Dog Names That Mean Dog
Updated Wed Feb 14 2024
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Dog names that mean dog are some of the most fitting choices out there for your pooch. They may mean "dog" in any number of languages, or they may have meanings such as "wolf" or "fox" if these are more fitting for your pup.
Dog names that mean dog or hound include Madigan, Cymbeline, Kalev, and Connor.
Male dog names that mean wolf include Channing, Ralph, Conan, Lowell, and Rudy. Female dog names that mean wolf include Lovella, Blakesley, Lupita, Ylva, and Randi.
Variations of the name Wolf itself are also great options, such as Wolfson, Wolfie, and Wolfgang.
Aside from Fox itself, male dog names that mean fox include Fennec, Renard, Todd, and Voss. Female dog names that mean fox include Inola and Tsula.
Here is our comprehensive collection of names that mean dog, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
RELATED:
- Wolf
Origin:
Animal name or diminutive of Wolfgang, GermanMeaning:
" traveling wolf"Description:
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.
- Ralph
Origin:
English from GermanMeaning:
"wolf-counsel"Description:
Ralph has two diametrically different images: there's the suave Ralph Fiennes-type Brit (often pronounced Rafe), and then there's the Jackie Gleason blue-collar, bowling blowhard Ralph Kramden bus driver. It's all in the eye of the beholder, though its hip factor did rise when it was chosen for his son by cool U.K. actor Matthew Macfadyen.
- Rafe
Origin:
Variation of RalphMeaning:
"wolf-counsel"Description:
Used almost exclusively in England; would make an equally amiable short form here for Raphael or Rafferty -- and could also stand on its own. If you're looking for boys' names starting with R, this is one of your cooler choices.
- Connor
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"lover of hounds"Description:
Connor, the appealing name of an early semi-legendary king of Ulster in Irish mythology, sits firmly in the Top 100 and taken together with its alternate spellings would rank even higher. In its native Ireland the Conor version is one of the highest charting boys’ name.
- Rudy
Origin:
German, diminutive of RudolphMeaning:
"famous wolf"Description:
Rudy has a bit of style currency, thanks to the fact that Jude Law used it for his son. It has been consistently in the Top 1000 for as long as Social Security records have been tallied, as opposed to parent name Rudolph, which, perhaps due to the reindeer, hasn't been heard from in some time.
- Fox
Origin:
Animal nameDescription:
Fox is one animal name backed by a longish tradition, and then popularized via the lead character Fox Mulder on X Files. Fox is simple, sleek, and a little bit wild, and could make an interesting middle name.
- Lowell
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"young wolf"Description:
Lowell is an upstanding and somewhat conservative name that calls to mind the genteel patrician families of nineteenth century New England, such as the one poet Robert Lowell was born into. Two other Lowell-surnamed poets are Amy and James Russell.
- Wolfgang
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"traveling wolf"Description:
Chef Wolfgang Puck has helped soften this thunderous Germanic name; music-lovers will appreciate its association with Mozart, though the composer's middle name Amadeus is more appealing. With Wolf on the rise, however, and parents looking for bolder options, Wolfgang might just intrigue people with its historical feel .
- Zev
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"wolf"Description:
Zev is a short, simple, animal name that may relate to the Old Testament Ze'ev -- except he was a villainous character.
- Madden
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"little dog"Description:
Madden is an Irish surname relative of Madigan rising through the charts thanks to its trendy two-syllable, -en ending sound along with its appeal to Madden Football video game-playing dads. John Madden is a former pro football player who went on to coach the Oakland Raiders and become a popular NFL commentator. Madden is also the surname of groovy Nicole Richie baby daddy Joel Madden.
- Conan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"little wolf"Description:
The fierce image of the Barbarian made a complete turnaround thanks to amiable talk show host O'Brien, making Conan one of the newly desirable Irish choices, a perfect alternative to Conor/Connor.
- Faolan
Origin:
Irish GaelicMeaning:
"little wolf"Description:
Properly spelled with a fada in Gaelic (Faolán), this name is the origin of the Irish surname Phelan. It derives from the Gaelic fáel "wolf", plus a diminutive suffix, making this a handsome hidden nature name.
- Rollo
Origin:
Latin form of RolfMeaning:
"wolf"Description:
Rollo is a livelier, roly-poly, o-ending version of Roland.
- Phelan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"wolf"Description:
Phelan, pronounced FAY-lan or FEE-lan, is an appealing Irish surname name, with a rich history in Irish myth and religious and secular life. One bearer was a fiercely loyal follower of the legendary warrior Finn MacCool, another was a missionary saint.
- Todd
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"fox"Description:
A 1970s beach boy surfing buddy of Scott, Brad, and Chad, Todd is given to relatively few babies these days.
- Rudy
Origin:
German, short form of RudolphMeaning:
"famous wolf"Description:
Rudy hasn't yet enjoyed the comeback of cousin name Ruby, despite having been chosen by hip couple Sadie Frost and Jude Law, but it still could happen.
- Cymbeline
Origin:
CelticMeaning:
"sun lord or sun hound"Description:
The title of a Shakespeare play based on legends featuring the early Celtic King Cunobelinus, whose name derives from the Gaulish sun god Belenus.
- Raif
Origin:
Arabic; EnglishMeaning:
"compassionate; wolf counsel"Description:
Raif (or Raef, Rayif) is a Muslim name usually given in reference to the Qur’anic verse "God is most compassionate and most merciful to mankind." A notable bearer is Saudi writer, dissident and activist Raif Badawi.
- Wulfric
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"wolf power"Description:
Most famous as one of the many middle names of Professor Dumbledore from Harry Potter, Wulfric is an earlier form of the medieval English name Ulric. It has also belonged to an 11th- century Earl of Mercia and a 12th-century saint.
- Lupin
Origin:
Flower, animal, and literary name, from LatinMeaning:
"pertaining to the wolf"Description:
Lupin is an unusual flower name with roots in Old French, from the Latin lupinus, meaning "pertaining to the wolf". In the literary world, it's the surname of Remus Lupin, a popular character in the Harry Potter franchise and a werewolf.