Funny Dog Names

Whimsy is a new entry to the ever-expanding word name lexicon, sister for Pixie and Bliss. While it has an undeniable offbeat English aristocratic charm (maybe we're thinking of Dorothy Sayers' fictional detective Lord Peter Wimsey, whose middle name was Death?), we see this as more fitting for a middle than a first name.
 
Infamous baby namers Nara and Lucky Blue Smith welcomed a daughter named Whimsy Lou in 2024, which is likely to increase this name's profile significantly.

Whimsy

Model Lucky Blue Smith welcomed daughter Rumble Honey in 2020, introducing a new name to the pool and putting it among the craziest celebrity baby names of the year. We don't see Rumble inspiring many copycats.

Rumble

Short form of Alfred that had fallen out of favor, but could come back alongside Alfie and other clunky old-style nicknames like Gus and Ike.

Almond may seem like a hippy modern name, but its use for American boys goes right back to the mid-nineteenth century. In these cases, it was either a variation of Almund, meaning "noble strength," or the surname Aleman, meaning "German."

Almond

You can call your baby "babe," but don't name her that. 

Babe

Bamboo is a plant name that you might want to save for the zoo's name-the-panda contest.  It was used for a starbaby in 2000, though, the rapper Big Boi.

Bamboo

Banana is one fruity name we wouldn't recommend. Pick Plum instead. There is a Japanese novelist whose pen name is Banana Yoshimoto--birth name Mahoko.

Banana

We hesitate to call Bandit an occupational name, any more than Rogue or Vandal are occupational names, yet its use by one of the bandmembers of My Chemical Romance (for his daughter: we're thinking only Gerard Way could pull that off) undoubtedly owes a debt to occupational cousins from Pilot to Parker.
 
 Snappy and daring though it is, it may be best reserved for celebrity babies, a mischievous pet, or as a fun nickname. While it could work as a generic nickname (like Sonny, Sport, and Chip might), it would be especially fitting with something like Benjamin, Benedict, Brandon, or Bennett. 
 
Nevertheless, celeb choices and animated characters can be influential. Bandit appears in the hit cartoon series Bluey, as the father of the title character, and possibly as a result of this, Bandit appeared in the US stats for the first time in 2024, when it was given to six boys.

Bandit

When Australian actress Rachel Griffiths chose this highly unusual name for her son, many assumed it was a bizarre invention, but noted Australian poet and writer of Waltzing Matilda, Banjo Patterson, is known by this name. Sprightly and musical, it could blend in with Bruno, Benjamin and Joey.
 
Borne by a character in the hit cartoon show Bluey, Banjo entered the US stats for the first time in 2024 when it was given to eight boys.

Banjo

Credit, of course, to the artist for inventing this secretive pseudonym, but we actually have Hilary Duff to thank for Banksy as a baby name. Banksy is Duff's nickname for her daughter Banks, born in 2018. Banksy debuted on the US charts in 2020, and in a more recent year, was given to seven girls. 
 
For some, it may feel too much of a mononyn, while others may see it as an arty alternative to Banks.

Banksy

Bartleby (that's his last name) the Scrivener is a famous Herman Melville character whose surprisingly powerful refrain was, "I would prefer not to." Or, in the immortal words of any two-year-old: No. 
 Putting that aside, Bartleby is a <a href="https://nameberry.com/unique-names">unique baby name</a> that could make a lively literary alternative to Barnaby.
 Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street was made into movies three times, the latest starring Christian Glover. In the 1999 film "Dogma," Bartleby is a fallen angel played by Ben Affleck.

Bartleby

The unisex word name Bean, distant cousin of the infamous Apple, was used for the name of a child in Louise Penny's novel "A Rule Against Murder." A cute choice, it's likely best reserved for a nickname, a middle name, or as a pet's name.
 
Bennett, Benjamin, Eben, Bernard or Benson might be direct routes to the nickname.

Bean

Up-and-coming actress Beanie Feldstein is attracting attention toward her unusual — but rather cute — nickname. She was born Elizabeth Greer Feldstein but nicknamed "Elizabeanie" by her childhood nanny. It was later simplified to Beanie by her older brothers.

Beanie

The quintessential midcentury nickname, famously found in Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman." 

Biff is late 19th century slang meaning to "hit", so Biff may have originated as a nickname for a tough guy. We'd object to it as a name, but it's hard to imagine anyone using it today outside of a symbolic name in a play.

Biff

The name of the protagonist in Richard Wright's 1940 novel Native Son.

Bigger

When Kate Hudson named her second son Bingham and announced that she would be calling him Bing, it put this zingy nickname name out on the table. Before that, there was only one, further nicknamed Der Bingle -- and he was really Harry Lillis Crosby. 
 And nowadays it's also a Microsoft search engine--but in any case, Bing has a lot of zing and could fit in with the likes of Brooks, Banks, Riggs, and Briggs. No babies have been called Bing in recent years, however. 
 
Bing may also be associated with a Chinese name meaning "soldier" or "ice" depending on the kanji. While Bing is typically a surname, it may occasionally be listed as a given name in English speaking countries, due to the difference in name order in Chinese.

Bing

Bingo

The archetypal diminutive, in every sense of the word. Bitsy enjoyed some use as a nickname in the era when children were named after family members and then called by a cute pet name: Chip, Skip, Babe, Bitsy. As a full name, it has made the US list only three times: in 1943, 1958 and 1962.

Bitsy

Bizzy has a 1930s wisecracking waitress -- think Mitzi, Flossie, Fanny -- feel to it, yet at the same time feels like a fresh, modern nickname for Elizabeth.  Given that any Bizzy better be, this name could be a way to make your Elizabeth stand out.

Bizzy

Bobo was the name of one of the most famous clowns in American circus history, who performed from the 1920s until the 1970s. But that's not the only reason this makes a less-than-optimal nickname.

Bobo

Funny dog names may be used for a goofy-looking pup or just for fun. Naming babies is serious, but dogs won't be teased for having a silly name. In fact, everybody loves unexpected and playful names on pets!

 are popular among pet names, with Cookie, Moose, and Ziggy ranking among the top choices. Along with Cookie, other 

 include Zippy, Susan, and LaRue. In addition to Moose, other 

It's funny to name your dog after a silly character, like Kermit or Gru. 

Featured here is our expansive selection of funny dog names. Search below to find the perfect goofy name for your dog or puppy.

Funny dog names, including Dudley, Dweezil, Diva, and other funny names for dogs, with meaning, origin, and popularity (Page 10)