Black dog names celebrate the most common coat color in totally unique ways. Today I’ll share a real range of ideas and inspiration for your new puppy. Whether you are naming an all black dog breed like a Scottish Terrier, Labrador, Newfoundland, Flat Coated Retriever, Poodle or Portuguese Water Dog, or a dog with patterns of black on their coat like a Pitbull, Rottweiler or German Shepherd.
Contents
- Unique black dog names
- From nature to literature
- Names for male and female black dogs
- Big and small black dog names
- Funny black dog names
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Best Black Dog Names
When you are naming your dog, it’s good to start by thinking about what type of name you’d like. Are you all about the jokes? Or do you prefer cute, serious or human style names? Is there a message you’d like to send? Or perhaps just an impression you’d like to give?
(paid link)From a practical point of view, dogs’ names should never be too similar to each other, or the words you plan to use for their every day commands. You also want to avoid anything that might be embarrassing to yell out in the dog park. Fortunately, there are lots of different themes to choose from. And an awful lots of ideas that would all fit equally well onto your beautiful pup.
Popular Black Dog Names
Some popular names tend to trend for a while then be replaced by others. The simplest, like Shadow, or Blackie, are enduringly popular. And of course many black dogs have generic names that are not related to the color of their fur.
- Phantom
- Nightshade
- Vader
- Charlie
- Nero
- Ember
- Berry
- Harley
- Guiness
- Pepsi
Unusual Names For Black Dogs
To find a really unusual name, start with a ‘theme’ that interests you. It could be a sport, or a hobby. You could choose the theme ‘animals’ for example. And you’ll find our collection of animal names for black dogs below this. The next step is to brainstorm word ideas around that theme using a good old fashioned piece of paper and a pen! Write the name of your theme in the middle and jot down words associated with the theme all around it.
Your collection could include all the animals you can think of that are black, but it might also include other words that spring to mind as you start jotting down those names. For example, you might write down the name ‘panther’ and then add the word ‘stealth’ or ‘pounce’. This is a great way to get original names that no-one else is using for their dogs. Here are some animal names and associated words, to get you started
Animal Names For Black Dogs
There are a few big predators that have handsome black fur. We’ve also included some black birds and insects:
- Panther
- Raven
- Bear
- Grackle
- Mink
- Puma
- Jackdaw
- Scorpion
- Crow
- Beetle
- Spider
- Slug
Names With A Literary Theme
The more unusual the themes you find for your name collections, the more chance you have of finding uncommon names for black dogs. Many insects have beautiful names so you could check out some books on butterflies or moths. The same applies to wild flowers or trees. Again, books are a great source of inspiration.
Of course we don’t have to name our black dogs after the color black. But we tend to wear black for formal occasions, and to think of black as quite a serious color. So you might feel it’s appropriate to choose a serious name. Literature and classical music can be good places to start.
- Checkov
- Orwell
- Dickens
- Tolkein
- Tolstoy
- Bronte
- Shelley
- Hardy
- Huxley
- Stoker
- Hugo
You could use some very modern authors if you prefer. And for more inspiration try visiting an online bookstore or a bookstore in your town. Take your notepad with you and jot down the author names that could might suit a black dog. You might also find the titles in the fantasy or scary book section give you some ideas.
Names That Mean Dark
Many good names for black dogs are names that mean black or dark in another language. Or that are synonyms for black or dark.
- Delany- dark challenger
- Kiera- little dark one
- Orpheus – darkness
- Dougie – black water
- Melania, Melanie, Leila – arabic for dark
- Tynan – Irish dark, dusky
- Duncan – dark warrior
- Lilith – ghost
- Hadrian – dark haired
- Sully – black eyed one
- Ebony – black wood
Night Names For Dogs
The world changes as night descends and we often associate night time with the scary and the magical. Here are some names with a night-time theme. Perhaps you have other associations with darkness or night time.
- Witch
- Shady
- Morrigan
- Ghost
- Wizard
- Midnight
- Taro
- Sleuth
- Twilight
- Wraith
- Dusk
- Merlin
- Robber
- Bandit
Any general names for black things can be a good fit if you are keen to throw yourself fully at the color theming. Like these awesome black food names!
- Pudding
- Olive
- Bean
- Sunflower Seed
- Lentil
- Berry
- Tea
- Coffee
- Grapes
Female Black Dog Names
Do you have a beautiful new female black puppy or rescue dog? Choosing a traditional girl’s name can be a great way to go. So can picking something that is more classically feminine. The black female dog names listed here are drawn from a variety of inspirations. From flowers to stones, to popular characters.
- Angel
- Graphite
- Gem
- Onyx
- Jewel
- Dahlia
- Rosie
- Dakota
- Trixie
- Darcy
- Opal
- Pearl
- Pepper
- Pepsi
- Deadshot
- Diabolique
- Donnie
- Ghost Rider
- Harley
- Hecate
- Huntress
- Kedavra
- Celeste
- Phantom
- Pitch
- Minuit
- Mystica
- Nimbus
- Panther
- Morticia
- Nevermore
- Odile
- Poe
- Leila
- Talladega
- Von Rothbart
- Puddle
- Tiffany
Male Black Dog Names
Great names for a cute little black male puppy can come from so many sources. From traditional human names, to ideas that come from the world around us. These ideas below are masculine, but sufficiently adorable for your beautiful new boy.
- Carbon
- Hawk
- Coal
- Tanner
- Shade
- Hunter
- Dusty
- Reece
- Shadow
- Gunner
- Smoke
- Leilo
- Smokey
- Inkblot
- King of Spades
- Kuno
- Mamba
- Bruno
- Calla
- Chase
- Julian
- Shawn
- Cocoa
- Winston
- Tater
- Topper
- Foo
- Knobby
- Cecil
- Fancy
- Sooty
- Spade
- Jet
- Spot
- Jamesy
- Duncan
- Storm
- Kellen
Cute Black Dog Names
Let’s face it, all puppies are cute. So if you’ve got a dark coated dog to name, then anything as adorable as they are has got to be a winner!
- Fluffy
- Petal
- Daisy
- Fuzzy
- Sweetie
- Bubbles
- Cutie
- Darling
- Tippy
- Licorice
- Midnight
- Blackie
- Smudge
- Moonbeam
- Puffins
- Moonstruck
- Nero
- Shaunee
- Noir
- Ace
- Angus
- Anisette
- Black Bean
- Caviar
- Anna Lee
- Chicory
- Acer
- Nhi
- Achilles
- Shandy
- Sadie
- Trudy
- Grace
- Treacle
- Sonya
- Vilma
- Huey Lewis
- Monday
- Sting
- Tegan
- Kory
- Jannette
- Domino
- Sammie
- Georgina
Cool Black Dog Names
Is cool your ultimate goal? If image is where it’s at for you, then you’re going to need to bring your dog up to your awesome level. Whether your dog is cool, chill, or simply luke warm, giving them a radical name will offer an awesome impression.
- Diesel
- Cinder
- Rorschach
- Steel
- Smudge
- Soot
- Currant
- Cronin
- Crow
- Dagan
- Delano
- Paul
- Knight
- Zander
- Lily
- Blackberry
- Ernie
- Chrome
- Raccoon
- Nigel
- Spots
- Elmo
- Stick
- Sir
- Tony
- Eclipse
- Caleb
- J.J.
- Eightball
- Ember
Badass Inspiration
How about finding more demonic or witchy dog names to fit your black beauty. These truly badass dog names will leave your friends and neighbours open stunned, but your dog will love them!
(paid link) - Witch
- Warlock
- Wizard
- Nightshade
- Wand
- Cauldron
- Troll
- Ogre
- Hades
- Satan
- Hag
- Serpent
Another fun but slightly less dark way to name your dark dog is using one of these wonderful gothic names!
- Gossamer
- Necro
- Dante
- Kali
- Azrael
- Circe
- Pestilencia
- Hemlock
- Morwenna
- Damien
- Briar
- Raven
Something Totally Different
To be totally unique of course, you need to actually invent a brand new name! And this is easier than you think. The secret is to take a word that you are familiar with, that has a nice sound, and change a small part of it. For example: Vienna, becomes Tienna.
- Tavarra
- Liami
- Tienna
- Loranna
- Taskia
- Larnie
- Sophora
You can find some pretty unusual names without going as far as inventing them. Try looking for human names that are not in common use, or names based around the weather, or black minerals and gemstones, the universe and even food and drink.
- Stormy
- Tarmac
- Thunder
- Olive
- Poppy Seed
- Grayson
- Rosalee
- Kasha
- Velvet
- Agate
- Sable
- Onyx
- Muse
- Black Knight
- Scout
- Wednesday
- Vega
- Wilder
- Yukon
- Chico
- Salami
- Restorical
- Selena
- Agent
- Aiden
- Ajax
- Espresso
- Galaxy
- Thirteen
- Undertaker
- Vlad
- Bootleg
- Widow-maker
- Inkspot
- Nate
- Cherokee
- Margarita
- Cree
- Metallica
- Misfit
- Raskolnikov
- Nightshade
- Cobb
- Chaplin
- Harlequin
- Badger
- Mickey
- Inky
- Jet
- Hershey
- Vader
- Ricky Rocket
- Bash
- Dash
- Tansy
- Fleur
- Susan
Big Black Dog Names
Does size matter when it comes to naming your dog? Names with a serious stature can be great to compliment a large breed. But they can also be a humorous way of naming a tiny pup too!
- Bear
- Beluga
- Tank
- Cosmos
- Juggernaut
- Boss
- Goliath
- Breana
- Cooper
- Butler
- Chester
- Kent
- Catheryn
- Athena
- Barthy
- Darlene
- Franklin
- Adham
- Daysi
- Alice
- Annabel Lee
- Bart
- Batman
- Blackfoot
- Blackjack
- Avnilla
- Avril
- Bootblack
- Cyan
- Draven
- Burlinda
- Char
- Cherny
- Alexelia
- Kali
Small Black Dog Names
Likewise, toy and miniature breeds can be even more adorable when they have a name that reflects their super small size. And giant dogs like Great Danes and Newfoundlands can be even cuter with a diminutive one.
- Thimble
- Muffles
- Popsicle
- Popcorn
- Tiny
- Mini
- Tiddles
- Cindy
- Princess
- Bonnie Boo
- Bean
- Petie
- Bamboo
- Coco
- Diamond Duff
- Pumpkin
- Minor
- Fiat
- Checkers
- Chess
- Elvira
- Fascianne
- Trent
- Silas
- Coke
- Cola
- Cordial
Funny Black Dog Names
- Kitten
- Arf
- Woof
- Doodle
- K9
- Nipper
- Zippy
- Thumbles
- Fluffles
- Paws
- Bouncer
- Yip
- Smiggle
- Wooly
- Skipper
- Rover
- Rex
- Bash
- Gnasher
- Squiggle
- Jaws
- Bunny
- Waffle
- Pinkie
- Smelly
- Boots
- Puddles
- Banjo
- Barcode
- Tux
- Pongo
- Groucho
- Bosco
- Happy-Go-Lucky
- Cheers
- Welly
- Bumper
Ironic Names for Black Dogs
- Ghost
- Creampuff
- Spectre
- Sunny
- Shine
- Daisy
- Summer
- Sunshine
- Glow
Spiritual Dog Names
- Angel
- Honor
- Chakra
- Cosmic
- Zen
- Om
- Archangel
- Halo
- Apostel
- Ariel
- Alo
- Pax
- Celestial
- Aura
Kai Mitchell says
I’m adopting a designer mix pup (Havanese, Yorkie, Poodle.) He’ll only get to be about 10 lbs. fully grown. He’s got the cutest little face and he’s all black, with just a hint of white on his chin and chest. So, I decided to name him Shadow.
Mike Mooter says
We had a black lab named Boudreaux. Over the course of his 13 years I met two other people with black labs named Boudreaux. I guess that it is a TX/LA dog name.
Sarah le gresley says
Our 10 year old black lab is called Forrest.
jiyaferty says
What a cute puppy photo and what a cute name. Amazing
giselle says
I love the names and the cute puppy pics.
Arianna Gonzalez says
this is such a good website to find out a good name for your dogs.
Ronel Adkins says
We adopted a shelter dog who is solid black – so black that his fur sometimes has a blue tint to it when the sun shines a certain way on him. We named him Coal because he is black as coal. I told my neighbor about him, the name we gave him and how we spell his name. My neighbor, who is a PHD, is extremely green as far as the environment is concerned.
It was about a week later when I next saw the neighbor. He is much taller than I am. He bent down and got directly in my face, then said, “I cannot believe you named your dog after a fossil fuel!”
Ruby Bryan says
Haha 🤣 my dog is called diesel and me and my dad were in the car with my mum and the dog diesel the car breaks down my mum gets very panicked a lot so she panicked as I was trying to keep diesel from braking and my dad trying to calm her down my dad goes “ alright that go fill it up then “ my mum goes so u do have diesel me in the back laughing because I know what he’s up to so then he goes “ fo course …. not gonna leave the dog at home he’s in the back”
Then my dad got a slap not surprised 😂😂
Arianna Gonzalez says
haha!😅😂🤣