shepherd from "Harry Potter" book and film fame)
• Spike (the American bulldog in the "Tom and Jerry" cartoons which also went by the name Killer and Butch)
• Toto (the cairn terrier in "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum)
• Tramp (the stray mutt from the Disney movie "Lady and the Tramp")

Old-Fashioned Male Dog Names

• Albert
• Alvin
• Archie
• Barton
• Basil
• Benji
• Benny
• Buster
• Bruiser
• Butch
• Chance
• Charlie
• Chester
• Clyde
• Dash
• Duke
• Finn
• Hercules
• Jack
• King
• Major
• Max
• Milo
• Ranger
• Rex
• Rocco
• Rover
• Scamp
• Shep
• Skip
• Spot

Old-Fashioned Female Dog Names

• Alice
• Annabelle
• Beauty
• Bessie
• Bonnie
• Brandy
• Daisy
• Dolly
• Duchess
• Fannie
• Flossie
• Gertrude
• Ginger
• Goldie
• Jess
• Nellie
• Princess
• Roxie
• Sadie
• Sandy
• Sasha
• Star
• Tillie

Other Dog Name Ideas

If none of the names above has caught your attention, why not check out these other lists of dog name ideas with specific themes.

• Celtic Dog Names
• Mythical Dog Names
• Star Wars Dog Names
  

Tips for Naming Your Dog

Bringing home a new dog is an exciting but often stressful time with all the things that need to be done, like shopping for supplies, settling in your dog, and trying to come up with a name the whole family can agree on. The most important thing, though, is just to select a name that gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling when you say it. After all, hopefully, it's going to be something you will be using for many years to come. Here are a few more tips on naming your dog.

• Be patient: Don't worry if you can't all agree on a name from the moment your new dog arrives. If it takes a few days or even a week for everyone to agree on something, that's much better than making a rash decision only to change the name a few weeks down the line.
• Stick to one name: Changing a dog's name can further confuse a new pet during the crucial period when it's trying to settle in. Shifting names can even set back training if there are too many name changes.
• Keep it simple: Stick with something that is short, simple, and without too many syllables.
• Abbreviate it: If you prefer a longer name, aim for one with an abbreviation. The last thing you want to do is shout a long, complicated name every time you're calling your dog back at the park. For example, try Bart for Bartholomew.
• Make it pronounceable: A name that's easy to pronounce and won't be confused with something else is helpful. If your dog walker mispronounces your pooch's name, they might not get a response. For example, Mia seems super simple, but it can be said three different ways (ME-ah, MY-ah, or MAY-ah).
• Keep it respectful: If you want to go for a humorous name, make sure it's not inappropriate or offensive, even if it's unintentional. For example, calling out for a dog named Fire may startle a few neighbors.