You’ll love these cute, cool and unique girl dog names almost as much as you love your new pooch
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Cute names for girl dogs
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,” says Tommy Wilde, an author and editor at Floofmania. “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
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Unique girl dog names
People names tend to be very popular as dog names, says Jessica CdeBaca, of 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
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Cool female puppy 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
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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, she deserves a sassy name like these:
- Sassy
- Saucy
- Cheeky
- Chica
- Miss Thing
- Vixen
- Shiva
- Kali
- Sheena
- Athena
- Indy
- Jaya
- J.J.
- Xena
- Roxie
- Buddy
- Moose
- Tiny
- Coco
- Jinx
- Gaga
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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: 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.
- 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 (Black Panther)
- Holly (Breakfast at Tiffany’s)
- Rory (Gilmore Girls)
- Padmé (Star Wars)
- Serena (Gossip Girl)
- Delilah (“Hey There, Delilah” by the Plain White T’s)
- Layla (“Layla” by Eric Clapton)
- Asta (Thin Man)
- Pickles Aplenty (Bojack Horseman)
- Mrs. Peanutbutter (Bojack Horseman)
- Brian (Family Guy)
- Murphy (Murphy Brown)
- Princess Charlotte (the British royal family)
- Snookie (Jersey Shore)
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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 (author Zora Neal Hurston)
- Maya (author Maya Angelou)
- Shelley (author Mary Shelley)
- Ashley (The Sun Also Rises)
- Harper (author Harper Lee)
- Scout (To Kill a Mockingbird)
- Junie (Junie B. Jones)
- Alaska (Looking for Alaska)
- Agatha (author Agatha Christie)
- Christie (author Agatha Christie)
- Starr (The Hate You Give)
- Hermione (Harry Potter)
- Winnie (Winnie-the-Pooh)
- Becky (Tom Sawyer)
- Penny (short for Penelope, a character in Homer’s The Odyssey)
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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
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Funny girl dog names
We won’t 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, while others work best in pairs (like the last one, which is funny primarily if you have a boy dog named Captain). Just remember our experts’ unanimous advice and come up with a sensible nickname that you can use on a daily basis. It is better for training, won’t feel weird when you have to holler it at the dog park and won’t take too long to say when you want to stop your pup from devouring the 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
FAQs
What should you consider when naming a dog?
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 Wilde. 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.
How soon should you start using your new dog’s name after adoption?
You’ll want to start using your dog’s new name right away, as dogs learn through repetition and positive reinforcement. So naturally, early use of the new name helps them make the connection faster. Keep it upbeat and pair the name with rewards so it builds a positive meaning. According to a study published in Nature, dogs can reliably recognize their names within just a few training sessions.
About the experts
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Sources:
- Ellen Russell, DVM, MPH, veterinarian and consulting vet for The Malamute Mom
- Tommy Wilde, founder of Floofmania, dog trainer and breeder
- Jessica CdeBaca, marketing manager at Pet Supplies Plus
- Daniel Caughill, co-founder of The Dog Tale
- Jenna Carzoli, former veterinary technician and current sales supervisor for Figo Pet Insurance
- Nature: “Rapid learning of object names in dogs”
