Looking for dog names that really suit your dog? Here are 150 ideas for girls and boys, sorted by style: short and snappy, sweet, strong, inspired by coat colour, good enough to eat, from film and TV or straight from the far North. Each name comes with its letter count, so you can see at a glance whether it fits on the collar.
Why do we count? We're call me puppy, a small team from Braunschweig in Germany, and with us you spell your dog's name right onto the collar with silicone letter charms. Up to 8 characters fit, and every one of the 150 names on this list makes the cut.
How to read the lists: the number in brackets is the number of letters. Anything up to 8 fits on the collar.
What should you look for when choosing a dog name?
- Short and clear: one or two syllables are easy to call, even right across the park.
- No command lookalikes: a dog called Bo might hear "no". If a name sounds like a cue you're training, keep looking.
- Easy to tell apart: if another dog, a cat or a child with a similar sounding name already lives with you, confusion is guaranteed.
- The everyday test: say the name out loud a few times, including the way you'd call it across the vet's waiting room. Does it feel right?
- Fits on the collar: up to 8 characters, A–Z only. Letters with accents are simply written without them, more on that below.
The most popular dog names in Germany
The German pet insurer Uelzener analysed around 128,000 dog names (published July 2026). Among the girls, Luna leads clearly with 2,099 mentions, followed by Emma (1,352) and Bella (1,210). Among the boys, Buddy (1,060) comes first, ahead of Balu (918) and Bruno (811). Notice something? All six front runners have 4 or 5 letters. The other names below are tried and tested favourites, in no particular order.
- Girls: Luna (4), Emma (4), Bella (5), Nala (4), Lilly (5), Kira (4), Coco (4), Lucy (4), Daisy (5), Amy (3)
- Boys: Buddy (5), Balu (4), Bruno (5), Oskar (5), Rocky (5), Max (3), Leo (3), Milo (4), Teddy (5), Sammy (5)
Short dog names: short and snappy
One call and your dog is there. Short names are quick to say and leave room on the collar for symbols, for example a heart on either side of the name.
- Girls: Ava (3), Bea (3), Ida (3), Mia (3), Pia (3), Uma (3), Zoe (3), Kim (3), Fee (3), Lou (3)
- Boys: Ben (3), Jax (3), Kai (3), Ole (3), Tom (3), Bo (2), Finn (4), Jim (3), Gus (3)
Sweet names for girl dogs
Playful, soft sounding and often doubled up like Bibi or Lulu. Perfect for little charmers and anyone who likes things a bit cute.
- Girls: Bonnie (6), Bibi (4), Lotte (5), Kiki (4), Mimi (4), Polly (5), Rosie (5), Lulu (4), Pippa (5), Nele (4)
Strong names for boy dogs
For boys with presence, whether that's a Great Dane or a Dachshund with a big ego.
- Boys: Arko (4), Bosco (5), Rex (3), Rocco (5), Hektor (6), Atlas (5), Titus (5), Duke (4), Brutus (6), Bandit (6)
Dog names inspired by coat colour
Snow white, jet black, caramel or grey flecked: the coat is often the best inspiration. A little tip: match the letter colours to the coat, beige or brown for a tone on tone look, or baby blue and pink for contrast. (Flocke is German for snowflake.)
Our ideas: Snowy (5), Flocke (6), Blacky (6), Smokey (6), Pepper (6), Ginger (6), Rusty (5), Goldie (6), Silver (6), Hazel (5), Amber (5), Mocca (5), Oreo (4)
Dog names good enough to eat
Sweet treats are a popular source of inspiration in the Uelzener analysis, with names like Milky and Bounty on the list. Add snacks from around the world and you're set. (Pommes means chips and Keks means biscuit in German.) At 10 letters, Cappuccino is sadly too long, but read on to see how it still fits on the collar.
Our ideas: Cookie (6), Muffin (6), Toffee (6), Bounty (6), Milky (5), Pommes (6), Brownie (7), Mango (5), Kiwi (4), Peanut (6), Popcorn (7), Nacho (5), Sushi (5), Keks (4)
Dog names from film, TV and history
Geniuses and heroines make great namesakes too: the Uelzener analysis includes Einstein, Mozart and Sherlock and Watson, among others. By the way, Sherlock, Einstein and Khaleesi use exactly our 8 characters.
Our ideas: Sherlock (8), Watson (6), Einstein (8), Mozart (6), Elvis (5), Frodo (5), Yoda (4), Simba (5), Snoopy (6), Lassie (6), Idefix (6), Khaleesi (8), Arya (4), Peppa (5), Pluto (5), Bambi (5)
Nordic and mythological dog names
Names of gods are on trend. According to Uelzener, Odin is the most popular god's name for boys with 362 mentions, followed by Loki, Zeus, Ares and Apollo. For girls, Freya, Frigg or Athena work beautifully.
- Girls: Freya (5), Frigg (5), Skadi (5), Sif (3), Athena (6), Hera (4)
- Boys: Odin (4), Thor (4), Loki (4), Ragnar (6), Balder (6), Zeus (4), Ares (4), Apollo (6)
Old-school human names with charm
Grandma and grandpa names are back: according to Uelzener, classic German names such as Käthe, Erna, Hilde and Bärbel are enjoying an unexpected comeback. You'll find out how Käthe and Bärbel fit on the collar despite their umlauts further down.
- Girls: Erna (4), Hilde (5), Greta (5), Ilse (4), Gisela (6), Frieda (6)
- Boys: Otto (4), Emil (4), Karl (4), Fritz (5), Heinz (5), Egon (4)
Dog names inspired by nature and travel
For dogs who love the great outdoors and for humans already dreaming of the next holiday: places, trees and weather.
Our ideas: Bali (4), Java (4), Oslo (4), Rio (3), Sydney (6), Aspen (5), Willow (6), Ivy (3), Juniper (7), Maple (5), Sky (3), Storm (5)
Unisex dog names
Suitable for girls and boys alike. Handy if you've picked the name before you know who's moving in.
Our ideas: Charly (6), Sam (3), Lucky (5), Sunny (5), Toni (4), Robin (5), Kaya (4), Jojo (4), Noa (3), Alex (4)
Accents in the name or too long? Here's how it still fits on the collar
Our letters come from A to Z, plus the symbols paw, heart, flower and star. There are no letters with accents and no numbers. That's no problem though, you simply leave the accent off:
- Zoë becomes ZOE (3)
- Chloé becomes CHLOE (5)
- Renée becomes RENEE (5)
- German umlauts are written out with an E: Käthe becomes KAETHE (6), Bärbel becomes BAERBEL (7)
If a name has more than 8 characters, a nickname does the trick: Cappuccino becomes CAPPU, Maximilian becomes MAXI. Symbols take up a spot just like letters, so include them in your 8 characters. How many characters fit also depends on the size of the collar.
Frequently asked questions about dog names
How many letters should a dog name have?
There's no fixed rule. Short names with one or two syllables are easier to call, though, and easier for your dog to pick out. The six most popular names in the Uelzener analysis all have 4 or 5 letters. With us, up to 8 characters fit on the collar.
Can a dog learn a new name later on?
Yes, adult dogs, for example rescue dogs, can get used to a new name too. At first, link it to something nice like a treat or a game, and be a little patient. You simply swap the letters on the collar.
Which names work when two dogs live together?
Choose names that are clearly different, both in their first letter and in how they sound. Luna and Juna are too similar, Luna and Otto are not. A nice bonus: with different letter colours you can tell at a glance whose collar is whose.
Found the name? Then onto the collar it goes
Our silicone letter charms come in 7 colours, plus paw, heart, flower and star. You simply slide them on and swap them whenever you like. The matching dog collars are waterproof and available in S, M and L. Our size guide shows you which size your dog needs.
