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These are the best boy dog names we’ve ever heard

Try out one of these male names for your dog

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Dog sits in a chair wearing sunglasses
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Charlie. Max. Cooper. These trendy yet classic boy dog names topped the list last year as the most popular among pet parents. Certainly a solid salutation for any buddy! But while there’s nothing wrong with tradition, we’re more interested in the fun, quirky, and up-and-coming monikers on the list — think unique boy dog names.

Whether you’re into football, music, or movies, we think we can help select the perfect pet alias for your family. Struggling to name your pup pup? You’re sure to fall in love with one of these cool boy dog names.

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What makes a good dog name?

A Belgian Malinois leaps through a meadow of dandelions
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The Seeing Eye has some particularly handy tips for selecting the exact right label for your new best friend when you bring him home. They recommend to:

  • Keep the name short to one or two syllables — anything longer and you’ll have trouble getting it out in a hurry.
  • Make sure the name doesn’t sound like your basic commands, so Mo and Kit won’t work well.
  • Avoid anything with a particularly unpleasant connotation, including options like Fire, Payne, and Booger.

What name should you pick for your pup?

Different dog breeds sitting together
Irina Kozorog / Shutterstock

There are so many incredible options out there that it can take a lot to narrow it down. We have a few ideas, from the fashionable to the favorites and from unique to cute boy dog names.

Travis

Yup, this has recently topped the list because of a certain quarterback’s front-page relationship with a certain pop star. If Travis doesn’t quite work for you, Kelce or Taylor would make pretty good alternatives.

Loki

Of course, Thor is also a hot name right now, so for best results, you can find two brothers and bequeath them with these god-like honorifics. That works especially well if you wind up with one dark coat and one blond, though many a furry friend will have the trickster personality that goes with the Loki name.

Zoomer

Perfect for a pandemic pup, you can bestow Zoomer on your fur baby if he loves to run or if he enjoys video chatting. This one works particularly well for calling home your loyal companion because of the long “O.”

Ken

Don’t worry — Allen has risen quickly in popularity as well. So perhaps you should suss out whether your boy dog would stick with the girls or serenade his paramour. Either way, you almost can’t go wrong with these movie handles.

Hendrix

Who doesn’t want their dog emulating one of the gods of guitar (hopefully not by literally destroying one of your instruments though). This title sticks out as a callback to another era and a unique boy dog name. Maybe you’re inspired by the music or your pooch’s ability to break boundaries, but we think Hendrix will fit many a bud.

If you’ve decided to live on the edge a little with a more stylish designation or stick with one of the standards, your animal will surely adopt his new appellation happily. No matter where you land, one of these best boy dog names will suit your little Fido like a bootie.

Rebekkah Adams
Former Contributor
Rebekkah’s been a writer and editor for more than 10 years, both in print and digital. In addition to writing about pets…
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