Funny Dog Names

Velma likely originated as a phonetic spelling of the German name Wilma, itself derived from Wilhelmina. Velma Dinkley is a smart, if nerdy, character in Scooby Doo.

Velma

One of the most unusual flower names, Tulip is cute but tough to pull off as a first. It has some celebrity cred via Charlie Tamara Tulip, twin daughter of Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell. It derives from Persian dulband "turban", due to the distinctive shape of the flowers.

Tulip

Rarely heard, and when it is, usually attached to a witch. Historically, though, Wanda was a legendary eighth century queen of Poland, and in literature it is the central character of Ouida's eponymous novel Wanda. A musical namesake is the great Polish harpsichordist Wanda Landowska.

Wanda

For the parent who might also have Buck and Ryder on his list. 

Bronco

Zero has been documented as a given name before, but it's largely familiar as a stage name (such as Zero Mostel, born Samuel Joel Mostel) and comic book and anime characters. Nevertheless, fourteen boys were called Zero is a recent year, perhaps appealing because of the children's rhyme: "zero the hero, first the worst, second the best..."

Zero

Native to America, the coyote has long been associated with danger and independence and with the popularity of Fox, Tiger, and Wolf, plus that cool KAI sound, Coyote might have potential. Possibly still too associated with the film Coyote Ugly and Wile E. Coyote, the Looney Tunes character, it is certainly a strong statement name for American nature lovers.
 
Given to 19 boys in 2023 but only 8 in 2024, influencers Julia and Hunt Havens also chose Coyote for their son's middle name it 2025.

Coyote

Although Disney's cute deer was a male, Bambi has always been used for girls. It first appeared on the charts in 1943, the year after the Disney movie was released. Bambi featured in the Top 1000 from 1954-1964 — a decade where girl names ending in I, like Lori and Teri, were big — and again from 1977-1982.
 
We once said that Bambi sounds far too flimsy to face the modern world, but the times are changing. Names that end in I are once again en vogue, and Love Island star Molly-Mae Hague recently named her daughter Bambi. It's too early to tell, but a Bambi renaissance may be upon us.

Bambi

Marvel, now a character name in The Hunger Games series, was a miracle name of yesterday, on the girls' Social Security list until 1941 and reaching a high of 487 at the turn of the last century, when Marva was also in style. 
 These days it does have something of a comic book feel, what with Marvel Comics, Captain Marvel and Mary Marvel, and despite the fact that Marvel is a male character in The Hunger Games, we can see some parents reviving this name for their own little marvel of a baby girl. That's what rocker Pete Wentz, dad of creatively-named sons Bronx Mowgli and Saint Laszlo, did recently when he named his daughter Marvel Jane.

Marvel

Blanche, which originated as a nickname for a pale blonde and then became associated with the notion of purity, was in style a century ago, ranking in the double digits until 1920. She then had to fight the stereotype of faded Southern belle, a la Blanche DuBois in Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire and Blanche Devereaux in TV's Golden Girls. Now all three of the Golden Girls--Blanche, Rose and Dorothy--could be ready for revival, with Blanche sounding like a stronger, simpler alternative to Bianca.
A saint's name, Blanche was a royal name in France by the twelfth century, then was brought to England by the French wife of Henry I. One possible powerful namesake is Blanche Scott, one of the original daredevil aviatrixes. You might also take its meaning to relate to snow, making it one of the perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/89/winter-baby-names">winter baby names</a>.

Blanche

Rarely used on its own and irrevocably tied to former House Speaker Gingrich -- who was christened Newton. 

Newt

Whether you think of it as Cale with a K, or a pet form of Kalen or Kaleb, this is just the kind of short, synthetic name finding a lot of favor now, but remember -- it's also the name of a vegetable. 

Kale

The Roman god of the underworld, the former ninth planet, a cartoon dog...but not a baby. 

Pluto

If you want a pan-Scandinavian name with energy and style that could have been a winner, if not for the sound-alike water filtration company Brita.

Britta

Star Wars fans may know the lore behind the origin of the word and the concept Jedi well enough to confidently choose their name for their child. It has to do with balancing the forces of the universe.

Also makes a cute short form for the somewhat forbidding Jedidiah.

Jedi

Military word names, from Cannon to Major, are in, but Tank might push things a bit too far.

Tank

Sometimes used as a short-form of Catholic Pope name Anacletus, Cletus is an ancient name that has not-yet found the popularity of Theodore, Leo, Atticus and Max. It perhaps suffers from its association to the yokel character in The Simpsons , but we think it's time for a reconsideration, given how well it fits into several current trends. Nickname Clete is cute as a button!

Cletus

Though Davy Crockett is a childhood hero, a frontiersman, soldier, politician, congressman and prolific storyteller. But be aware that "crock" is American slang for a lot of nonsense or something broken.

Crockett Johnson was the pen name of the classic children's book Harold and the Purple Crayon.

Crockett

Iggy is the quintessential pop star name, though it's the nickname Cate Blanchett uses for son Ignatius. Iggy does bring any grander-sounding name down to earth.

Iggy

Once unique to the Zappa family, now you can have your own little prima donna. 

Diva

Most famous as a sci-fi action film starring Keanu Reeves, the word matrix actually derives from the Latin for "womb". Max could be a cool nickname.

Matrix

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 6)