Badass Boy Dog Names

Mars is a name with interesting potential, ticking the boxes as a mythological name, a space name, and a single syllable choice ending in -s. For parents wanting something unexpected, Mars could work as an alternative to popular Brooks, Max, Atlas, or Miles - and given to around 124 boys - and 27 girls - in a recent year, it is unusual but recognisable. 
 
In Roman mythology, Mars was the god of war, whose name likely relates to the Latin maris meaning "male". He is often seen as the less cold and less ruthless counterpart of the Greek god Ares (Ares being a fast rising Top 500 choice). While the war aspect might put people off, Mars was also the god of agriculture, giving it a more down to earth meaning, and was considered the father of Rome.
 
Used as the name of "The Red Planet", one of the brightest objects in the sky, and for the month of March, Mars could work for anyone looking for something space-related, or for anyone hoping to honor the month in some way.
 
Soul singer Erykah Badu helped to make this name feel more grounded when she gave it to her daughter, while musicians Thomas Mars and Bruno Mars have leant it a modern and stylish edge. 
 
If you love Mars but find it a little too outer-space (or too associated with the chocolate bar), it would also make a cool middle option, or an unexpected nickname for Marcus or Marshall.

Mars

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's middle name could make an interesting pick for music-loving parents, most easily in the middle place, ala Mozart. But today's more wide-ranging naming sensibility and love for ancient names makes Amadeus a real possibility. Amadeus is the title of a Peter Shaffer play which became an award-winning film in 1984.
 German-born tennis ace Boris Becker chose Amadeus for the name of his fourth son.

Amadeus

Ransom may be rakish and handsome, but it carries an unavoidable association with holding someone for ransom. But that kind of bad boy image might be exactly what attracts you to Ransom in the first place. 

While Ransom feels like a modern appellation ala Breaker or Ranger, it's interesting to note on the popularity chart that it was actually quite popular at the end of the 19th century but fell off the Top 1000 around 1930.

Ransom

Though to most Americans Viggo is a one-person name attached to intense actor Mortensen, it is actually an old Norse name dating back to the Vikings, and is currently the 32nd most popular appellation in Sweden. Viggo Mortensen is a Jr., sharing his name with his Danish father.
 
We think this name is so, well, vigorous, that it might appeal to others as well. Taylor and Natalie Hanson seemed to agree when they chose it for their fourth child.

Viggo

Judd is a strong but sensitive short form that can easily stand on its own, the second 'd' giving it a lot more substance, and it would also be a good middle name choice. Two recent actors have given it credence--Judd Nelson and Judd Hirsch, and now it's most noticeably represented by comedy director Judd Apatow.
 Judd is a fairly prevalent surname, represented by the family of Naomi, Wynonna and Ashley, and the minimalist artist Donald Judd.

Judd

For as long as we all shall live, Harry Potter's sneering nemesis. 

Draco

This popular Turkish name has a very on-trend sound and is familiar to English speakers thanks to Orson Scott Card’s sci-fi novel Ender’s Game. The book has recently been turned into a movie, starring Asa Butterfield as Andrew "Ender" Wiggin.
 
Ender was chosen by Halsey and her partner Alev Aydin for their son born in 2021. It was an ideal choice for the couple, nodding to their love of Sci-Fi (Ender's middle name is Ripley) and Aydin's Turkish heritage.

Ender

More universal than Elvis...and more conventionally attractive, too. Cindy Crawford used it for her son, though it's on the rise mainly for girls. 

The last time Presley ranked in the Top 1000 for boys was 1903, 120 years ago. Today, it's used for girls 14 times as often as for boys, mainly because of the -ley ending.

Presley

Vladimir is a cultured and deep-rooted Slavic name associated in this country with cultural figures including piano virtuoso Vladimir Horowitz and the author of Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov.

 The name Vladimir is rich in history, notably borne by Vladimir the Great, the 10th-11th century ruler of Kievan Rus' who brought Christianity to his nation and is now venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Among the name's other famous – or infamous – bearers are several Russian political figures past and present, including Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin and current Russian president Putin. 

 Volodymyr is the Ukrainian form of the name, recently made internationally famous by Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy following the Russian invasion of his country. Other variations of this name in other European countries include Valdemar and Waldemar. All derive from Slavic roots vladěti, meaning "to rule," plus meru "great" or miru, "peace" or "world." Common Slavic diminutive forms include Volodya, Vova, Vladan and Vlatko.

 Long a common name throughout the Slavic world, Vladimir is featured in novels by Turgenev and Pushkin. Vladimir also has vampirish connections: Dracula is based on Vlad III, three-time ruler of Wallachia in the 15th century, otherwise known as Vlad the Impaler. A more modern literary character is Vladimir, one of the two main figures in Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot.

Vladimir

Best known as the the Greek Goddess of the hunt and the moon, Artemis could now be considered one of the few traditionally feminine names that are currently being used for boys. Alternatively though, when pronounced ahr-TEH-mis, it is a valid Greek masculine name – a diminutive of Artemios.
 
Trending upwards in the US and the UK as a feminine name, Artemis has also been more quietly rising up the stats for boys since the early 2010s. Given to 100 baby boys in 2024, its mythological, historical, and Three Musketeer-ish ring might just see it catch on. 
 
The fantasy and sci-fi book series Artemis Fowl features a male Artemis, which also might have swayed how people view this name.

Artemis

Jennings is a common English surname that originated as a patronymic for the child of someone named Jen, a short form of John.

With the craze for s-ending surname names, this one is growing in popularity, given last year to more than 80 baby boys and about 25 baby girls in the US.

Jennings could be an original honor name for grandpa John....or even grandma Jennifer.

Jennings

Loki is the shape-shifting, gender-bending god of mischief in Norse mythology.  Taking several animal forms, from a salmon to a seal to a fly, Loki is alternately friend and foe of the gods.

Loki

Wolf is a name with a split personality. It can be seen as one of the fierce animal names, like Fox and Bear and Puma, with a touch of the werewolf, or it can be viewed as a quieter, Wolf Blitzer kind of name, fairly common in German (where is pronounced Vulf) and Jewish families, sometimes as a short form of Wolfgang, or even Wolfram or Wolfhart.

 CNN newscaster Blitzer inherited the name from his grandfather. Other Wolfs of note include British screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz, who was instrumental in the early James Bond films, painter Wolf Kahn, and the hero of Jack London's 1904 novel The Sea-Wolf, Wolf Larsen.

 
Despite all it has going for it, Wolf is relatively rare and has never been given to more than 80 babies in a single year. But now that Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott chose it for their infant son, Wolf is primed to climb the charts.

 Spelling variations Wolfe or Woolf push it into surname territory, while nickname Wolfie definitely domesticates it.

Wolf

Though forever tied to Huck, short for Huckleberry, Finn, this is an undeniably cute short form that may have some life as part of the hipster taste for names like Duke and Bix.

Huck

Words are not always easy to translate into <a href="https://nameberry.com/">baby names</a>, but the implications of being straight and swift lend this one great potential as a name. It also has the popular o-sound ending, which brings it further into the realm of possibility. Rising rock star Aja Volkman pulled a gender switch when she named her daughter Arrow Eve.

Arrow

Comedian Roseanne Barr chose this macho nature name for her son. In the 18th century it was used to describe a dashing, fashionable dressed man. Buck fits in well alongside names like Beck, Jack and Huck. 

 The traditional name of the full moon in July, Buck Moon, relates to the fact that the antlers of male deer reach their peak growth around this time of year.

Buck

Octavius, which was at one time used for the eighth child in a family, has the worn leather patina of all the ancient Roman names now up for reconsideration. As a Roman family name, it derives from the uncommon forename Octavus, which designated an eighth son.
 The first Roman emperor, Augustus, was called Caius Octavius or Octavian before he took his title. He was the son of Octavius and Atia, the niece of Julius Caesar, who adopted him as his son. He appears under the name Octavius Caesar in Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" and "Antony and Cleopatra."
 In later lit, Octavius Guy is a character in Wilkie Collins's novel The Moonstone and Octavius Robinson is in George Bernard Shaw's play "Man and Superman," while Octave is the name of the protaganist of a Stendhal novel. And Octavius is the name of an old Roman general in the movie "Night at the Museum."
 Attractive foreign versions include Ottavio and Octavio, as in the distinguished Mexican poet Octavio Paz. Octavio is also the name of several saints, including one who lived as a hermit in an elm tree.

Octavius

Over 50 baby boys were named Alpha last year, along with eight baby girls. Expect a lifetime of "alpha male" jokes, which could prove daunting or confidence-building for your own little Alpha.

Alpha

Windswept and dramatic, but perhaps asking for trouble. Quite popular in Denmark and Sweden, where it derives from Stromr, which is a fairly common surname. Storm Thorgerson is a famous bearer of the name - he designed iconic album covers for Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, the Cranberries, Anthrax, and Pink Floyd.

Storm

A bold, brave choice, that some may worry is a little heavy to bestow on a child, Hero wouldn't seem too out of place alongside Chosen, Merritt, or Noble. Though the mythological Hero was female, as a word name, it could easily be a unisex option.
 
In fact, it leans masculine in the US, where a recent year saw it given to 65 boys compared to 5 girls.

Hero

Badass boy dog names are for the coolest dogs around. These names will give your pup an extra badass boost at the dog park, no matter how much of a teddy bear they may be at heart.

 today include these kind of badass names such as Rocky and Bear along with popular baby boy names like Charlie and Milo. Other trending boy dog names that might fit the badass image include Moose, Bruno, and Loki.

These dog names range from the suave Romeo and Thiago to tough-guy names like Viper and Rogue. Badass boy dog names may also take inspiration from real-life figures like Crockett or Hendrix, or mythological figures like Ajax or Thor.

 for boy dogs include Grizzly, Trigger, and Ghost. 

 include Roman gladiator names like Atticus and Magnus along with cool names like Nico and Kai.

Badass male dog names, with trending boy dog names for tough cool badass male dogs and puppies, with meanings, origins, and popularity. (Page 10)