Big dogs have big personalities. And every dog deserves a name to suit its looks and character. Goliath may be a great name for an American Pit Bull terrier but a large Golden retriever is probably better off with Yogi Bear or Maximus.
This informative guide is for all those dog owners who are looking for a name for their big dogs. Here you will find names to match your dog’s personality and also ones that reflect your tastes and interests. We have included unique dog names and also some dopey names for different large dog breeds.
Popular large dog breeds in the United States
- Labrador retriever
- Golden retriever
- Standard poodle
- American pit bull terrier
- German shepherd
- Bernese mountain dog
- English bulldog
- Siberian husky
- Portuguese water dog
- Newfoundland
- Boxer
- Doberman Pinscher
- Basset hound
Let us enlist the names for these large breed dogs. But first, some tips:
Tips to select names of large breed dogs
- You might have liked a particular name but always make sure that your pet quickly learns and responds to it. Two syllable names are the best; pets respond easily to them.
- Avoid a name that rhymes with common words like ‘down’, ‘sit’, ‘stay’, etc. You will eventually teach these commands to your puppy and you don’t want him/her to get confused.
- Unless your dog has revealed his/her personality or peculiarities to you; name your dog based on its size. Keep in mind that puppies grow up quickly and their appearance changes with age. So avoid naming your cute Mastiff or Molossus puppy as ‘Fur Ball’ when you know s/he is going to grow up into a large dog.
- Personality is definitely a great way to decide a dog’s name. However, a pet’s personality may not fully emerge in the first few months.
- Human names are great for large and small dogs; a pet may greatly resemble someone you know, and you can name your pet that person’s name.
- Terms of endearment like ‘Baby’ and ‘Sweetie’ are closest to one’s heart and can be great names for large and small dogs. (Of course; people would never understand why you have named your Pitbull or Mastiff as ‘Sweety’!)
- Historical names of well-known characters are good ways to name small, medium, and large dogs. Attila, Aztec, and Aristotle are just a few examples of these names.
- Mythology and the Bible are some other great places for inspiring and unique big dog names.
Big dog names for mastiff-type breeds
- Aim – smart name for a gun dog or a large dog trained to hunt
- Ajax – warrior hero of the Trojan war, second only to Achilles
- Alpha – ideal name for a big dog such as a male mastiff, especially if the puppy shows he is the dominant one in the litter
- Amorak – Inuit word for ‘spirit of the wolf’.
- Anubis – great name for a massive dog. In Egyptian mythology, Anubis is depicted with a dog’s head and human body.
- Ares – Most violent God in the Greek mythology
- Ash – great name for a grey colored large dog, especially a Weimaraner – the gray ghost.
- Bear needs no explanation
- Beta – second to Alpha
- Bodey – version of Boden
- Botan – Japanese name meaning long life
- Castor – The Greek twins Castor and Pollux are famous. After his brother died, Pollux appealed to the Gods to let them live on as constellations
- Damon – Gentle, loyal friend to Pythius
- Dominic – Short form would be Dom. This name will definitely suit mastiff or male pit bull.
- Elijah – Biblical, Hebrew name
- Fonzie – this name means ‘ready for battle’.
- Gandalf – Tolkien’s famous character.
- Gino – This could be a nickname. It means ‘ever-living, well-born, or noble’.
- Gleannan – Gaelic for ‘small glen’; nice name for a pretty dog with fine features.
- Hector – This was a famous Greek hero of the Trojan War.
- Hero – needs no explanation.
- Hermes – Son of Zeus, God of trade.
- Joop – Hebrew name meaning God will multiply.
- Junior – perhaps for the youngest dog in the litter?
- Lucky
- Mango – the sweet fruit
- Nollaig – Gaelic for Christmas.
- Omar – Arabic name meaning long-lived
- Paco – Spanish name meaning ‘eagle’
- Paddy – in Irish tradition, Paddy means temper tantrum
- Pepe – Spanish name meaning ‘he shall add’
- Raiden –Japanese Thunder God
- Rafi – Arabic name meaning to raise something high, or to life, also means noble.
- Rollo – legendary French hero; the name means ‘renowned in the land’
- Silas – This Greek name means ‘forest’ or ‘woods’. Silas is the albino, monk villain in the Da Vinci Code.
- Skip – shortened version of Skipper; typically means sea captain.
- Wolf
- Zeus – legendary Greek God, all-powerful, everyone fears Him. Ideal name for a mastiff, molossus, pit bull, or other large dog like Great Dane.
Big dog names for female dogs
- Aiko – Japanese name meaning a beloved child
- Aurora – means Dawn; also the Roman goddess of sunrise
- Ailsa – beautiful and unique at the same time; this is a wonderful name for a big or small dog and it means ‘supernatural victory’.
- Bella – Bella has been consistently voted the best dog name for female dogs for several years now.
- Breasha – A Russian female dog name; means victorious.
- Britta – Scandinavian or Swedish dog name meaning strength.
- Carina – This Italian name means beloved one.
- Cherokee – This Native American name means one who lives in the mountains.
- Dai – Dai has Welsh as well as Japanese roots. In Japanese, it means ‘Great’.
- Dakota – This beautiful name means ‘friend’ or ‘friendly’.
- Davonna – This name is the feminine form of David and means beloved.
- Dena – Dena may have come from Deana meaning divine.
- Elga – Russian form of Elga is Olga which means holy or blessed. Elga has Slavic origin meaning ‘sacred’.
- Elspeth – A Biblical name for a beautiful, large or small female dog. It means Chosen by God.
- Freja – The Norse Goddess of Beauty and Love. Freja also has Swedish origins where it means lady or noble.
- Gala – The English word gala means joyful party or festive party.
- Gerda – This Scandinavian name has several meanings like Peace, Fertility, or Guardian. Ideal name for a large guard dog.
- Halona – Halona has Native American roots meaning ‘of happy fortune’.
- Hannah – The female name Hannah has Hebrew as well as Arabic roots. It means favor or Grace.
- Heta – Heta has Indian roots and means ‘Love’.
- Ilisha – As per Hindu Mythology, Ilisha was the queen of the Earth.
- Ishi – This beautiful Japanese name means ‘stone’.
- Jin – Jin is a unisex name with Chinese and Japanese origins. It means ‘bright and beautiful’.
- Katia – Katia is Russian for ‘pure’.
- Keara – This Celtic/Gaelic name means ‘Dark’.
- Keiko – Japanese name for a ‘happy child’.
- Keita – Keita is unisex name with Japanese and African roots. In Japanese, it means great mercy, huge blessing.
- Luna – Luna is the moon Goddess.
- Magena – Magena is a Native American name meaning ‘moon’.
- Maura – means ‘dark-skinned’.
- Mikala – ‘one who is God-like’
- Moira – This Greek name has many meanings such as ‘fate’ or ‘destiny’.
- Naomi – Hebrew for ‘pleasant’.
- Nari – In India, ‘Nari’ means woman; in Italy, it means ‘Cheerful’.
- Nikita – Nikita is a unisex name in Eastern Europe. In many parts of the world though, it is a feminine name. In Greek, it means ‘victor’.
- Olena – This Ukrainian name means ‘sunray’.
- Olivia – Shakespeare’s famous character in Twelfth Night. It means ‘olive tree’.
- Oki – Japanese word for ‘ocean centered’; ideal name for a large waterdog.
- Oneida – Native American word for ‘long-awaited’.
- Orlenda – Russian word for ‘eagle’.
- Persis – Persis is a unisex Biblical name. It means ‘that which cuts’.
- Pomona – The Roman Goddess of ‘plenty’.
- Quincy – American President John Quincy Adams pronounced his name as ‘Quin-zee’; in France, this name is feminine and it means ‘estate of the fifth son’.
- Regina – Latin/Italian for ‘queen’.
- Rhew – Gaelic for frost or ice. Ideal name for a female husky with blue eyes.
- Runa – Norse name for ‘mighty/strength’.
- Sakuna – In Japanese, Sakuna is a masculine name. But in Native American, Sakuna is a feminine name meaning ‘bird’.
- Sasha – Meaningful Russian name which means ‘defending men’.
- Shura – Shura is a Russian/Greek, unisex name. In Sanskrit, ‘Shur’ means ‘brave’. The Russian/Greek meaning of ‘shura’ is ‘one who defends men’. In Russia, it is mainly a boy’s nickname.
- Sora – The Japanese word means ‘sky’.
- Taima – Native American for ‘Thunder’.
- Tala – Tala has roots in many languages. In Hindi, it means ‘lock’. In Persian, it means ‘gold’. Arabica word ‘tala’ denotes a tree with date-like fruits. Tala is also the Samoan currency. In Native American, the word means ‘stalking wolf’. Tala would make a pretty name for a beautiful Siberian Husky.
- Toya – Toya is a Japanese surname. It means ‘door’.
- Vanora – Welsh for ‘white wave’.
- Wenda – German name meaning ‘wanderer’.
