With the current fad for micro-pups and dogs so tiny they can fit in your pocket or purse, you could be forgiven for thinking that big dog breeds were out of favor.
But you’d be very wrong!
While we’ve nothing against little dogs, many of us prefer something a bit bigger. After all, aren’t dogs descended from wolves? Shouldn’t they be big, bold, and beautiful?
While this subject is sure to divide the crowd, we’re going to press on and provide you with a list of dog name ideas, especially for our larger-than-life furry friends. Choosing the right name can be a chore, but it’s something you really want to get right the first time. Your dog is going to have this name for the rest of its life, so it has to be a good one.
A name can reflect the dog’s personality, coat color, or size. Alternatively, it could be completely random and unrelated to any aspect of its appearance or character – it’s entirely up to you!
But as we’re dealing with big dogs, we’re going to focus our list on that very fact and help you find the perfect name for your large dog. We’ve helpfully broken the lists down into categories for you to save you from having to scan through hundreds of the best big dog names because we’re just nice like that.
So, if you want large dog names, for pooches the size of a German Shepherd, Husky, or Labrador Retriever, right up to an Irish Wolfhound or English Mastiff, then read on!
Big Dog Names For Males
Do you have a boy dog? Then here are some male dog names that you might want to consider:
• Rex
• Zeus
• Beowulf
• Rover
• Victor
• King
• Jasper
• Dash
• Cooper
• Buddy
• Bruno
• Chief
• Bear
• Bentley
• Wolfgang
These are just a few male big dog names that give you a good idea of what’s out there. Picking pet names doesn’t have to be difficult, but if you need some pointers, see our tips on choosing one right at the end of the article.
Female Big Dog Names
What about some cool girl dog names? Thinking of great names for a female dog for a large breed can be tricky. You want something that captures her size and spirit, which is still feminine.
Here are a few big girl dog names that you might like:
• Blaze
• Ruby
• Vixen
• Astra
• Ebony
• Duchess
• Cleopatra
• Tess
• Xena
• Amazon
• Zelda
• Delilah
• Rebel
• Elektra
• Diva
• Storm
• Pandora
These are clearly female dog names, but they give a sense of strength and character. Each one gives the impression of girl power, using figures from mythology and females with a sense of authority.
Black Big Dog Names
Some people think big black dogs are scary. And they’re right, at least some of the time. Bram Stoker used the image of an immense black hound in his classic Gothic tale Dracula. The hound was the only survivor on a ship that sailed from Varna to Whitby, and its arrival heralded the start of the infamous vampire’s reign of terror!
If you have a touch of darkness about you or a slightly Gothic air, or you simply like scaring people, then these big dog names might interest you:
• Shadow
• Wraith
• Morticia
• Cherokee
• Demon
• Anubis
• Azrael
• Hagrid
• Lucifer
• Grimm
• Mephistopheles
• Phantom
• Pantera
• Nephilim
• Lacrimosa
• Mandragora
• Nosferatu
• Vader (as in Darth Vader)
• Rasputin
• Zeraphine
• Thorn
Now, admittedly, some of these might be a little impractical, as they are perhaps too long (see the final section, tips on picking a good name, below), but you can shorten them if you wish, just to make things easier. Still, when you do feel like using your dog’s full name, you might want to have a camera handy to capture the expressions of the people nearby.
White Big Dog Names
All dogs are special, but something about pure white dogs sets them apart for many dog owners. Perhaps it’s because they aren’t commonly seen, or maybe that some have startling blue or light-colored eyes. Whatever it is, they always turn heads wherever they go. If you have a big white dog, then you’ll need a name that’s a perfect fit, so why not make the association with his or her color?
Take a look at these big dog names for white dogs to see if any may be suitable for your furry friend:
• Alba
• Cloud
• Blizzard
• Aurora
• Luna
• Moonlight
• Polar
• Sirius
• Starlight
• Stella
• Glacier
• Angel
• Lily
• Crystal
• Marshmallow
• Winter
• Alaska
• Vanilla
• Bianca/Bianco
• Ivory
• Blanche
• Frosty
• Baymax
• Nimbus
• Ghost
• Swan
• Snowflake
There are quite a few to choose from here, each one highlighting that you own a giant white dog!
Cute Big Dog Names
Pet owners have Disney to thank for many popular and cute names over the years. This is all well and good, but it means that thousands of big dogs end up being called Beethoven, Pongo, Goofy, Pluto, Bolt, Tramp, Woody, and so on.
Coming up with big dog names that are both cute and unique can be quite a task, so we’ve put together a few to get you started. Some might still be connected with Disney or other film and TV shows, but others are simply words that sound soft and cuddly:
• Crumbs
• Frodo
• Babe
• Dot
• Missy
• Luna
• Pooh Bear
• Gandalf
• Tigger
• Roo
• Blimp
• Dinky
• Pebbles
• Waffles
• Fluffy
• Yogi
• Moose
• Inky
• Bitsy
• Ziggy
• Buffy
• Suki
• Yoshi
• Belle
• Bobby
• Wags
• Dimples
• Cuddles
• Clover
• Dumpling
That’s a cuteness overload! There’s sure to be one in here that you like the look of. If not, use these as inspiration to seek out something even cuter – if that’s even possible!
Giant Dog Names
If you have a Great Dane, Newfoundland, Mastiff, or Great Pyrenees, then you have a seriously big dog! And you need big dog names.
Here are some that might fit the bill:
• Titan
• Goliath
• Fang
• Chunk
• Bigfoot
• Yeti
• Sasquatch
• Hulk
• Groot
• Maximus (Max)
• Hercules
• Butch
• Godzilla
• Clifford (as in the big red dog!)
• Big boy
• Biggie
• Heathcliff
• Tank
• Colossus
• Brutus
• Diablo
• Juggernaut
• Jumbo
Any of these would be a great match for a massive dog like a Mastiff or similar. They have a sense of solidity that will suit these huge dogs very well.
Funny Big Dog Names
Photo from: @olympusgreatdanes
When choosing funny big dog names, it’s important to remember that you are naming a living thing. Your pooch will have to live with this name for the whole of its life.
Also, people vary wildly when it comes to their sense of humor. You might laugh heartily at something, while others will shrug or shake their heads. Defining what is funny and what’s not can be very difficult!
To add to the problem, many of these names are simply impractical and really wouldn’t work as they are too long and pretty silly.
For more proof, check out some websites that claim to have ‘hilarious’ dog names…
Anyway, what we have here are some mildly amusing names that can loosely be described as funny. They might be just what you’re looking for if you wanted big dog names that are lighthearted and will keep you smiling:
• Chewie
• Groucho
• Homer
• Pugsley
• Dobby
• Ewok
• Cupcake
• Jellybean
• Twinkie
• Taco
• Tiny
• Giggles
• Elmo
• Mini-me
• Tater-tot
• Pee Wee
• Pop Tart
• Hashtag
• Pudding
• Princess
Okay, so your sides aren’t splitting, but that’s not the point, remember? It’s the thought of a giant pooch being named Tiny or Cupcake that raises a smile. If none of these take your fancy, then feel free to use them as a foundation to discover your own funny big dog names.
Tough Big Dog Names
Are you looking for tough dog names? It doesn’t mean that your pooch has to actually be a badass. It could be the softest fluff-ball ever, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give him or her a tough-sounding name!
Here are a few examples to get you going:
• Hulk
• Rambo
• Soldier
• Spike
• Spartacus
• Viking
• Titan
• Ninja
• Tyson
• Beast
• Cujo
• Chaos
• Brutus
• Renegade
• Chuck (as in Norris!)
Big dog names don’t come tougher than this! The sight of your oversized pooch is probably enough to stop an intruder in his tracks, but the sound of his or her name will add to the overall effect and have them running off into the night at great speed.
Of course, your dog doesn’t have to be a hard-nut (hard-mutt?) to own a name like this. You could always use the name ironically!
Big Dog Names With Meaning
Almost every name in these lists here will have some meaning or significance. We’ll pick out the best of these and explain what they mean, as well as adding some extra ones for your to muse on:
• Athena – the Greek goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason.
• Valtava – the Finnish word for colossal.
• Groot – the Afrikaans word for large.
• Alba – the Latin word for white and the ancient name for Scotland.
• Zeus – Greek king of the gods.
• Beowulf – hero of the Anglo-Saxon epic poem of the same name.
• Pandora – the first mortal woman in Greek mythology, given a magical box as a
wedding present by Zeus with strict instructions not to open it!
• Mephistopheles – the fallen angel who appears in many legends and tales, including Faust.
• Anubis – the jackal-headed Egyptian god of death and the afterlife.
• Azrael – the avenging angel, or angel of death.
• Hagrid – the giant but kindly groundskeeper and gamekeeper of Hogwarts, in the immensely popular Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling.
• Lucifer – meaning light-bearer, day-star, or son of the morning, Lucifer is thought by some to have once been a senior angel in heaven. After being accused of the sin of pride, he was cast down to Earth, where he became associated with the evil being we know as Satan.
• Nephilim – mysterious giant beings in ancient Hebrew texts as well as the Christian Bible. They are thought to be the result of interbreeding between humans and angels.
• Nosferatu – a word of uncertain origin, now famous because of the 1922 horror film of the same name. Nosferatu is almost identical to that other vampire we know and love, Count Dracula, except he is considered to be more evil!
• Kronos (also Cronos/Cronus) – the Greek version of the Roman god Saturn. He was king of the Titans and married to Rhea.
• Hyperion – Greek mythology again! Hyperion was also a Titan and father of the sun, moon, and dawn (Helios, Selene, and Eos).
• Medusa – one of the snake-haired Gorgon sisters in (you guessed it) Greek mythology who could turn people to stone when they looked into her eyes.
• Astra – this has several meanings, but we’ll steer away from Greek mythology to say that it is Latin for star. It is also mentioned in Hindu writings as a supernatural weapon that was summoned through incantations.
• Valkyrie – in Norse mythology, Odin had twelve handmaids who decided who would live or die on the battlefield. They would swoop down and gather the bodies of the fallen warriors and ride with them to Valhalla, the hall of the slain, where they would feast for eternity.
• Banshee – in Irish folklore and legend, a Banshee (bean sidhe in Irish Gaelic) is a female spirit that predicted death by wailing beneath windows.
• Jupiter – king of the gods, god of thunder, and the sky in Roman mythology.
This selection is a mere fraction of the cool names you could choose, but if none of these catch your eye, then there’s nothing stopping you from delving further into folklore, legend, and world mythology from whichever country or culture you prefer.
Tips On Picking A Good Name
Photo from: @olympusgreatdanes
Your new dog needs to learn his or her name quickly, so try to select one as soon as you can. It’s okay to take a couple of days over it. You might be one of those super-organized people who has everything sorted out well in advance, so you have a name picked out already.
The thing is, sometimes it’s best to spend some time with your pup before naming it. Certain elements in his or her character might show themselves that could give you a clue as to what name to choose.
While it’s tempting to go to town with big dog names, going for something like Agamemnon, Conan the Barbarian, or Beelzebub, Prince of Darkness, it’s best to remember that you will be the one calling this out for the next decade or so. Come rain or shine, wherever you take your dog, you will be subjected to the stares, possible ridicule, or concerned faces backing away slowly. Of course, some people will find it amusing.
In the end, it doesn’t matter what people think, as long as you are comfortable with it and your dog understands it!
Even so, short, snappy names are better as they are easier for the dog to hear. Avoid anything that rhymes with or sounds like a command word.
Unique big dog names are great, as they sound cool and set your dog apart from the rest. They can also be useful when you’re out in the dog park. If you choose a name like Max or Marley, you could be surrounded by a dozen confused pooches when you shout to your dog when it’s time to leave.
We hope you’ve at least enjoyed reading about these top names and that some have stood out as possibilities for your pooch. Have a bit of fun with it, and try some out by shouting them in your backyard to see how they feel before bestowing one on your new puppy.
Remember, this is for life, so you have to get it right!
Once you’ve picked a good one, you can go and make some special memories with your super-sized pup.