Most Popular Puppy Names 2020

If you’ve picked out your puppy, purchased your pet supplies and puppy-proofed your home, then the only thing left to do is name your furry friend. You could go with something classic, like Max or Daisy, or you could try something funny, like Chewbarka or Bark Twain. 

Truthfully, it doesn’t matter what you name your puppy so long as the name means something to you. Scroll down to find the most popular puppy names of 2020. 

Part One: How to Choose a Puppy Name 

What Are The Most Popular Puppy Names? 

PuppySpot is the nation’s largest and most trusted service for connecting dog lovers with responsible breeders. At the end of each year we dig into our databases to see which puppy names were the most popular, and we’re always surprised by what we find.  Here are 20 of the most popular puppy names of 2020. 

1. Luna 

2. Bella 

3. Charlie 

4. Cooper 

5. Lucy 

6. Daisy 

7. Max 

8. Rosie 

9. Teddy 

10. Molly 

11. Winnie 

12. Bandit 

13. Bentley 

14. Koda 

15. Sadie 

16. Bella 

17. Daisy 

18. Copper 

19. Loki 

20. Rufus 

How Do I Choose A Name For My Puppy? 

Choosing a name for your puppy is a special occasion, you never know when inspiration will strike with the perfect name. On the other hand, it may take some time to come up with a name that captures your puppy’s unique personality in a single word. 

If you’re having trouble finding the perfect name for your new puppy, we suggest following these tips for choosing the best name for your puppy. 

Stick With Words That End in Vowels 
 

Have you ever wondered why most dog names end in a vowel? It’s because dogs can  distinguish frequency ranges at a much higher level than humans and are, therefore, more likely to respond to a name like Bailey over Bart 

Choose Names With One or Two Syllable  

Long, complicated names with more than two syllables are harder to say and more difficult for your puppy to distinguish from other words. One and two syllable names are also easier to repeat, which is especially useful during training. 

Stay Away from Names that are Negative or Offensive  

When naming your puppy, it’s always a good idea to avoid names with negative or offensive connotations. Think about it. Do you really want to be the person at the dog park calling out a name that is clearly offensive? No, you don’t. When it comes to puppy names, it’s best to keep them PG.  

Avoid Names That Sound Like Commands 

Names like Kit, Jay and Pop can easily be confused for commands like Sit, Stay and Stop. Therefore, it’s best to avoid names that sound too similar to commands or words that you repeat over and over.   

Choose Names That Don’t Sound Like Your Other Pets 

In homes with more than one pet, it’s best to choose a name that doesn’t sound like the name of your other pets. You don’t want to confuse your pets by choosing names that are too similar to one another, like Max and Rex.  

Use the “Nickname Test” 

We’ve seen it all before. Regardless of the name you choose for your puppy, it will inevitably be shortened to a nickname. Save yourself the trouble of renaming your puppy and perform the nickname test before you decide on a name. 
 

The nickname test is easy. Simply think of all the different ways you can/will say your dog’s name. If they are easy to say over and over; don’t sound like your other pets names and don’t offend anyone’s sensibilities, then you may have found the perfect name.   

Consider Your Puppy’s Personality 

The most important tip for naming your new puppy is to consider its personality. What names come to mind when you look at your new puppy? We say trust your gut and go with the name that suits their unique self-best.   

Choose a Name and Stick With It 

From learning its name to potty training, consistency is the best way to teach your puppy everything. Whichever name you choose, the best thing to do is stick with it. If you must change your dog’s name, try to change it to something that doesn’t sound too dissimilar from it’s previous name. A dog that was named Sven is more likely to answer to a name like Ben than it is Cooper.  

Do Dogs Respond Better to Certain Names? 

Yes. Dogs learn and respond to certain sounds better than others.  Longer words with more than one syllable can be confusing for some dogs. Dogs are also surprisingly sensitive and intuitive, which is why you want to avoid names that sound like a joke. Your dog can tell when you’re making fun of him/her.  

Part Two: Where to Find Puppy Names? 

Many new puppy owners find inspiration from their new puppy’s anime in their favorite books, films, and TV series. Others scan the pages of history and mythology for powerful, classic names that never go out of style.  

Wherever you find inspiration, just be sure that you choose a name that you would feel comfortable shouting aloud at the dog park. Stick with names that you would be comfortable saying in front of your grandmother.  

Puppy Names Inspired by Myth 

1. Apollo (Greek) 

2. Ares (Greek) 

3. Zeus (Greek) 

4. Juno (Rome) 

5. Pluto (Rome) 

6. Fionn (Irish) 

7. Balor (Irish) 

8. Bres (Irish) 

9. Erin (Irish) 

10. Ogma (Irish) 

11. Lugh (Irish) 

12. Crom (Irish) 

13. Macha (Irish) 

14. Fand (Irish) 

15. Boann (Irish) 

16. Brigid (Irish) 

17. Agni (Hindu) 

18. Soma (Hindu) 

19. Asura (Hindu) 

20. Amun (Egyptian) 

Puppy Names Inspired by History 

1. Louie (Louis XIII) 

2. Marilyn (Marilyn Monroe)  

3. Nelson (Nelson Mandela) 

4. Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth II) 

5. Ali (Muhammad Ali) 

6. Darwin (Charles Darwin) 

7. Presley (Elvis Prelsy) 

8. Victoria (Queen Victoria) 

9. Einstein (Albert Einstein) 

10. Francis (Pope Francis) 

11. Da Vinci (Leonardo Da Vinci) 

12. Van Gogh (Vincent Van Gogh) 

13. Roosevelt (Theodore and/or Franklin Roosevelt) 

14. Elinor (Elinor Roosevelt) 

15. Rosa (Rosa Parks) 

16. Lyndon (Lyndon B Johnson) 

17. Ludwig (Ludwig Beethoven) 

18. Oprah (Oprah Winfrey) 

19. Orwell (George Orwell) 

20. Eva (Eva Peron) 

Puppy Names Inspired by Literature 

1. Arwen – Lord of the Rings 

2. Atticus – To Kill a Mockingbird 

3. Beatrice – Much Ado About Nothing 

4. Bond – James Bond 

5. Daisy – The Great Gatsby 

6. Dodger – Oliver Twist 

7. Falstaff – Henry IV 

8. Fern – Charlotte’s Web 

9. Gandalf – Lord of the Rings 

10. Gatsby – The Great Gatsby 

11. Ginny – Harry Potter 

12. Gretel – Hansel & Gretel 

13. Gulliver – Gulliver’s Travels 

14. Laska – Anna Karenina 

15. Nana – Peter Pan 

16. Max – How the Grinch Stole Christmas  

17. Toto – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 

18. Scout – To Kill a Mockingbird 

19. Matilda – Matilda 

20. Milo – Catch-22 

Puppy Names Inspired by Cinema 

1. Gollum – Lord of the Rings 

2. Gandalf – Lord of the Rings 

3. Aragorn – Lord of the Rings 

4. Odie – Garfield 

5. Zero – The Nightmare Before Christmas 

6. Tarzan – Tarzan 

7. Ace – Ace Ventura: Pet Detective 

8. Max – Mad Max 

9. Rocky – Rocky 

10. Dude – The Big Lebowski 

11. Bluto – Animal House 

12. Spicoli – Fast Times and Ridgemont High 

13. Scarlett – Gone With the Wind 

14. Jabba the Mutt – Star Wars 

15. Kane – Citizen Kane 

16. Chance – Homeward Bound 

17. Morpheus – The Matrix 

18. Neo – The Matrix 

19. Marv – Sin City 

20. Stitch – Lilo & Stitch 

Puppy Names Inspired by Food 

1. Butterscotch 

2. Apple 

3. Caramel 

4. Basil 

5. Cinnamon 

6. Bagel 

7. Coconut 

8. Bean(s) 

9. Cupcake 

10. Biscuit 

11. Fondue 

12. Butter(s) 

13. Fudge  

14. Dumpling 

15. Huckleberry 

16. Falafel 

17. Jelly 

18. Macaron  

19. Lemon 

20. Marshmallow 

Puppy Names Inspired by Space and Astronomy  

1. Luna 

2. Marsha 

3. Nebula 

4. Phoebe 

5. Stella 

6. Selene 

7. Solstice 

8. Sora 

9. Ursa 

10. Scorpio 

11. Draco 

12. Cassiopeia 

13. Cygnus 

14. Lyra 

15. Sirius 

16. Comet 

17. Atlas 

18. Archer 

19. Aries 

20. Blaze 

Puppy Names Inspired by Disney 

1. Nala – Lion King 

2. Penny – The Rescuers 

3. Perdita – 101 Dalmatians 

4. Pocahontas – Pocahontas 

5. Rapunzel – Tangled  

6. Snow White – Snow White 

7. Tiana – The Princess and the Frog 

8. Tinker Bell – Peter Pan 

9. Wendy – Peter Pan 

10. Aladdin – Aladdin 

11. Arthur – The Sword and the Stone 

12. Basil – The Great Mouse Detective 

13. Beast – The Beauty and the Beast 

14. Berlioz – The Aristocats 

15. Bert – Mary Poppins 

16. Bolt – Bolt 

17. Buzz – Toy Story 

18. Charming – Cinderella 

19. Hercules – Hercules 

20. Winnie  – Winnie the Pooh 

Part Three: What are the Most Popular Puppy Names 2020? 

Quarantine-Inspired Dog Names for Pandemic Puppies  

When the COVID-19 outbreak sent everyone in doors, millions of people discovered they finally have enough time to dedicate to raising a new puppy. The demand for puppies is so large that reputable breeders can hardly keep up.   
 

Quarantine may be tough, but puppies make everything better. Read on for fun and hilarious puppy names inspired by this crazy year. 
 

1. Rona 

2. Covie 

3. TeePee 

4. Vaxx 

5. Clorox 

6. Fauci 

7. Charmin 

8. Sourdough 

9. Flour 

10. Grubhub 

11. TikTok 

12. Zoom 

13. Facetime 

14. Bingey 

15. Hulu 

16. Tiger King 

17. Quarantina 

18. Corona 

19. Pandemonia 

20. Kobe 

What are the Most Popular Girl Dog Names in 2020? 

From cute and delicate to prim and proper, there are a lot of great names for female puppies out there this year. Tough and sporty names like Zoe, Piper and Quinn were very popular last year, but this year we’re seeing a return to more classic names like Abby, Ruby and Sadie. Here are the 50 most popular female puppy names of 2020. 

1. Emma 

2. Gigi 

3. Ginger 

4. Grace 

5. Gracie 

6. Hannah 

7. Harley 

8. Hazel 

9. Heidi 

10. Holly 

11. Honey 

12. Izzy 

13. Jasmine 

14. Josie 

15. Katie 

16. Kona 

17. Lacey 

18. Lady 

19. Layla 

20. Lexi 

What are The Most Popular Boy Dog Names in 2020? 

From names like Max and Charlie to names like Alpha and Zero, there is no shortage of male dog names out to choose from, but these are the 50 most popular boy dog names in 2020.  

1. Cash 

2. Champ 

3. Chance 

4. Charlie 

5. Chase 

6. Chester 

7. Chico 

8. Coco 

9. Cody 

10. Cooper 

11. Copper 

12. Dexter 

13. Diesel 

14. Duke 

15. Elvis 

16. Finn 

17. Frankie 

18. George 

19. Gizmo 

20. Bubba 

What Are Some Unique Dog Names? 

We scoured our databases for some of the most unique dog names and came up with some really clever ones. From the obscure and random to the weird and painfully funny, here are the most unique dog names of 2020. 

1. Alfred von Wigglebottom 

2. Andy War-howl 

3. Artoo Dogtoo 

4. Bob Scratch-It 

5. Betty Twiglet 

6. Boba Fetch 

7. Buzz Pawldrin 

8. Captain Fluffy 

9. Captain Merrylegs 

10. Captain Sniffer 

11. Count Droolsbury 

12. Deputy Dawg 

13. Django Unleashed 

14. Doc McDoggins 

15. Doggy Howlser M.D. 

16. Dumbledog 

17. Fur-dinand 

18. Hairy Pawter 

19. Hashtag 

20. Hotrod Woofington 

What Are The Cutest Puppy Names in 2020? 

The answer to this question depends on what you consider cute. Here are 50 of the cutest puppy names we’ve found in 2020. 

1. Muttley Crue 

2. Otto Von Longdog 

3. Ozzy Pawsborne 

4. Prince of Barkness 

5. Princess Pork Chop 

6. Professor Wagglesworth 

7. Pup Tart 

8. Putt Putt 

9. Queen of Barkness 

10. Santa Paws 

11. Sergeant Barkowitz 

12. Sherlock Bones 

13. Sir Barks-a-Lot 

14. Sir Waggington 

15. Sniffy Longdroppings 

16. Spark Pug 

17. Waltzing Muttilda 

18. Woofgang Amadeus 

19. Calamity Jane 

20. Captain Chaos 

Want more super cute puppy names? Follow this link to see our full list of the cutest puppy names we’ve ever seen.  

Celebrity Dog Names 

From Adam Sandler to Zoey Deschanel, you’ll find all of your favorite celebrity puppy names listed below.  

1. Adam Sandler – Matzoball and Meatball – Bulldogs 

2. Anne Hathaway – Esmerelda – Labrador 

3. Aubrey Hepburn – Mr. Famous – Yorkie 

4. Blake Lively – Penny – Maltese-Toy Poodle 

5. Charlize Theron – Tucker – mixed breed 

6. Christina Ricci – Sheriff – Miniature Pinscher 

7. Debra Messing – Henry – mixed breed 

8. Demi Moore – Vida – Chihuahua 

9. Drew Barrymore – Flossie – Chow Chow-Labrador mix 

10. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – Brutus – French Bulldog 

11. Eva Longoria – Jinxy and Oprah – Maltese and Pug 

12. Gwen Stefani – Winston – Pomeranian 

13. Hilary Duff – Lola – Chihuahua 

14. Hugh Jackman – Mocha – French Bulldog 

15. Jake Gyllenhaal  – Atticus – German Shepherd 

16. Jennifer Aniston – Norman – Corgi 

17. Jennifer Love Hewitt – Mona – Boxer 

18. Jessica Alba – Sid – Pug 

19. Jessica Biel – Tina – Pit Bull 

20. Jessica Simpson – Daisy – Maltese-Toy Poodle 

21. Jim Carrey – George – Great Dane 

22. Justin Bieber – Sammy – Papillon 

23. Matthew McConaughey – Foxy – Australian Cattle Dog 

24. Orlando Bloom – Sidi – Saluki mix 

25. Ryan Reynolds – Baxter – Labrador mix 

26. Sandra Bullock – Poppy and Ruby – Chihuahuas 

27. Selma Blair – Wink – Jack Russell mix 

28. Tori Spelling – Mimi LaRue – Pug 

29. Will Smith – Indo – Rottweiler 

30. Zoey Deschanel – Dot and Zelda – mixed breeds 

Famous Dog Names 2020 

From famous hero dogs to the stalwart companions of historical figures, here are the most popular famous dog names from history and the real world in 2020.  

1. Toto, the Cairn Terrier 

2. Rin Tin Tin, the German Shepherd 

3. Lassie, the Rough Collie 

4. Trakr, the German Shepherd 

5. Bobbie the Wonder Dog, Collie-Shepherd Mix 

6. Balto, the Siberian Husky 

7. Nemo, the German Shepherd 

8. Jofi, the Chow Chow 

9. Lex, the German Shepherd 

10. Sinbad, the Lovable Mutt 

Funniest Puppy Names of All Time 

Out of all of the puppy names we’ve seen over the years, these are the ones that made us laugh out loud. 

1. Alfred von Wigglebottom 

2. Barkley 

3. Captain Sniffer 

4. Count Droolsbury 

5. Deputy Dawg 

6. Doodle 

7. Lucky Goodsniffer 

8. Miss Furbulous 

9. Mister Fluffers 

10. Professor Wagglesworth 

11. Putt-putt 

12. Scooter 

13. Sergeant Barkowitz 

14. Sir Barks-a-Lot 

15. Sir Waggington 

16. Bark Twain 

17. Chewbarka 

18. Doc McDoggins 

19. Droolius Caesar 

20. Franz Fur-dinand 

Most Popular Human Puppy Names 

They say you’re not supposed to give puppies human names but, honestly, watching a 2 week old puppy named Jerry scamper around your home is pretty darn funny. Here are the most popular human puppy names of 2020.  

1. Hortense 

2. Howard 

3. Vern 

4. Albert 

5. Amos 

6. Arthur 

7. Artie 

8. Irma 

9. Irving 

10. Joan 

11. Loretta 

12. Marvin 

13. Murray 

14. Myrtle 

15. Norma 

16. Norman 

17. Pearl 

18. Rhoda 

19. Seymour 

20. Thelma 

How to Help Your Puppy Learn Its Name 

We hope this extensive list of the most popular puppy names in 2020 was helpful and made it easy to find the perfect name for your puppy. Now that you’ve chosen a name, it’s time to ensure your puppy learns it.  
 

Thankfully, this step-by-step guide will show you how to teach your puppy his or her name, as well as the best ways to use their name for the best results during training.  

Tell Us Your Favorite Puppy Names 

Do you have a funny puppy name from this year that we missed? We want to know your favorite puppy names. Contact PuppySpot today and let us know your favorites puppy names from this year.  

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