175 Best Car Names That Will Make You the Envy of the Road
Updated: Jan. 09, 2024
Need some inspiration when coming up with a nickname for your ride? No matter your make and model, these car names don't disappoint.
Creating clever names for people, pets and our favorite things is a rite of passage—and one of the things that makes us human. Bands name their albums. Sailors paint boat names on the stern of their ships. Partners pick loving nicknames for their girlfriends and boyfriends. And those of us who love the purr of an engine come up with car names that impress all our passengers.
Face it: Finding car names that are not only fun and cool but also perfectly suited to your vehicle is one of the simple pleasures of owning a car. You might need great ideas for red, black or white car names, or maybe you’re hunting for funny car names that’ll make you laugh every time you get behind the wheel.
Whether you drive an SUV or prefer eco-friendly cars, we’re here to help you find a name that fits. Read on for the best names for cars—the right one could even make rush-hour traffic more bearable … maybe.
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What should you consider when naming your car?
No, you don’t need a car name. Your ride will run perfectly fine without a moniker. But coming up with car names for all your vehicles isn’t just fun; it can also help you make an emotional connection to your car.
Larisa Walega, vice president of marketing at car-care company Ziebart, says that our tendency to name cars is tied to our innate, evolutionary human trait of seeing faces in things. In fact, this was once a vital survival skill that helped humans tell the difference between friends and predators.
This human instinct is behind the personalities we attribute to our cars. And since we spend so much time driving, car names help us to further shape our idea of our vehicles’ qualities, behavioral traits and likes and dislikes. What began as an evolutionary advantage has led to Volkswagen Beetles named Lovebug with eyelash stickers over their headlights.
According to Gareth Boyd, editor of the Range Rover Fanatic, the character of the vehicle will often dictate its name. For a sports car, for example, he suggests something sleek and powerful like Flash or Rocket, while old-fashioned names like Belle and Betsy might be better choices for vintage cars.
Of course, the inspiration for the car names you choose can come from almost anywhere: your favorite singer or TV character, a family member who passed away or the type, color, model or age of your car. If you’re known for telling particularly funny jokes, go with a hilarious name. Get picked on for your cringe-worthy bad jokes? You can still have fun with a punny car name.
Why are car names usually female?
Giving vehicles feminine names is a modern take on boat-naming tradition. In history, ships were frequently named after women or goddesses. And it makes sense because ships would routinely carry their crews safely in their bellies, delivering them to ports around the world, just as a mother carries and delivers her child. Plus, as Britain’s Imperial War Museum notes, referring to ships as “she” has to do with beliefs in feminine figures (think: goddesses and mothers) protecting the vessel and its crew.
Fancy names like Athena more closely tie to the tradition, but you may also want to pick a female name that keeps the memory of a loved one alive or reflects your personality and passions, whether you’re a K-pop fanatic or Marvel fan.
Keep reading for 175 of the coolest, most popular car names for any type of vehicle.
Cool car names
Coming up with nicknames for friends? Run them by your pals first. Settling on car names? Don’t worry about what everyone else thinks—go with your definition of cool. If you need some help thinking up the coolest of cool names for your car, check out the ideas below.
- Valkyrie
- Spitfire
- Cyclone
- Gremlin
- Gizmo
- Undertaker
- Chaos
- Ponyboy
- McLovin’
- Judge Dredd
- Beep Beep
- Cannonball
- General Lee
- Ecto-1
- Mad Max
- Optimus Prime
Funny car names
Thinking up hilarious nicknames for your car is as fun as picking funny usernames and group chat names. Chuckle your way through this list, and settle on the one that makes you snort-laugh.
- Shake and Bake
- Little Miss Muffet
- Wienermobile
- Mr. Potato Head
- Law and Order: SUV
- Mr. Bean
- Gru
- Chinchilla
- Frodo
- Wicket
- Dumbledore
- Gandalf
- Doughboy
- Pork Chop
- Squeaker
- Pocket Rocket
- Cheeto
- Nermal
White car names
If you’re stumped for the perfect car name, use its color as a starting place. (Considering the color is a good tactic no matter what you’re naming; just think of how perfect Snowball is as a white cat name.) Boyd has known plenty of people who’ve given their white cars a name that evokes purity, such as Snow and Ivory. Here are some of our favorites:
- Betty White
- The Snow Mobile
- Pearl
- Casper
- Frosty
- Draco Malfoy
- Elsa
- Snowball
- Fang
- Herbie
- Marshmallow
- Abominable
- Bumble
- Jon Snow
- White Witch
- Snow White
- Milkshake
- Great White
Black car names
No matter the product, the color black exudes class, elegance and mystery. The same is true for black car names. And because it’s such a classic car color, these monikers make for ideal used car names too. Considering their tie to the color, not the item, they even work as cool dog names for black breeds.
- Cougar
- Cat Noir
- Ash
- T’Challa
- Blackjack
- Grim Reaper
- Smoke
- Kitt
- Nightcrawler
- Obsidian
- Onyx
- Raven
- Shadow
- Witcher
- Malice
- Morticia
- Selene
- Hades
- Elvira
- Mystique
- Zorro
Blue car names
Just like Disney dog names and book club names, blue car names draw inspiration from movies and pop culture. No doubt one of the nicknames below will be perfect for your ride.
- Sully
- Snow Miser
- Pablo
- Picasso
- Sonic
- Dory
- Poseidon
- Cookie Monster
- Katara
- Bluey
- Blueberry
- Bluedini
- Megamind
- Pandora
- Baby Blue
- Bluebell
- Smurfette
Red car names
If you can’t find the perfect nickname for your red vehicle, think of how fiery, passionate and intense the color can be, says Boyd, who suggests red car names like Ruby and Blaze. Here are more red-inspired car names for your ride. (Psst! Some would even make great Wi-Fi names—we’re looking at you, Ron Burgundy!)
- Red Velvet
- Ron Burgundy
- Red Bull
- Clifford
- Merlot
- Sheeran
- Lucifer
- Red Devil
- Rusty
- Rudolph
- Fireball
- The Red Baron
- Scarlet
- Ladybug
- Ginger
- Molly
- Daredevil
- Deadpool
- Sangria
- Heat Miser
- Cherry Bomb
- Sriracha
- Scarlet Witch
Girl car names
Whether you pull from Greek mythology, your favorite movies, female athletes or even girl dog names, you’re bound to land on a truly fantastic girl car name. Here are two dozen of the best.
- Swiftie
- Barbie
- Lizzo
- Adele
- Minnie
- Liz Lemon
- Hestia
- Rapinoe
- Athena
- Ariel
- Danica
- Ladybird
- Kitty
- Betty
- Arya
- Black Widow
- Ke$ha
- Harley
- Leia
- Brienne
- Frida
- Hermione
- Bumblebee
- Tinker Bell
Used car names
If your car is vintage or just plain old, there are funny and poignant pet names to give your used vehicle.
- Old Yeller
- Zeus
- Clunker
- Rusty
- Grandpa
- Grandma
- Eleanor
- Rust Bucket
- Victoria
- Edna
- Agnes
- Ethel
- Gertrude
- Myrtle
- Mustang Sally
- Tank
- Old Lady
- Grumpy
- Sparky
- Betty Boop
- Papa Smurf
Sports car names
There’s a wide range of possibilities for sports car names that’ll reflect your vehicle’s aerodynamics, style and, of course, speed!
- Turbo
- Bolt
- Greased Lightning
- McQueen
- White Lightning
- Swoosh
- Zoom Zoom
- Bam Bam
- Vroom Vroom
- Bandit
- Usain
- Comet
- Speedy
- Speed Racer
- Bullet
- Cheetah
- T. Swift
Once you’ve settled on the best car names for all your vehicles, be sure to find the right names for your dogs and cats.
About the experts
- Larisa Walega is vice president of marketing at Ziebart, a company specializing in automotive appearance and protection.
- Gareth Boyd is the owner and editor of the Range Rover Fanatic. He’s a Land Rover fan who has owned several Range Rover models.
Source:
- Imperial War Museum: “Why do ships have a gender?”
Originally Published: September 15, 2023
