Funny Dog Names

Jimbo is a masculine name that originated as a familiar, affectionate nickname for James. With English-American origins, it combines the shortened form 'Jim' with the suffix 'bo,' which was a popular addition to nicknames in the southern United States. This playful diminutive has occasionally been used as a given name in its own right, particularly in the late 20th century when informal names gained acceptance. Jimbo conveys a friendly, approachable quality with a distinctly casual American flair. While not commonly found on birth certificates, it maintains popularity as a nickname and carries associations with down-to-earth warmth and unpretentious charm. The name has folksy appeal and projects an easygoing personality.

Jimbo

An informal nickname for names such as Julia, Juliette, and June.

Juju

Murakami's Kafka on the Shore features a character named after the famous Czech author of The Metamorphoses.

Kafka

Kal-El is Superman's Kryptonian name, invented by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938 as the birth name of the superhero. Some theorize that it relates to Hebrew characters with the meaning "voice of God", while others give the meaning as "son" or "Earth one". 

At least one Earthling baby has received the name: the son of actor Nicolas Cage.

Kal-el

Kitten

This endearing nickname name is one Katherine pet form that predates all the Kathys and Katies, having been fairly common in the eighteenth century. With the current mini-craze for animal-related names, Kitty is sounding cute and cuddly again&mdash;she's already jumped back onto the U.K. list, at number 199.
 Kitty was one of the Bennet sisters in Pride and Prejudice and was a character in Dickens's Bleak House; Ginger Rogers won an Oscar for her performance in Kitty Foyle, and vintage TV fans might remember the alluring Miss Kitty in Gunsmoke. Since then there have been pop culture Kittys galore, including Calista Flockhart's character on Brothers and Sisters, a mom on That 70's Show and Kitty Pryde, one of the X-Men.
 Singer Kitty Carlisle was born Catherine, country singer Kitty Wells grew up as Muriel, and Presidential candidate's wife Kitty Dukakis was born Katharine.
 A historical reference is Kitty Hawk, where the Wright brothers performed their aeronautical experiments. 
 Short form Kit has been used in recent years for several strong-willed movie heroines and may prove a lively alternative to Kate.

Kitty

It sounds like a modern nature name, but Leafy was coined as a Puritan nickname for the girls' name Relief, which referred to the relief of Christ.

Leafy

Sour or sweet? Enough like Lennon, Leonard, and Clement to work, or best left in the fruit basket? That's up to you to decide, but Lemon has been appearing in the US charts for boys since the 1880s. 
 
Currently more popular for girls (given to 50 in 2021, and 29 in a more recent year), Lemon has been out of the charts for boys since the 90s, but that's not to say it won't ever return, given the interest in wild word names in recent years.
 
One thing to bear in mind is that Lemon is sometimes used as a slang term with a couple of meanings. It may refer to: a defective and faulty car or gadget; to an unhelpful person who won't take action (as in, standing there like a lemon); and, in a more niche (and perhaps slightly outdated?) way, for explicit content in fanfiction. Make of that what you will.
 
Lemuel, Lemoine, and Lonan might be similar sounding options,

Lemon

Olympic athlete Usain Bolt introduced this unusual and electric nature name to the lexicon when he chose it for his daughter's middle name: Olympia Lightning Bolt. Now there's a name with layers of meaning!

Lightning

Lopa is a concise feminine name with several possible cultural origins. In Indian traditions, particularly Bengali, Lopa can be found as a shortened form of names like Lopamudra, referring to a female sage in Hindu mythology. The name may also have connections to Nepalese or Tibetan naming traditions. Lopa has a minimalist elegance with just two syllables and a balanced vowel-consonant structure. Its brevity makes it cross-culturally accessible while maintaining distinctive qualities. Though uncommon in Western countries, its simplicity allows for easy pronunciation across language barriers. The name carries a gentle sound while remaining distinctive, offering cultural significance for those with South Asian heritage while functioning well internationally.

Lopa

Maeby sprang into the modern consciousness via the cult TV favorite Arrested Development, in which the appealing teen character Maeby's name is a nickname for Mae. It's also a homonym for Maybe, which undercuts its inherent cuteness. Is Maeby prime for a real life baby name? Sorry, but we can't resist: Maybe.

Maeby

Mango might be cute as a short form of a related name like Manuel, or for a pet name. But we're not feeling it as a full baby name for a child of any gender.

Mango

One of the ultimate teasable names, an Irish saint's name now associated with the oversized comic-strip dog.  Scottish adventurer Bear (born Edward) Grylls took up the challenge when he used it for his son.

Marmaduke

When ordering a baby name, hold the mayo. 

Mayo

A sort of Maisie-Hazel hybrid, likely influenced by the hit TV show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Actress Beverley Mitchell chose it for her daughter.
 
One of the origins of the surname Maisel was matronymic, from the Yiddish first name Mayzl, of which the meaning is uncertain. Some sources connect it to the Yiddish word for "mouse," while others claim it is related to Moshe/Moses.

Mayzel

In Greek myth, Medusa was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, with live venomous snakes in place of hair and the ability to turn people to stone with just a glance. In later myths, Medusa was originally a beautiful maiden, who was transformed into a monster by the jealous Athena.
 
Using a mirror to avoid looking directly at her, Medusa was slain by Perseus and her head turned into a shield. According to some legends, she bore Pegasus, the winged horse, and the giant Chrysaor, as she died.
 
Despite its heavy mythological baggage, Medusa broke into the US charts for girls in 2022.

Medusa

Sixties-style nickname which is also the name of a small biting insect, particularly prevalent in Scotland.

Midge

A strong modern word name with both spiritual and secular significance.

Mighty

This adorable fish name debuted on the baby name charts in 2020, inspired by a young girl character in the Netflix movie Love and Monsters. Minnow resembles well-established girl names Minnie, Willow, and Marlowe.

Minnow

The Dutch name is usually spelled Myrthe or Mirthe and pronounced meer-ta.  But most English speakers will say it mer-tha and confuse the name with Martha, Bertha, or Myrtle.

Mirtha

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 14)