110+ Famous Dog Names From Movies and Literature, History to Famous People

Famous dog names are a great source of inspiration for anyone who has chosen to open the door to and embrace happiness – after all, “happiness is a warm puppy”, as “Peanuts” creator Charles Schulz described it. If you’re the proud parent of a new pup and you’re looking for pawesome dog names ideas, we totally hear you.

Famous Dog Names in History

• Laika – This gentle stray dog from Russia was the first sentient being to orbit the earth. Laika was chained and died from panic and overheating only a few hours after the launch of the artificial satellite Sputnik 2 in November 1957, as revealed over 40 years later. She remains a true hero. Laika is Russian for “barker”. Perfect name for a Siberian Husky.
• Trakr – A German Shepherd who rescued the last survivor of the 9/11 WTC attacks
• Balto – A Siberian Husky who helped deliver the much-needed medicine to save all the kids in Nome, Alaska sick with diphtheria
• Gibson – Gibson was a Harlequin Great Dane who held the record for the tallest dog. Check out our Big Dog Names for more names like this.
• Freddy – A Great Dane who lives in the UK, is currently the world’s tallest dog and the oldest living Great Dane.
• Conan – Despite the fact that President Trump is not very fond of dogs, he did honor a canine hero, saying that this combat dog is “probably the world’s most famous dog”. The Belgian Malinois participated in a raid in Syria that resulted in the death of Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Bagdadi. Conan was wounded but made a full recovery.
• Hachi/Hachiko – An Akita Inu who lived in Japan 100 years ago. He is famous for his almost unbelievable loyalty to his owner. Hachi’s story is a life lesson for everyone. Take a look at our Japanese Dog Names for more names like this.
• Loukanikos – Famous riot dog who always sided with protesters, barking only at the police and defying tear gas. Loukanikos ( which is Greek for “sausage”), a large stray dog, was present at nearly all demonstrations and strikes against the anti-austerity measures in Athens, Greece. He was adopted but died aged 10, allegedly due to tear gas inhalation effects.
• Negro Matapacos – Negro Matapacos ( Spanish for “black cop-killer”) was also a stray dog who joined protests for free education in Santiago, Chile in the 2010s.
• Nipper – A terrier mix from England, Nipper was the model for Francis Barraud’s famous 1898 painting” His Master’s Voice”, which inspired the dog & gramophone trademark used by several record companies.
• Endal – The most decorated dog in the world, Endal was a Labrador Retriever who was very intelligent and served as an assistance dog to his owner, a disabled veteran in the UK. He was able to carry out over 100 complex instructions, including ATM card insertion and removal.
• Dookie, Jane, Susan, Emma, Willow, Holly, Linnet, Monty, Vulcan, Candy, Cider, Berry Oxo, Spick, Span, Bisto, Flash, Whisky, Sherry, Bee, Sugar, Honey – Some of Queen Elizabeth II’s beloved pooches over the years. The vast majority of them were/are Welsh corgis, all of them descended from Susan, received by the Queen as a gift on her 18th b-day. The Queen has always been fond of this breed; Willow, Her last corgi died in 2018. Some of these royal dogs also include cocker spaniels and corgis.

Famous Dog Names Movies and Literature

• Lassie & Pal, Lassie Jr., Spook, Baby, Mire, Hey Hey – A Rough Collie, Lassie is the main character in the novel and the 1943 MGM movie “Lassie Come Home”, where she was played by a male Collie whose real name was Pal. This world-famous dog actor also starred in the TV series Lassie’s pilot episodes; Pal’s descendants and their descendants, respectively, namely Lassie Jr,. Spook, Baby, Mire, and Hey Hey continued to play Lassie in the pawpular TV series.
• Lady – One of the most famous female dog names, Lady is a popular dog name even in non-English-speaking countries. This Lady is of course the main character in Disney’s 1955 “Lady and the Tramp”. A Cocker Spaniel, she’s very protective of her owners’ newborn and a doting mom to her own babies. We’ve got a lot more Disney dog names if you like this one.
• Tramp & Scamp – A Schnauzer- Fox Terrier mix, Tramp is Lady’s street-smart significant other. Scamp is their mischievous son, who stars in the 2001 sequel, “Scamp’s Adventure”.
• Scooby-Doo – Shaggy, Velma, Daphne, and Fred’s talking Great Dane who gives the teenage detectives a helping paw in solving various mysteries that allegedly involve the unseen.
• Snoopy & Spike – This iconic anthropomorphic beagle is Charlie Brown’s loyal fur-friend in all “Peanuts” original series and holiday specials. This character was inspired by one of Charles Schulz’s dogs, named Spike.
• Marmaduke – A Great Dane, the star of Brad Anderson’s comic strip and the 2010 movie of the same name (voiced by Owen Wilson)
• Happy – A Terrier mix, the Camden family’s dog in the TV series “7th Heaven”.
• Max – Max is one of the most popular famous male dog names of all time. Max is a Belgian Malinois, a typical military and the star of the 1995 movie “Max” Maz is also the name of the Grinch’s dog in the novel and movie “How The Grinch Stole Christmas”.
• Gidget, Bruiser & Moonie – Gidget was the talking chihuahua in the Taco Bell commercials. She is also known for her portrayal of Bruiser’s mom in the movie “Legally Blonde 2”. Bruiser, Elle Woods’ cute furry friend was played by the famous dog actor named Moonie.
• Toto & Terry – Toto is undeniably among the most famous dog names. He was Dorothy’s small and fluffy black dog in the iconic 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz”, starring Judy Garland. Toto was played by a female Cairn Terrier named Terry. She was paid nearly 4 times more than Judy Garland. Terry’s owner was Carl Spitz, a famous dog trainer.
• Verdell & Debbie, Parfait, Timer, Sprout, Jill, Billy – Jack Nicholson’s character, Melvin’s dog in the 1997 critically acclaimed movie “As Good As It Gets”. Verdell was played by six dogs, males and females, named Billy, Debbie, Timer, Jill, Sprout, and Parfait.
• Daisy, Andy, Burton ( Bubba), Cha Cha – Daisy was the Beagle pup that spurred the events in “John Wick 1”. She was played by Andy, a male Beagle. Pitbulls Burton ( called Bubba by Keanu Reeves) and Cha Cha starred in “John Wick Chapter 2” and “Chapter 3: Parabellum”, respectively.
• Marley – The Labrador Retriever who starred in the box office hit “Marley & Me”, based on journalist John Grogan’s memoir. Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson’s characters are Marley’s doting parents.
• Pongo & Perdita, Patch, Freckles, Lucky, Rolly, Penny, Pepper – Just a small part of the pack led by dad Pongo and mom Perdita in Disney’s iconic film “101 Dalmations”. Patch, Penny, Pepper, Freckles, Rolly, and Lucky are just six of the couple’s 15.pups.
• Rin Tin Tin – A German Shepherd rescued as a pup by soldier Lee Duncan during WWI. He went on to become one of the most prolific dog actors of all time, appearing in 27 films.
• Pluto – Disney character. A mixed breed, Pluto was Mickey Mouse’s pet.
• Goofy – Disney character, an anthropomorphic dog, was originally named Dippy Dawg.
• Astro – A fictional character who was The Jetsons’ family pet.
• Beethoven – The lovable St. Bernard who starred in the movie “Beethoven”
• Comet – The family’s dog in the TV series “Full House”
• Eddie – The Jack Russell from the TV show “Frazer”
• Nana – A Newfoundland who was the children’s pet in “Peter Pan”
• Benji – A mixed breed from the movie of the same name
• Chance & Shadow – Chance, the main character in the popular 1993 movie “Homeward Bound” and his old and wise friend Shadow, a Golden Retriever whom Chance calls “an old fusspot” embark on an incredible journey back home, alongside Sassy the feline.
• Asta & Skippy – Skippy was a Wire Fox Terrier famous for his portrayal of the pooch Asta in the 1934 comedy “The Thin Man” starring Myrna Loy and William Powell.

Famous Dog Names From TV and Movies

• Brewster – From The Movie Brewster’s Millions Starring The Late, Richard Prior
• Buck – Married With Children
• Buddy – Sporty Golden Retriever From Air Bud
• Bullet – This Was The Name Of The German Shepherd That Appeared On The Roy Rogers Show.
• Bullseye – This Dog Belonged To The Murderer, Bill Sykes, A Character From Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist.
• Deputy Dawg – Animated Deputy Sheriff Dog In The Mississippi Bayous
• Cadpig – The Smallest Of Pongo’s Fifteen Puppies In The Hundred And One Dalmatians
• Charlie – Lead Character In “all Dogs Go To Heaven”
• Chinook – White German Shepherd Who Starred In A Series Of Movies From 1949 -1954
• Cleo – Basset Hound Featured On A 1950′s Tv Show
• Clifford – Title Character Of Famous Children’s Book – Clifford, The Big Red Dog
• Copper – Disney Fox And The Hound
• Cujo – The Title Character From Stephen King’s Book About A St Bernard With Rabies
• Duke – Airedale Owned By John Wayne
• Eddie – Intelligent Jack Russell From Frasier Television Series, Owned By The Father
• Einstein – Dean Koontz Wrote A Book Featuring A Super Intelligent Golden Retriever – ” Watchers”. Dog From Movie “back To The Future”
• Frank – Men In Black
• Freeway – Dog On Hart To Hart. He Was Found On The Freeway.
• Goofy – Lovable Friend Of Micky
• Grunt – A Dog In Flashdance Movie.
• Higgins – A Dog In Tv Series, Petticoat Junction
• Hooch – Dog From Turner And Hooch Movie Starring Tom Hanks
• Ladyl – Cocker Spaniel From Lady And The Tramp
• Marley – Yellow Lab From Marley And Me Fame
• Meatball – Mixed Breed Dog From A Show Called Black Sheep Squadron
• Milo – This Is Actually The Cat’s Name In The Movie Milo And Otis (Otis Was The Pug) But I Liked It Better For A Dog
• Nana – The Newfoundland Dog That Plays The Nurse From The Film Peter Pan
• Neil – Alcoholic St. Bernard From Tv Show Called Topper
• Odie – Garfield
• Old Dan – Hunting Hound From Novel – Where The Red Fern Grows
• Old Yeller – A Famous Movie Set In The Old West, A Wonderful Yellow Lab Dog Found By The Boy And Ends Up His Closest Friend And Companion.
• Otto – A Character From All Dog Go To Heaven
• Peg Leg Pete – Bulldog Who Appeared In Steamboat Willie And Gallopin’ Guacho.
• Percy – Dog In Disney Film, Pocahontas
• Pete The Pup – American Pit Bull Terrier Who Appeared In Our Gang Episodes
• Pongo – One Of The Adult Dogs From 101 Dalmations
• Porkchop – Doug’s Faithful Cartoon Companion
• Rags – Carter’s Dog On Series Spin City
• Sandy – Famous Mutt From Little Orphan Annie. In 1976, A Mutt Rescued From A Shelter Located In Connecticut. That Mutt When On To Play Sandy On Broadway For Seven Years.
• Solo – Female Pup From African Wild Dog Pack In The Wild Dogs Of Africa
• Sparky – Gay Dog From South Park
• Spuds – Spuds Mackenzie Famous For Budweiser Television Commercials
• Stinkey – Dog From Series Dharma And Greg
• Strongheart – German Shepherd Who Was First Canine Hero Of Feature Films
• Stumpy – Big Brown Dog In The Tale Of Little Pig Robinson.
• Sugar Pie – Anna Nicole Smith’s Dog Featured On Her Reality Show Puppet Dog In The Punch And Judy Puppet Show.
• Toto – The Dog That Traveled With Dorothy In The Wizard Of Oz
• Tramp – Stray Dog From Lady And The Tramp
• Underdog – Famous Cartoon Super Hero
• Wishbone – Small Dog In Children’s Tv Series Wishbone
• Wolf – The Dog That Was Teamed Up With Rip Van Winkle On The Day He Fell Asleep.
• Yukon King – Husky Features On Tv Show – Sergeant Preston Of The Yukon
• Zeus – Doberman Pinscher Owned By Robin Master On Magnum P.i.

Famous Dog Names From Famous People

• Frangelica “Nanni” – She was artist Pink’s beloved furbaby girl, a Labrador who went to the Rainbow Bridge in 2018, aged 16. Pink shared the goodbye kiss on Instagram.
• Foxy Mama & Elvis – They were Pink’s adored bulldogs. Foxy Mama passed away at the age of 13. A gift from her friend Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis accidentally drowned in Pink’s pool. The artist has an extensive tattoo of Elvis on her left forearm.
• Caesar & Cesar – Caesar, a Wire Fox Terrier was one of King Edward VII’s loyal companions; he led his owner’s funeral procession. Cesar is a West Highland White Terrier known for his appearances in Cesar dog food commercials.
• Norman & Dolly – Both were Jennifer Aniston’s beloved furbabies. Dolly was a White German Shephard and Norman was a Welsh Corgi-Terrier mix who crossed over the Rainbow Bridge in 2011, aged 15. Jen Aniston has the name Norman tattooed on her foot.
• Fido – President Abraham Lincoln’s pet
• Jo-Fi – psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud’s Chow Chow
• Sunny and Bo – The Obama family’s pets
• Jack, JJ, Cha Cha, Squeak E. Beans, Jill E. Beans, Jackie Lambchops, Pipitty L. Jackson (girl), The Good Reverand Pow Jackson, Mutley P. Gore Jackson the 3rd, Babydoll & Honey – These were & are real dogs and their fancy names are real too. Who are they? ‘Dem Doggies, Mariah Carey’s furbabies over the years. The diva is well-known for her love of dogs, especially Jack Russells. One of her first pups, Jack, appeared in her music video “All I Want For Christmas Is You”.

You can check out our Unique Dog Names article for more dog names ideas like these.

Famous Dog Names From Social Media

• Doug the Pug – Touted the “King of Pop Culture”, Doug is a social media sensation with 3 million followers and also a New York Times Best Seller.
• Jiffpom – Jiffpom is an LA Pomeranian with 8 million followers on social media, his own app, and his own day ( August 20 is Jiff Day in Los Angeles).
• Manny – Manny is a French Bulldog of many talents and with a heart of gold, who likes to sleep in the sink.
• Marnie – Marnie is a Shih Tzu with a rough past and a head tilt caused by vestibular syndrome but she has a book and hangs out with Miley Cyrus.
• Tuna – Tuna is also a rescue dog with an overbite; he has his own book and is followed by many on Instagram including Reese Witherspoon.

Final Thoughts On Famous Dog Names

Naming your new BFF is the first step towards bonding with him/her, but choosing the right name for your new furbaby does require a bit of inspiration.

So we’ve put together a list of famous dog names from real life, literature, movies, television, comics, commercials, and more for you to draw inspiration from.

You can name your new pup after a famous dog based on what he/she is known for or simply because you like the name; either way, congrats on your new furbaby!

So there you have it, folks, a plethora of fetching and famous dog names to get inspired.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of famous dog names, and you probably can think of many other dog names not included here.

There’s one more name that we are keen on adding. So our honorable mention goes to…..BABE. Of course, we’re referring to the “talking” piglet named Babe from the 1995 movie “Babe”.

But this piggy thinks he’s a sheepdog and acts like one, so why not? After all, Babe is a pawesome dog name, don’t you agree? Let us know which of these names is your favorite.