The unusual dog names list has more than 200 names for dogs and owners who are unusual. Unusual could define many dogs and owners, but you know who you are. Names from our Top 100 Dog Names list like Max, Mollie, Buddy and Lucy are definitely not for you.
Look at the yellow Labrador Retriever in the picture. Would you believe this dog eats at the table with her owners for every meal? That certainly fits the unusual dogs category.
You could say the same about her owners! The name Britches is a great name for a yellow Lab.
Do you have an unusual Yorkshire Terrier? How about naming him Archie. If you love good literature, how about Atticus for Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird? Or you could name your black dog Anise for the herb that tastes like licorice.
For those who love one syllable dog names, there are plenty on the unique dog names list like Amp, Benz, Bert and Jet. You won’t find names like Jake or Sadie on the list as they are two of the most popular dog names in use today. In fact, both of those names made the top 100 dog names list.
My Favorite Unusual Dog names
Three of my favorite unusual dog names are Rowlf, Quattro and Dog. In the movie Big Jake starring John Wayne, Wayne’s character was Jacob McCandles and his dog’s name was, simply, Dog. I love this movie.
Yes, I love one syllable dog names (like Dog) and you probably know that by now if you have snooped around this site very much. I also realize some pundits warn agains the use of one syllable names because your dog might be confused if their name sounds like a training command.
Be certain you don’t use a name like Neal (which sounds like “heal”) or Beau (which sounds like “No”). Truth be told, I had a Doberman Pinscher roommate in college and his name was Bo. I prefer one syllable names for hunting dog names.
Below is a list of more than 200 of my favorite unusual dog names as well as reasons why I included some of them on the list. Browse or study the list and have fun.
If you don’t find a name you like, visit our Dog Names by Breed page or one syllable dog names list to see more options. For even more names, search our list of more than 4,000 puppy names.
| Name | Meaning |
| Abilene | Everything is big in Texas, right? If you have a large dog breed, why not name him after this town in Texas. |
| Adze | Tool used to smooth and carve rough wood |
| Aja | Means “a little goat” in Hebrew |
| Ambrose | Name of Greek origin that means “immortal” or “divine” |
| Amp | Great name for a perky pup. |
| Anise | Anise is the spice that tastes a bit like licorice. This is a very good name for a black dog (if you like black licorice). |
| Anya | A feminine given name; may be short for “Anastacia” |
| Apex | If your dog has a very pointy tail or another pointy feature, Apex is a great name. |
| Apogee | The climax or culmination of something |
| Archie | Short for “Archibalt”‘ also a popular character in a comic series of the same name |
| Ardor | Full of enthusiasm or passion |
| Arizona | A state in south USA that borders Mexico |
| Armin | Short for “Arminium”, a German war hero |
| Arrow | A very precise hunying weapon |
| Aruba | A beautiful island in the Caribbean Sea |
| Athena | I added this to the unusual dog names list for a good famale watchdog. Do you have a famale Rottweiler or German Shepherd? Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare. |
| Atticus | Gregory Peck played the character Atticus Finch in the 1962 movie, To Kill a Mockingbird. |
| Autmun | The third season of the year, between summer and winter |
| Avalon | The place to where King Arthur was conveyed after death |
| Azore | An archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean |
| Bach | For the classic music lover. |
| Baden | Small toen outside Pittsburgh |
| Badge | Great name for a guard dog. |
| Baffle | A dog that leaves anyone bewildered or perplexed |
| Banana | A long and curved (mostly yellow) fruit, if you must know |
| Banjo | A stringed musical instrument, smaller than a guitar |
| Baratza | For coffee lovers, this is the brand name of a coffee grinder. |
| Baroque | An artistic style that displays exaggerated drama, exuberance, and grandeur |
| Bashful | Very shy to strangers |
| Beaner | a baseball deliberately thrown at the batter’s head |
| Beasley | This made the unusual dog names list because it was one of my favorite restaurants as a kid. Actually, the restaurant was called Mrs. Beasley. Maybe you could name your female dog Mrs. Beasley? |
| Bee Gee | Hats off to Barry, Robin, Maurice and Andy. |
| Beige | Perfect name for a dog with a pale sandy yellowish-brown |
| Benz | For Mercedes lovers (Mercedes should probably be on the unusual dog names list, too!) |
| Beowulf | Name of the legendary Scandinavian hero |
| Berkley | A variation of the city in California, Berkeley |
| Bert | A Sesame Street character, bestfriend of Ernie |
| Bianca | Means “white” in Italy |
| Biker | A motorcyclist or a member of a motorcycle gang |
| Biloxi | A city in southeastern Mississippi |
| Binky | Something that children feel is very warm to them; childish comfort |
| Bixby | As in Bill Bixby of Incredible Hulk fame. Great name for a horse, too. |
| Blaze | Dog with a white spot or stripe on the face |
| Blazer | Someone who glows, burns, or flares — figuratively, of course |
| Blizzard | I love this name for a Siberian Husky. |
| Blogger | Purely a 21st Century name. |
| Boo | Either a term of endearment or something that a ghost says |
| Booger | Either a term of endearment or a piece of dried nasal mucus (I know, it’s gross, but it’s a cute name for a dog) |
| Bootsy | Sounds a little like a cat name, but that’s why I added it to the unusual dog names list. Why? Because it’s unusual for a dog, silly. |
| Borat | The popular fictional character from Kazakhstan |
| Boss | The one in charge; the master, head, manager |
| Boxer | Someone who takes part in boxing |
| Branson | A city in southwestern Missouri, noted as a resort based on country music |
| Brickle | Brittle; easily cracked or snapped |
| Bristles | Having short and stiff hair, just like a toothbrush |
| Britches | Southern slang for “jeans” or “pants” |
| Bronson | As in the great movie actor, Charles Bronson. |
| Bronx | Great name for a Bulldog. Can’t you just see your Bulldog strutting through New York streets? |
| Bullet | The projectile that comes from firearms |
| Bumper | Exceptionally fine, large, or successful |
| Burley | Tobacco of a light-colored variety primarily grown in Kentucky |
| Buzz | A low and continuous humming sound, mostly made by a bee or mosquito |
| Cadbury | For a very sweet and unusual dog. |
| Cadence | The rhythm of the beat |
| Cadillac | Large, luxury vehicles; sometimes refered to as Caddys |
| Caiya | Cute name for a female dog |
| Cameo | A lovely piece of jewelry, mostly shaped oval |
| Candy | Small and sweet |
| Canyon | A depp gorge |
| Cayden | American for “fighter” |
| Century | Equal to 100 years; perfect name for an old dog, or a dog that you think (or hope) will live long |
| Chance | A possiblity of something happening |
| Chaos | With an unpredictable or even random behavior |
| Charlemagne | One of Europe’s most successful monarchs |
| Charm | Charming; full of charm |
| Chicken | A scaredy cat (or dog, rather); coward |
| Chief | The leader, king, manager, boss, etc. |
| Cipher | A secret |
| Clapton | This made the unusual dog names list because I love Eric Clapton music. Especially his “Unplugged” album. |
| Clippy | Nickname for Clippit, an animated character in Microsoft Office |
| Cocoa | With smooth and brown fur |
| Cordite | A smokeless explosive used in ammunition |
| Cosette | Means “a little thing” |
| Crave | A dog that is asled or desired |
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| Cricket | That little insect that makes a characteristic rhythmical chirping sound |
| Cupcake | Small, colorful, and sweet cakes |
| Cusp | An end where two curves meet |
| Dahlia | If your pup has a flowery personality, this is a great name. |
| Dakota | Great and unbeatable fighter |
| Dandelion | A pesky weed of the daisy family |
| Dandy | Stylish, neat, and fashionable in appearance |
| Dante’ | Latin for “enduring” or “obstinate” |
| Dauntless | Brave, fearless, and bold |
| Daze | A dog who gets people in a state of stunned confusion or bewilderment |
| Desert | Worthiness or entitlement to reward or punishment |
| Dino | Shrot for “dinosaur” |
| Dixie | My Uncle Don named his Hugarian Vizsla Dixie. It’s on my Hunting Dog Names list and Dixie is a very unusual dog. |
| Dog | One of my favorite movies of all time is Big Jake with John Wayne. His dog was names Dog. |
| Donatella | The first name of a very successful Italian fashion designer |
| Dozer | A dog who bulldozes everything (or anything) |
| Dragon | A fire-breathing mythical monster |
| Dumpster | Trash receptacle |
| Duplex | Something made up of two parts |
| Dylan | A Welsh male name |
| Eagle | Eagle – Possessing keen senses |
| Eden | The beautiful garden where Adam and Eve first lived in |
| Eskimo | Inhabitants of the circumpolar region |
| Exodus | Mass departure |
| Fargo | Does your dog love the snow? This is a great name for a snow dog. |
| Flint | Cold-hearted |
| Fudgey | Soft and sweet |
| Funky | The 60s term for “cool” |
| Gadget | Go Go Gadget. |
| Gasper | Slang for cigarette |
| Gazelle | Small, slender, and dainty, like the antelope |
| Genevieve | Means “woman of the people” (rather, “woman of the dogs”) |
| Gertrude | Means “spear maiden” |
| Gia | Short for “Giana”, “Giada”, “Gian” |
| Gideon | Hebrew for “mighty warrior” |
| Giselle | German for “hostage” or “pledge” |
| Granite | Something very hard and impenetrable |
| Guinevere | The beautiful wife of King Arthur and mistress of Lancelot |
| Hershey | Sweet and Brown, just like the chocolate |
| Iris | Another name for a dog with a flowery personality. |
| Ishtar | Babylonian and Assyrian goddess of love and war |
| Isis | Greek goddess of fertility |
| Ivory | An off-white color that resembles the material of the same name |
| Jade | Bad-tempered or disreputable female |
| Jayla | American name for a girl |
| Jello | Jelly-like and sweet |
| Jet | Quick and swift, just like a jet |
| Jewell | Variation of “jewel”, a precious stone |
| Jezebel | Oh, boy, this could be a naughty doggie. |
| Juniper | An evergreen shrub or tree |
| Juno | The most important goddess of the Roman state, wife of Jupiter |
| Kai | Finnish for “rejoice” |
| Karma | Destiny or fate |
| Kiesha | Means “aliv e and well” |
| Kira | Male name that means “dark” in Gaelic |
| Koi | There is something fishy about this name, but I just can’t put my finger on it. |
| Komet | Variation of “comet”, celestial object |
| Lilac | A dainty flower of pale pinkish-violet color |
| Lime | Can be a white caustic alkaline substance or a rounded citrus fruit |
| Loki | A mischievous and sometimes evil god |
| Maple | A popular tree; flavor of maple syrup or maple sugar |
| Marshmellow | The white puffy confection roasted over a campfire |
| Matthias | This is the name of the Disciple who replaced Judas Iscariot. |
| Miko | A female shaman or priestess |
| Millie | German for “labor” or “strength” |
| Miracle | A highly improbable or extraordinary event |
| Mojo | Magical charm or spell |
| Monster | Of extraordinary and daunting size |
| Mya | Greek for “mother” or “great one” |
| Nike | Not the shoe company, the Greek goddess of victory! |
| Nikita | Greek for “unconquered” |
| Opal | A gemstone of varying colors |
| Ophelia | Greek for “help” or “aid” |
| Papaya | A tropical fruit shaped like an elongated melon |
| Parable | A simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson |
| Phoenix | A dog that is uniquely remarkable in some respect |
| Pink | A feminine color between red and white |
| Pique | Stimulates interest or curiosity |
| Prophet | Speaker for God or a deity |
| Pudding | I think of chocolate pudding and a chocolate colored dog. |
| Pup | Young dog; short for “puppy” |
| Quark | A dog that is able to roll into a tiny ball |
| Quattro | This is one of my favorite unusual dog names because I never hear it. If you are an Audi fan or remember the now defunct spreadsheet software, this name might be for you. |
| Rayne | Female name that means “queen” in French |
| Reba | Hebrew for “to tie” |
| Reiko | Female name that means “courteous child” in Japanese |
| Rio | Spanish for “river” |
| Rowlf | Do you remember the scruffy brown dog character from the Muppets? Rowlf made the unusual dog names list because the Muppets character is one unsual dog. He plays the piano for goodness sakes! This is one of my favorite names on this list. |
| Sabine | Female name of Latin origin |
| Sabre | A very sharp blade |
| Sharpie | Cunning and sly |
| Shell | Can be short for “Shelly” or “Shelley” |
| Shiloh | The historic site of a major Civil War battle in Tennessee |
| Skye | Female name of Norse origin meaning “cloud” |
| Solomon | Very wise |
| Spencer | Means “someone who gives out goods” |
| Spigs | Something that is very big |
| Spirit | Otherwise known as the “soul” |
| Sprinkles | Another sweet name for a sweet dog. Perhaps your pup has unusual spots. |
| Sprite | An elf or fairy |
| Starlight | The light that is emitted by stars |
| Stavos | Name for an elegant male dog |
| Suede | For a dog with unusual coloring. |
| Suki | Female name which means “to like” in Japanese |
| Taffy | Chewy candy that is similar to toffee |
| Tass | To play with |
| Taz | As in the Tazmanian Devil. |
| Teddy | Means “gift of God” amy also refer to anything soft and fluffy, like the Teddy Bear |
| Termite | An insect that feeds on wood |
| Tick | A small parasite that sucks blood |
| Ticker | Anything or something that ticks, like a watch or the heart |
| Tobiah | Hebrew for “God is good” |
| Topaz | For a dog with dark yellow fur, just like the precious stone |
| Tyler | Means “tile maker” |
| Uhura | For the Star Trek fans. If you don’t know, Lieutenant Uhura was the Chief Communications Officer in the Star Trek TV series and movies. |
| Wicked | Mean and sly |
| Willow | Our friends have a red-headed daughter named Willow. I put it on the unusual dog names list because I love the name, even if you don’t have a red headed dog like a Irish Setter. |
| Xerxes | Persian king; also known as Xerxes the Great |
| Yonder | Refers to the far distance |
| Zulu | A member of a South African people |
| Zypher | A soft or gentle breeze |
Can’t find the name you like on the Unusual Dog names list? Don’t give up. Visit our Dog Names by Breed list or one syllable dog names list to do some more searching. If you have a great name, tell us about it!
Share your favorite Dog Names!
Share your favorite dog names and a personal story if you have one. If you do have a story, tell us why you chose the name you did or let us know why the name is special to you.
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