There is a reason why there are books filled with possible names for babies – it is because naming your child isn’t such an easy task. They will have to bear that name for the rest of their lives. The same goes for dogs.
Start thinking of names for your new fur-baby before he comes home, because you don’t want to call him ‘Puppy’ or ‘Nunu’ if that will not be his real name. Changing your dog’s name will confuse him. Choose your favourite option and stick to that name.
Keep in mind
When choosing a name for your puppy, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Firstly, remember that you will have to call his name in public spaces. Therefore, you don’t want a name that will embarrass you or the rest of the family, or the people around you!
Secondly, the name must be easy to pronounce for both you and everybody else who will be using his name, including the vet. The name should also not be too long. Two-syllable names are ideal. Also, think about naming your dog something special, rather than a name that is used very often. You can name him something that reflects his personality and suits his appearance.
Weird names
For some people, calling their dogs something that resembles technology could be a little too weird. ‘Apple’ might be acceptable, but calling your dog ‘Samsung’ might be a tad peculiar. Some names that we found on the internet, that could be a bit bizarre, include:
- Bitcoin
- Crypto
- Hashtag
- Nano
- Wifi
Other names that can be a bit strange are brand names. Some brand names could work, but certain ones might raise a few eyebrows, such as these ones – and note that the misspelled names are intentional:
- Addidas
- Cadbury
- CoCo Channel
- Guinness
- Jimmy Chews
- Reebok
- Sprite
Trending names
These names are quite interesting, trendy and different, and are unisex names.
- Baffle
- Baroque
- Bee Gee
- Binky
- Bronx
- Chief
- Dakota
- Dixie
- Dragon
- Espresso
- Fudgey
- Ginger Noodle
- Jade
- Kira
- Mojo
- Nacho
- Rio
- Spirit
- Ticker
- Vienna Sausage
- Yeti
Gender-specific names
While some names can be used for both male and female dogs, others are gender-specific. We found some lovely puppy names for you to consider.
Male names:
- Alex
- Alpha
- Ant
- Apex
- Aristotle
- Astro
- Bandit
- Blaze
- Diego
- Draco
- Duke
- Flash
- Godzilla
- Hulk
- Jaws
- Johnny Cash
- Jude
- Max
- McLaren
- Meatloaf
- Oliver
- Phoenix
- Picasso
- Titus
Female names:
- Anya
- Ariel
- Athena
- Autumn
- Azra
- Beyonce
- Boo
- Bubbles
- Candy
- Caramel
- Cassidy
- Chichi
- Dandelion
- Honey
- Iris
- Juno
- Mercedes
- Millie
- Pique
- Princess Leia
- Rayne
- Skye
- Summer
- Wonder Woman
South African names
Every country has its own traditions, politics and cultures. If you want to choose a specific name, but are not sure about the meaning, it is best to avoid it, as it may be offensive to people from other cultures, or just rude. Keep this in mind when you name your dog.
Here are some lovely, typical South African names.
Male dogs:
- Buyisiwe – Returned
- Delani – Content
- Gazini – Blood
- Ibubesi – Lion
- Jabi – Rejoice
- Malusi – Shepherd
- Sakhile – We have built
- Thulan – Quiet, still
Female dogs:
- Dinga – Wanderer
- Funani – What are we searching?
- Indlovu – Forceful
- Lungile – Good one
- Mbali – Flower
- Nandi – Sweet
- Ntombi – Lady
- Sizani – You all help
Have fun
The bottom line is to have fun working through all the names you can find, even the bizarre and boring ones. Take care that the name doesn’t sound like a command, like sit or lie (down), as that might confuse your dog. Also, make sure you won’t be embarrassed about the name a few years down the line – he will carry the name with him for the rest of his life.
