Unique Dog Names – 5 Easy Ways to Find Creative Names

Are you looking for unique dog names that not everyone has? Uncommon ideas not only stand out, but they’re also fun to pick out. This guide will help you generate some inspiration for unique dog names that fit your style & personality!

When looking at dog names, Toby was a name we both liked, and when we met the little yellow lab pup we’d soon take home, there was no question that was the perfect name for him.

Toby goes to doggy daycare a few days a week. (It’s a lifesaver for a high-energy lab, especially during crazy cold Minnesota winters!) For almost a year, he was the only Toby. But soon, there was another. And another. Before long, he was known as “Big Toby.”

As a child of the 80s with the name Jessica, I’m sensitive to being one of many with the same name. The worst was second grade, when I was one of four girls named Jessica. There was always some clarifier to tell us apart. I was called Jessica K., New Jessi, even “Big Jessi” at one point throughout the years. (Like mother like pup, I guess.)

I don’t regret naming my dog Toby for a minute. It’s a perfect name for him. But if you want to find genuinely unique dog names for your pup, ones no other puppy at the dog park has, here are a few pointers.

Best Unique Dog Names

These are some of our favorite uncommon dog names for each gender.

Unique Girl Dog Names

Here are some great female dog names for your new pup.

• Aja
• Athena
• Brie
• Cinder
• Emmy
• Flora
• Godiva
• Java
• Kaia
• Maizie
• Nikita
• Pippa
• Poppy
• Sierra
• Vesper
• Yuki

Unique Boy Dog Names

These male dog names are some of the top ideas for your new best friend.

• Amigo
• Apollo
• Barley
• Beau
• Bock
• Cobalt
• Cosmo
• Dixon
• Gordy
• Hogan
• Jett
• Lupin
• Miller
• Porter
• Royce
• Spartan
• Watson

Unique Movie & TV Show Names

When reading a book or watching TV or a movie, pay close attention to character names. Writers rarely give characters average, boring names – which is excellent for your quest to find uncommon names. For example, in House of Cards, one of the main characters is named Remy. This would make a super cool, unique dog name!

• Ahsoka
• Amelie
• Archer
• Ash
• Boba
• Bronson
• Buffy
• Buzz
• Casper
• Chandler
• Cheech
• Conan
• Costello
• Debo
• Dory
• Fiona
• Flynn
• Herbie
• Hogan
• Huey
• Jango
• Jedi
• Juno
• Khan
• Leia
• Macgyver
• Maverick
• Meadow
• McFly
• Mulder
• Neo
• Portia
• Rambo
• Rey
• Riddick
• Ripley
• Sherlock
• Tango
• Tom Servo
• Trinity
• Tyrion
• Walker
• Winnie

You might also enjoy these famous dogs from movies and TV.

Location Names

Think about cities you’ve visited or your favorite vacation spots. Look at the street names when you drive down the road, as well as park signs and landmarks. Here are some ideas for your new puppy:

• Alaska
• Alpine
• Aspen
• Cairo
• Cali
• Cyprus
• Dallas
• Dixie
• Dakota
• Denver
• Dixie
• Dublin
• Frisco
• Georgia
• Humboldt
• Jersey
• Juneau
• Kona
• Kota
• Maui
• Memphis
• Milan
• Minne
• Oslo
• Paris
• Rio
• Tahiti
• Tex
• Vegas
• Venice
• Vienna

Also, take a look at our complete list of city dog names.

Hobby Names

Think about your hobbies and interests. This might be a sport like tennis, golf, or football with a unique term (Bogey, Ace), a player (Elway, Gretzky), or a location (Augusta, Fenway) that would make a great name. It could be a character from a game, comic, or book. Maybe you have a favorite band or musician (Hendrix, Slash).

• Ace
• Akira
• Andretti
• Arya
• Ash
• Banksy
• Blitz
• Boomer
• Bowser
• Bucky
• Cleo
• Dante
• Ditka
• Frida
• Harley
• Hawkeye
• Kirby
• Lambeau
• Leonardo
• Logan
• Lombardi
• Luigi
• Macie
• Matilda
• Monk
• Peach
• Pele
• Picasso
• Raven
• Rigby
• Rogue
• Talladega
• Venus
• Yoshi
• Zelda

Music Dog Names

There aren’t many dogs named after musicians or songs, so these can be an excellent source for cool names. See if any of these might be the right moniker for your pooch:

• Adele
• Aretha
• Aria
• Axl
• Bowie
• Brandy
• Bruno
• Cudi
• Garcia
• Elton
• Hendrix
• Jagger
• Jude
• Kendrick
• Lemmy
• Maynard
• Mozart
• Norah
• Presley
• Sgt Pepper
• Slash
• Swift
• Willie
• Wolfgang

Unique Names From Mythology & History

If you look into the mythology of various cultures, such as the Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians, you’ll find tons of great dog name ideas that go beyond Fido. You can also check out our complete list of mythology dog names.

• Aesop
• Amelia
• Apollo
• Atlas
• Aztec
• Darwin
• Knight
• Legend
• Lincoln
• Loki
• Merlin
• Napoleon
• Orion
• Phoenix
• Roosevelt
• Spirit
• Titan
• Nyx
• Xerxes
• Yeti
• Zeus

Food Name Ideas

People love food, and surprisingly many foods can make a good name for a dog. There are some common food names like cookie and honey, but you’ll find these options are more unusual dog names:

• Angus
• Basil
• Citra
• Clementine
• Cocoa
• Guinness
• Jameson
• Kit
• Nacho
• Nilla
• Pickles
• Sage
• Shasta
• Snickers
• Sushi
• Tater Tot
• Twinkie
• Whiskey

Try A Generator

A fantastic final option is to use a name generator to view many names and get a list of ideas going. Try out our dog name search and see what is listed in some of your favorite categories, and check off the names to save them to your list.

Once you get a few unique dog names you like, don’t forget to test them out. Say the name out loud and make sure you’re OK shouting it in public. You’ll have to say it many, many times some days!

5 Tips to Find Unique Dog Names

Here are some bonus tips to come up with the right name for your pup and generate your own unusual names.

1. Watch for character names in TV & Movies. Writers spend a lot of time finding unique names for their characters.
2. Location, location, location. Think about cities you’ve visited or your favorite vacation spots.
3. What are your hobbies & interests? A sport, video game, comic, historical period, musician or book can be a great source of name ideas.
4. Come up with a unique word from your last name or using a word from another language.
5. Look at lists with the most popular dog names. Stay away from these if you don’t want a common name!

Teach Your Dog Its New Name!

Jessi Larson

Jessi is a marketing strategist who loves to write about all things dog. She is the proud mom to Toby, a giant Labrador Retriever who thinks he’s a lapdog. He inspires her to be a better pet parent and to share advice with other dog owners.