145+ Best Girl Dog Names for Your Pretty Puppy
Updated: Jul. 06, 2023
You’ll love these cute, cool and unique girl dog names almost as much as you love your new pooch
Girl dog names you’ll love as much as you love her
She’s adorable, quirky, funny, cuddly and all yours. Now the question becomes: What will you name your new best girl-pal? Picking the best names for pets is never an easy task, but dog names can feel especially tricky. When it comes to girl dog names, you have tons of options, from adorable to hilarious, but you’ll also find a big overlap between the most popular dog names and whatever’s trending at the moment in human baby-naming.
Indeed, the stakes can feel equally high. For one thing, “the right name can give your pup a sense of identity and create an emotional connection for both you and your furry friend,” says Ellen Russell, DVM, a veterinarian at The Malamute Mom website. Moreover, you should expect to be using that name a million times a day, give or take—including in front of friends, neighbors and strangers. Is it any wonder selecting the best name for your pet can feel challenging?
But don’t panic. “The perfect dog name is really the one that resonates most with you,” says Lauren Novack, a canine behavior consultant at Behavior Vets in New York City. And we’re here to help. Whether you lean toward funny dog names, unique dog names, Disney dog names or something else altogether, we can pretty much guarantee you’ll find one below that speaks to you and your furry girl.
One thing to keep in mind
While there are tons of fabulous monikers out there, it’s not a great idea to name your dog something that sounds like a command, says dog trainer Tommy Wilde, editor of the website Floofmania. The name “Jo,” for example—or “Joe,” if you’re considering boy dog names or boy spellings for a girl dog name—sounds similar to “no.” That might confuse the dog and make it associate its name with something negative. Now that you know what to avoid, let’s get to naming your pup!
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Cute girl dog names
There’s something to be said for leaning toward the sweet and adorable when it comes to girl dog names. “While not terribly important to the dog, it’s a good idea to pick a name that you and your family associate with something positive, because the meaning of the name will affect how you’ll use it,” Wilde says. “A dog called ‘Muffin’ is a lot easier to reward than a dog called ‘Beast.'”
Fortunately, there’s no shortage of adorable female dog names, starting with these:
- Lulu
- Kiki
- Fifi
- Fluffy
- Pixie
- Trini
- Teddy
- Lexie
- Bebe
- Ruby
- Rosie
- Casey
- Cassie
- Jazzy
- Sadie
- Lily
- Lillipup
- Ivy
- Kelsey
- Emmy
- Mimi
- Maxi
- Millie
- Mia
- Roo
- Piper
- Ginger
- Hazel
- Willow
- Penny
While we’re on the topic of cuteness, check out these adorable dog breeds as puppies.
Unique girl dog names
“People names” tend to be very popular as dog names, says Jessica CdeBaca, a pet marketing specialist at Pet Supplies Plus. A potential problem with that, however, is that there’s a pretty decent chance that when you call out your dog’s name, a lot of other dogs (and children) may come running. That’s where the more unique girl dog names come in handy. Try some of these on for size:
- Jetta
- Shayna
- Benji
- Charlie
- Bobbie
- Moxie
- Gaia
- Kaia
- Tsarina
- Camilla
- Pippa
- Bitsy
- Alta
- Astra
- Athena
- Nova
- Cali
- Tutti
- Sienna
- Bunny
- Laika
- Strelka
- Belka
Some of these names could also work for birds, bunnies, hamsters and more.
Cool girl dog names
Everyone knows that cats possess an ineffable coolness, so arguably, cat names can be fluffy and frivolous without compromising their feline style. But sweet, slobbery, eager-to-please canines are a different story. And you may feel yours could use that extra edge. To help, we’ve come up with a whole host of cool girl dog names. Some are literally synonyms for “cool” (e.g., Fresca and Parkie). Others remind us of some very cool characters we remember from movies or television. And some are just so ineffably cool that to explain why would seem to do them a disservice.
- Fresca
- Parkie
- Fly-girl
- Whiskey
- Bailey
- Juno
- Jonesey
- Zoe
- Cagney
- Lacey
- Jojo
- CeCe
- Sansa
- Ellery
- Harley
- Ripley
- Phoebe
- Karma
- Shakti
- Bailey
Sassy girl dog names
“The name you choose for your dog will convey to others how you think about your dog,” says Daniel Caughill, co-founder of The Dog Tale, a web resource for dog lovers. “The name Rex gives the impression of a stoic guard dog, for example. The name Beans will show you think of your dog as a silly friend, [while] Princess sounds like the name of a lapdog that’s always in your arms.”
But what if you look at your new best girl and recognize a certain sassiness about her? In that case, doesn’t she deserve a sassy name?
- Sassy
- Saucy
- Cheeky
- Chica
- Miss Thing
- Vixen
- Shiva
- Kali
- Sheena
- Athena
- Indy
- Jaya
- J.J.
- Xena
- Roxie
- Buddy
- Moose
- Tiny
- Coco
- Jinx
- Gaga
Girl dog names inspired by pop culture
“If you have two dogs named Wrigley and Sosa,” you’re probably a Chicago Cubs fan, notes Jenna Carzoli, a former vet tech. Likewise, if you give your dog a pop-culture-inspired name, you’re giving the folks in the dog park a friendly window into who you are and what you like. And that might come in handy if you’re looking to connect with fellow dog people.
There’s just one caveat, according to Novack. If you’re going with a Game of Thrones theme, it’s fine to think of your pup as “Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, the Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, the Breaker of Chains.” But do yourself and your dog a favor and train her to respond to the much shorter Daenerys or Dani. That’s what the owners of these hilariously named Westminster show dogs likely do.
- Arya (Game of Thrones)
- Keeley (Ted Lasso)
- Nala (The Lion King)
- Mindy (Mindy Kaling)
- ScarJo (Scarlett Johansson)
- She-Ra (Masters of the Universe)
- Katniss (Hunger Games)
- Teela (Black Panther)
- Shuri (also Black Panther)
- Holly (Breakfast at Tiffany’s)
- Rory (Gilmore Girls)
- Padmé (Star Wars)
- Serena (Gossip Girl)
- Delilah (“Hey There, Delilah,” the pop song from the early aughts)
- Layla (Eric Clapton song)
- Asta (Thin Man)
- Pickles Aplenty (Bojack Horseman)
- Mrs. Peanutbutter (also from Bojack Horseman, in reference to the Lab with the abs)
- Brian (Family Guy)
- Murphy (Murphy Brown)
- Princess Charlotte (the British royal family)
- Snookie (Jersey Shore)
Girl dog names inspired by books
Like girl dog names inspired by pop culture, book-inspired names for your precious furry girl have the advantage of announcing to like-minded potential dog-parent friends that you are a fan of a particular author, book or book series. And hey, if you really hit it off, you may need a book club name for your new group! (Dogs allowed at that get-together, of course.)
- Luna (Harry Potter)
- Daisy (The Great Gatsby)
- Nancy Drew (Nancy Drew)
- Scarlett (Gone with the Wind)
- Pippi (Pippi Longstocking)
- Zora (Zora Neal Hurston, author)
- Maya (Maya Angelou, author)
- Shelley (Mary Shelley, author)
- Ashley (Lady Brett Ashley, from The Sun Also Rises)
- Harper (Harper Lee, author)
- Scout (To Kill a Mockingbird)
- Junie (Junie B. Jones)
- Alaska (Looking for Alaska)
- Agatha (Agatha Christie, author)
- Christie (same as above!)
- Starr (The Hate You Give)
- Hermione (Harry Potter)
- Winnie (the Pooh)
- Becky (Tom Sawyer)
- Penny (short for Penelope, the wife of Odysseus in Homer’s The Odyssey)
Girl dog names inspired by food
Your pup is so adorable, you want to eat her up! You know what would make her even more delicious? One of these dog names inspired by food. Some are trendy, some are cool and some are flat-out funny. It’s up to you to decide which best suits your pup’s personality—and yours.
- Olive
- Cocoa
- Waffles
- Caramel
- Basil
- Sage
- Chickpea
- Nutmeg
- Calamari
- Taffy
- Lambchop
- Nori
- Sushi
- Latte
- Java
- Brie
- Cookie
- Sundae
- Sprinkles
- Marshmallow
- Saffron
- Peaches
- Kewpie
- Cupcake
- Evoo
Once you name your pup, check out these personalized pet gifts for collars, sweaters, beds and more emblazoned with her new moniker.
Funny girl dog names
We’re not gonna lie, many of these are funny because they’re punny. And who doesn’t love a good pun, especially a good dog pun? Some feature irony, and then there’s the last one, which is funny primarily if you have a boy dog you’ve named Captain. Just remember the advice given unanimously by our experts and come up with a sensible nickname that you can use on a daily basis. It’s better for training, it won’t feel weird when you have to holler it at the dog park, and it won’t take too long to say when you want to get your pup to get her nose out of that box of chocolates she somehow broke into.
- J.K. Growling
- Barker Posey
- Leasha Gibbons
- Aleasha Keys
- Sarah Jessica Barker
- Tail-or Swift
- Barkie Post
- Scarlett O’Hairy
- Mary Puppins
- Paw-dia Schiffer
- Hilarie Fur-ton
- Martha Chew-art
- Virginia Woof
- Winnie the Poodle
- Marge
- Babs
- Billie Holidog
- Muttilda
- Kitty-kitty
- Tenille
Looking for more pet-related laughs? Then, by all means, check out these hilarious dog memes.
Sources:
- Ellen Russell, DVM, veterinarian at The Malamute Mom
- Lauren Novack, canine behavior consultant at Behavior Vets
- Tommy Wilde, author and editor at Floofmania
- Jessica CdeBaca, pet marketing specialist at Pet Supplies Plus
- Daniel Caughill, co-founder of The Dog Tale
- Jenna Carzoli, former vet tech
