260+ Australian Dog Names: Best Aussie Names for 2024

Updated 03/18/2024 with more names – Deciding on a name for your new puppy can be both exciting and stressful all at the same time. This is your one chance to pick the perfect name for your dog. You probably want a name that fits your pup, but you may also want a unique name. We felt the same way when we were looking for a name for our puppy. For this reason, we decided to create a list of the best Australian Dog Names we could find.

Hopefully this will make it easier for you to pick the perfect Australian Dog Name for your dog.

Why choose an Australian Dog Name for your new dog?

Selecting a name for your pet is not just about picking something catchy; it’s about finding a name that resonates with their identity and character. One straightforward approach is to consider the characteristics of your dog, such as their appearance or the type of breed. For instance, if you’re the proud owner of one of the most popular dog breeds with Australian roots, like an Australian Labradoodle or a Cattle Dog, opting for an Australian dog name can be a meaningful nod to their heritage.

However, even if your dog doesn’t hail from Australian lineage, Australian names offer a wealth of fun and unique options. Picture the scene at your local dog park: calling out to your dog named Ozzie or Kolya (which intriguingly means ‘winter’ in an Aboriginal language).

Table of Content

 Australian Dog Names

Dog Names from Australian Slang

I am pretty sure everyone has heard the term “barbie” which is short for barbecue. But there are many other commonly used words that are unique to Australia that can make a good dog name. In my opinion the best dog names are; Digger which means soldier, Yolo, which stands for “You Only Live Once”; and Bae, which means “Before Anyone Else”. Trust me your dog will want you before anyone else. Here are some more names.

Names for Female Dogs

1. Aussie -Shortened form of Australian
2. Avo – Avocado
3. Boujee – Rich
4. Chrissie – Christmas
5. Greenie – Environmentalist
6. Inala – A place of peace
7. Kylie – Boomerang
8. Sheila – Woman
9. Yolo – You only live once

Names for Male Dogs

1. Ace – Excellent!
2. Arvo – Afternoon
3. Barbie – Short for barbecue
4. Billy – Teapot
5. Bloke – Man
6. Bruce – Aussie Bloke
7. Chappie – A man
8. Digger – Soldier
9. Mate – Friend
10. Oz – Nickname for Australia
11. Ozzie – Nickname for Australia
12. Sparky – An electrician 

Unisex Dog Names

1. Bae – Before Anyone Else
2. Bitzer – Mixed-breed dog
3. Bonzer – Great!
4. Boonie – Safari hat
5. Brumby – Wild horse
6. Cobber – Very good Friend
7. Crikey – Expression of surprise
8. Epic – Very enjoyable 
9. Grommet – Young surfer
10. Jumbuck – Sheep 
11. Kiwi – Term for a person from New Zealand.
12. Kolya – Winter
13. Postie – Postman
14. Rellie/Rello – Relatives
15. Straya – Australia
16. Stubby – A bottle of beer
17. Tinny  – Can of beer

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Dog Names Derived from Places in Australia

Australia is a wonderfully wild place and the names of many locations are equally wonderful for a dog’s name. My favorites are Thornton, a Peak high in the Daintree Rainforest and Byron, a bay located along the eastern coast. There are many more locations listed below that would make a good dog’s name.

Female Australian Dog Names

1. Adelaide – City in Australia
2. Brindabella – Mountain located near Sydney
3. Canberra – Capital of Australia
4. Coral – Great Coral Reef
5. Darling – Darling Harbor
6. Goldie – Gold Coast City in Queensland Aus.
7. Queenie – As short for Queensland – a state of Australia
8. Sunshine – Sunshine Coast
9. Talia – Coastal town
10. Uluru – Large sandstone rock formation
11. Victoria – One of Australia’s states

Male Australian Dog Names

1. Barry – Great Barrier Reef
2. Bundy – Bundaberg, Queensland
3. Byron – Bay located along the eastern coast
4. Carlton – Carlton Gardens 
5. Darwin – City named after Charles Darwin
6. Fitzroy – River in Queensland
7. Fraser – Island off the eastern coast of Australia
8. Grafton – City in New South Wales Aus.
9. Griffith – City in New South Wales Aus.
10. Hobart – Capital city of Tasmania
11. King – King Street In Perth
12. Marley – Australian beach
13. Mel – Short for Melbourne
14. Nelson – City in New Zealand
15. Tasmania – Island state of Australia
16. Taz – Short for the Tasmania
17. Thornton – Thornton Peak high in the Daintree Rainforest
18. Wellington – Capital City of New Zealand
19. Zeil  – Mount Zeil in Northern Australia

Unisex Dog Names

1. Albury – City in New South Wales, Australia
2. Bendigo – City in Australia
3. Bondi – Famous beach
4. Boyce – Mountain in New South Wales Austria
5. Brizzie – Short for Brisbane
6. Corindi – River that flows in New South Wales
7. Kakadu – A national park in northern Australia
8. Mel- For Melbourne – State capital of Victoria
9. Perth – Capital of Western Australia
10. Sydney – Capital of New South Wales Australia

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Dog Names Based on Famous Australians

Here we collected some of the more unusual names from pop culture including names of famous actors, actresses, authors and sports heroes to add to our list of Australian dog names.

Male Dog Names Inspired by Famous Australian Men:

1. Banjo – After Banjo Paterson, the famous bush poet.
2. Baz – Australian director
3. Brabham – Named after Jack Brabham, a renowned racing driver.
4. Bradbury – Australian Olympic speed skater
5. Chopper – After Mark “Chopper” Read, a notorious figure.
6. Don – For Don Bradman, a legendary cricketer.
7. Errol – Inspired by Errol Flynn, the classic film actor.
8. Flinders – Named after Matthew Flinders, a famous navigator and cartographer.
9. Gibson – For Mel Gibson, the famous actor and director.
10. Heath – In memory of Heath Ledger, the acclaimed actor.
11. Hugh –After Hugh Jackman
12. Irwin – After Steve Irwin, the beloved wildlife expert and TV personality.
13. Jackman – Inspired by Hugh Jackman, the versatile actor.
14. Jai – Jai Courtney – Actor 
15. Kelly – After Ned Kelly, the infamous bushranger.
16. Liam – Liam Hemsworth – Actor
17. Luke – Luke Hemsworth – Actor
18. Lleyton – For Lleyton Hewitt, the famous tennis player.
19. Menzies – Named after Sir Robert Menzies, a long-serving Prime Minister.
20. Noll – After Shannon Noll, the well-known singer.
21. Pearce – Guy Pearce – Actor 
22. Perry – As in Perry the platypus – The Simpsons
23. Rolf – Inspired by Rolf Harris, the entertainer and musician.
24. Shane – Cricket heroes Shane Warne and Shane Watson

Female Dog Names Inspired by Famous Australian Women:

1. Annette – After Annette Kellerman, a pioneering swimmer and actress.
2. Cate – For Cate Blanchett, the renowned actress.
3. Delta – Inspired by Delta Goodrem, the singer and actress.
4. Edna – After Dame Edna Everage, the character played by Barry Humphries.
5. Giaan – For Giaan Rooney, the Olympic swimmer.
6. Isla – After Isla Fisher, the actress.
7. Joan – For Joan Sutherland, the famous opera singer.
8. Kalinda – Ashton Kalinda – Author 
9. Kylie – After Kylie Minogue, the iconic pop star.
10. Laine – Liane Moriarty – Author 
11. Margot – Inspired by Margot Robbie, the actress.
12. Nicole – For Nicole Kidman, the acclaimed actress.
13. Olivia – After Olivia Newton-John, the singer and actress.
14. Portia – Named after Portia de Rossi, the actress.
15. Rebel – For Rebel Wilson, the actress and comedian.
16. Sia – After Sia Furler, the singer-songwriter.

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Aboriginal Inspired Dog Names

Aboriginals are the original people of Australia and the surrounding areas.  They can be split into two groups: Aboriginal people, who are related to those who lived in Australia before the presence of the British and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who are descendants from the surrounding islands. There are around 250 native languages in Australia.

Below is a list of aboriginal words and their meanings. Some words will sound familiar as they are commonly used as names. To learn more about the Aboriginal people go to Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies website

Female dog names

1. Alinta – Fire
2. Allyra – Quartz
3. Jedda – Little wild goose (Noongar)
4. Keira – Large Lagoon
5. Killara – Always there (Dharug)
6. Kirra  – To live
7. Kylie – Boomerang (Noongar)
8. Lowanna – Girl
9. Marli – Black Swan (Noongar)
10. Medika – Blossom or flower
11. Miki  – Moon in Aboriginal language
12. Moona – One who gives or provides light
13. Tahnee – Sound of the surf
14. Yindi – Child

Male dog names

1. Bardo – Water
2. Birrani – Boy (Wiradjuri) 
3. Bunji – Close friend (Warlpiri)
4. Iluka – Seaside town
5. Jarrah – From Djarraly – type of Eucalyptus tree
6. Jiemba – Laughing star (Wiradjuri)
7. Karri – Type of eucalyptus tree
8. Koen – Thunder
9. Minjarra – Bush plum tree 
10. Ngarra – Together with you (Dharug) 
11. Norin – Honorable
12. Nullah – Hunting Stick (Dharug)
13. Waru – Milky way (Kalkadoon)
14. Yarran – Wattle tree (Wiradjuri)

Unisex Dog Names

1. Aari – Mountain of Strength
2. Amarina – Rain
3. Daku – ‘Sand hill’ (Diyari)
4. Kaya – Hello
5. Marlu – Kangaroo 

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Dog Names Inspired by the Animals in Australia

Naming your dog after one of the iconic animals in Australia can set you apart from the other dog owners. While you may not want to name your dog Kangaroo, selecting a name that plays off of the word can give you a few fun options. Instead of naming your dog Kangaroo, think of names like Kanga, Roo or Joey.

1. Croc – Crocodiles
2. Emu – National bird of Australia
3. Heeler – Blue Heeler or Red Heeler (Types of Australian Cattle Dog)
4. Joey – Baby kangaroo
5. Kanga – Kangaroo
6. Kelpie  – Australian Kelpie, a herding dog
7. Koala  – Animal – marsupial 
8. Kookaburra  – Bird native to Australia
9. Loggerhead – Type of Turtle
10. Potoroo – Small, nocturnal rat-kangaroo
11. Quokka – Aka short-tailed scrub wallaby
12. Quoll – Carnivorous marsupial
13. Roo – Short for Kangaroo
14. Rufus – Hare -wallaby
15. Wallaby – Small marsupial 
16. Wallaroo – Related to the Kangaroo and Wallaby
17. Wombat  – Small marsupial 

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Australian Foods

Some Australian food names can also make for fun dog names. Most of these names are gender neutral. My favorites are; Bikkie – a cookie, and Lamington – a type of cake.

1. Bikkie – Cookie or biscuit
2. Biccy – Biscuit
3. Chiko – Australian snack 
4. Choccy – Chocolate
5. Jaffa – Candy in Australia and New Zealand.
6. Lamington – Traditional cake popular in Australia
7. Lollies- Sweets
8. Orchy – Juice brand
9. Pavlova – Dessert of meringue mixed with fresh fruit
10. TimTam – An Australian cookie
11. Vege – Short for Vegemite
12. VoVo – Biscuit
13. Yellowtail – Wine

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Australian Shepherd Names

If you’re the proud owner of an energetic dog, such as the Australian Shepherd, selecting a name that embodies their dynamic and spirited personality is a great idea. These names are particularly suitable for energetic dogs, reflecting their boundless energy and joyous spirit.

Female Australian Shepherd Dog Names:

1. Breezy
2. Comet
3. Dazzle
4. Flicker
5. Glimmer
6. Hopper
7. Joy
8. Kiki
9. Lively
10. Moxie
11. Nova
12. Piper
13. Quiver
14. Sparky
15. Twirl

Male Australian Shepherd Dog Names:

1. Bolt
2. Chase
3. Dash
4. Echo
5. Flash
6. Gusto
7. Jett
8. Lightning
9. Maverick
10. Nimbus
11. Pounce
12. Racer
13. Speedy
14. Turbo
15. Zippy

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Top 10 Australian Baby Names

When it comes to naming our beloved pets, many of us consider them as much a part of the family as a baby. So, why not draw inspiration from the most popular baby names? Here’s a list of the top 10 most popular boy and girl baby names in Australia over the last five years.

Boys:

1. Oliver (Ollie)
2. Noah
3. Leo
4. William
5. Henry
6. Jack
7. Theodore (Theo)
8. Hudson
9. Charlie
10. Luca

Girls:

1. Charlotte
2. Amelia
3. Isla
4. Olivia
5. Mia
6. Ava
7. Matilda
8. Ella
9. Grace
10. Willow

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Cute Dog Names

Looking for an adorable name for your new four-legged friend? These charming names just might be what you are looking for.

Girl Dog Names

1. Adelaide
2. Bindi
3. Coral
4. Daintree
5. Elsie
6. Freya
7. Gigi
8. Harper
9. Isla
10. Jazzy
11. Kiki
12. Lola
13. Matilda
14. Nellie
15. Opal

Boy Dog Names:

1. Archie
2. Banjo
3. Cooper
4. Darcy
5. Eddy
6. Finn
7. Harry
8. Jack
9. Kobe
10. Leo
11. Milo
12. Ned
13. Oscar
14. Paddy
15. Quinn

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For More Dog Name Ideas Check Out These Posts:

• Black Dog Names: 450+ Names for Black Dogs
• Unique Dog Names: Plus Tips on How to Pick One
• Scottish Dog Names: 500 Names to Choose From
• Flower Names For Dogs: Plus Nature Inspired Dog Names
• 550 British Dog Names: You Will Want to Use
• Norse Dog Names: Viking Names for Your Dog
• French Dog Names For Your Doodle
• Big Dog Names: 300+ From the Classic to the Unique
• White Dog Names: 375+ Names for White Dogs