Creative Color-Based Names for Dogs

Choosing a dog can be a daunting task, given the incredible variety of breeds worldwide, made even trickier by considering coat, fur type, and color. While the exact number of dog breeds is up for debate–201 recognized by the American Kennel Club and 221 by the UK Kennel Club–one thing is clear: the options are vast and diverse.

We all know that dogs are special and once you've narrowed down your selection, you're left with an adorable ball of fluff – or perhaps just some light fur – that might be black, brown, red, white, tan, merle, sable, brindle, harlequin, or anything in between. And coming up with a name can be tricky. You might want something unique, or something that reflects their personality and appearance, or perhaps you have a favorite name in mind and want it to match their look.

Dog names based on color are fairly common and if you thought you might opt for names reflective of their color, this is the place for you. We’re sure that you’ll find the perfect name for your dog among our examples here, as we present to you color-inspired dog names for every shade of pup. (If you'd like a small dog, see if these pups are a good choice for your family.)

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12/28/2024 04:59 am GMT

A lot of dog names have a color theme. Here are some of the best dog names by color.

When it comes to black dogs, we’re most commonly going to find breeds such as Border Collies, Afghan Hounds, Barbets, Poodles, and Portuguese Water Dogs. Fur-wise, pure black is the most commonly found shade, and with a name like Carbon, Charcoal, Guinness, Liquorice, Midnight, Noir, Onyx, Raven, Shadow, or Silhouette you can really play into that.

Breeds such as the Alaskan Husky, Alpine Dachsbracke, American Staffordshire Terrier, Beagle, Bernese Mountain Dog, Border Collie, Braque D’auvergne, Bull Terrier, and a whole lot more can feature prominent black fur and is the most commonly found color of doggy coat that there is. Other breeds are more notable for their black and tan coats, so this list will also include black and tan dog names for breeds like the Black and Tan Coonhound.

If you want to incorporate the color into the name, then names like Blackberry, Blackie, Blackjack, Blackmagik, or Blacktop are great examples, along with more ghostly names like Darkness, Eclipse, Midnight, Phantom, Reaper, Shadow, Spooky, or Voodoo.

DID YOU KNOW? It’s an unfortunate fact of life that, statistically speaking, black-colored dogs tend to be some of the most overlooked ones at the animal shelter, often not being picked until last. If you’re thinking of heading over to the animal shelter any time soon keep this in mind, and give an amazing black dog an amazing new home.

Here are our most favorite black dog names:

Black Dog Names

When we think of white dogs we may think of Samoyeds, Malteses, Bichon Frises, Pomeranians, Great Pyreneeses, Argentine Dogos, Westies, or even Huskies. Most commonly, white fur comes in the form of a pure white coat, but the category of “white dogs” may also refer to those with a light cream coloration, or even shades of very light lemon.

Some great names that can really show off your dog’s white coat include things like Albino, Blanco, Casper, Chalky, Cloudy, Cotton, Coconut, Ghost, Marshmallow, Milky, or Vanilla. And if winter’s your thing, you can get some great wintery names like Alaska, Blizzard, Frosty, Icicle, Igloo, Polar, Snow, Snowball, Snowflake, or of course, for all the Tintin fans out there, Snowy.

DID YOU KNOW? White-haired dogs — and this goes for white-haired cats, too — have the highest risk of having hearing troubles. If we consider the Dalmatian, as much as 22% of the breed are deaf in one ear, with 8% being deaf in both ears. That’s a whopping 30% of the entire Dalmatian population that’s born with some kind of a hearing deficit.

Here’s our list of all of our favorite white dog names, including a few black and white dog names for Dalmatian lovers and cream-colored dog names:

White Dog Names

Red coats are something of a rarer occurrence than other popular coats such as black, white, and brown. There are still several breeds sporting the color, however, such as the Dachshund, Viszla, and the Irish Setter, to name just a few. Colors under the red banner can range from orange, roan, or chestnut to tan, rust, and ruby, and Blenheim and Tawny colors fall into the Red grouping too. If you really want to capitalize on your dog's amazing red coat, some great names play on the word “red,” such as Redford, Redina, Red Rova, or even just Red.

For any foodies out there, there are some great food or drink-related names to consider like Cherry, Cinnamon, Ginger, Merlot, Tabasco, or Tomato. You might also want to consider some other great color-based names besides Red, such as Claret, Copper, Crimson, Ruby, or Scarlet, or fiery names like Blaze, Diablo, Ember, Flame, or Pyro.

DID YOU KNOW? One of the most famous dogs of all time was a red dog, aptly named Red Dog. Red Dog was a kelpie/cattle dog mix who became famous for his travels through the Pilbara region of Western Australia. After several owners and several lengthy travels of his own, Red Dog became something of a mascot and friend to the greater Pilbara community. He also became a mascot of the Bank of New South Wales, along with the slogan “If Red banks at the Wales, then you can too”. Red Dog died in 1979 at the age of 7-8 and a statue has since been erected in his honor, along with several books and a critically acclaimed feature film. Not many dogs can boast that!

Some of our all-time favorite red dog names include the following:

Red Dog Names

Where grey or silver dogs are concerned, the Weimaraner is probably the classic, most recognizable example with its sleek, silver coat. The Scottish Deerhound and the Pumi are both other great examples of grey or silver-coated dogs too, along with the Alaskan Malamute, Great Pyrenees, and the Cane Corso.

Shades for grey and silver dogs can come in slate, steel, grizzle, charcoal, pepper, and sometimes blues are thrown into the grey and silver category too. When considering names to fit with these colors, minerals and metals such as Cobalt, Slate, Steel, or Stone make for great names, and since blues often come under the grey or silver category, capitalize on that with names like Aqua, Blue, Bluebelle, Blueberry, Sky, or Smurf. And speaking of fictional characters, a perfect name might be everyone’s favorite Lord of the Rings character: Gandalf the Grey.

Some of the great silver and grey dog names that we love include the following:

Grey or Silver Dog Names

Under the umbrella of blonde or gold-haired dogs, we find some pretty classic breeds that even the most dog-apathetic person will know. We have Golden Retrievers, American Cocker Spaniels, and English Cocker Spaniels. Some other less famous blonde or gold-haired breeds include the Vizsla, Basenji, Boerboel, Pharoah Hound, and the Finnish Spitz.

This is a great one, with so many yummy things coming in blonde or golden colors. How about buttery names like Butter, Butterball, Buttercup, Butters, or Butterscotch? Or some dessert-based names like Biscuit, Caramel, Custard, Honey, or Toffee? Or more general foodie names like Cashew, Cornbread, Crusty, Mustard, Nacho, Nugget, or Sesame?

DID YOU KNOW? Blonde and golden-colored dogs such as the Golden Retriever have consistently ranked among the most popular dogs in the United States for several years. Currently, it stands with the Labrador Retriever, the German Shepherd, and the Golden Retriever in the top 1, 2, and 3 spots respectively.

Here are our favorite blonde dog names and gold dog names:

Blonde or Gold Dog Names

This can include chocolate, grey browns, mahogany, liver, mid-toned brown or black and brown (brindle) colored furs, along with straws, sandys, and mustards. Popular brown or tan dog breeds include the Dutch Shepherd, Barbet, Basset Hound, Bloodhound, Boston Terrier, Foxhound, Labradoodle, Miniature Poodle, Shih Tzu, Shih-poo, and the ever-popular Yorkshire Terrier.

Food and drink-based names have been something of a running theme thus far, and with tan or brown dog names it’s no different. We as a people tend to like drawing comparisons between the colors we see and the foods we love, so is it any surprise that people like to name their dogs as such when their coats remind us of our favorite foods and drinks?

Some popular food and drink-based names for brown or tan dogs include Brownie, Coco, Coffee, Coke, Fudge, Hershey, Java, Molasses, Rum, Snickers, Toast, and Truffles.

Our favorite brown dog names and tan dog names are the following:

Brown or Tan Dog Names

The fawn color is something of a yellowy color, or very light brown or tan with something of a dark or black colored mask on the face. Some popular fawn breeds include the American Pit Bull Terrier, the Beagle, the Bloodhound, the Collie, the Dameranian, the Dogue de Bordeaux, the French Bulldog, the Golden Retriever, the Greyhound, Irish Terrier, and the Welsh Terrier.

Multi-colored dog breeds can obviously come in all different shapes and sizes, and some of the more colorful breeds out there include the Catahoula Leopard Dog, Blue Nose Pitbulls, Harlequin Great Dane, Treeing Tennessee Brindle, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Liver-ticked German Shorthaired Pointer, and the Irish Red Setter.

If you're looking for dog names by color, it can be a little tricky to come up with multicolored dog names or tri-colored dog names. Some names can be great in taking advantage of their range of colors, such as Checkers, Dot, Jester, Oreo, Patches, Rainbow, Skittles, Sprinkles, or Tiger (or Tigger for any die-hard Winnie the Pooh fans amongst us).

DID YOU KNOW? Dogs aren’t just limited to a multitude of colors on their fur; they can also have multiple colors in their eyes just like us humans can. The term for dogs with different colored eyes is heterochromatic, and ancient myths and legends posit that heterochromatic dogs can see both the heavens and the earth all at the same time.

Certain breeds such as Australian Shepherds, Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dogs, and Huskies are most likely to have this uncommon trait.

Finally, here are our favorite fawn dog names and other dog names by color for multiple coat colors:

Fawn or Multi-colored Dog Names

Tips For Picking the Right Dog

Picking the right dog is a process that you want to go about carefully. Every dog is different, and not every dog is going to be a good fit for your home and your family. Here are a few things to keep in mind when adopting a dog.

First, if you have young children in your family, you'll want to avoid any dogs that are large and/or very active. Without meaning to, these dogs can hurt smaller children by knocking them over. Families with smaller children should stick to dogs that are at or under 40 pounds.

Consider a dog's background before adopting, if you're rescuing. Some dogs have been through very challenging and traumatic situations, leaving them scarred. These dogs need a special, patient handler to help them come out of their shell and truly thrive. They aren't suited for homes with busy families or younger children.

Finally, remember to always adopt from a reputable breeder or shelter. Unfortunately, not all people have the best interests of the animals in their care at heart. Some only care about making money. Do your research, and understand how to recognize a bad breeder or rescue when you see one.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©New Africa/Shutterstock.com.