Updated 08/03/2023 – 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 one that is also unique. 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 200 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?
One of the easy ways to pick a dog name is to base it on the characteristics of your dog. Like giving them a name based on their appearance or the type of dog breed. Another way is to give them a name that pays homage to their ancestry.
So, if your puppy is an Australian Labradoodle, or Cattle dog, why not give them one of the many unique Australian dog names in this post.
Even if you don’t have a dog breed that originated in Australia, names from the land down under can be fun and unique. Just imagine calling your canine companion Ozzie or Kolya (which means winter.) You are not going to hear those names too often at the dog park.
But remember, whatever dog name you decide on; make sure it’s easy to say; that it does not sound like a command; and pick something that you don’t mind saying in public.
We have searched all over to create our list of 200 Australian dog names. These names come from the everyday words Australians use, locations in Australia, the animals and foods of Australia, famous Australians and aboriginal words.
Australian Dog Names
Australian Dog Names from 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. My favorites are; Yolo, which stands for “You Only Live Once”; Koyla, meaning winter and Bae, which means “Before Anyone Else”. Trust me your dog will want you before anyone else.
Check out more dog names based on Australian slang below.
Name
Meaning
Gender
Ace
Excellent!
M
Arvo
Afternoon
M
Aussie
Shortened form of Australian
F
Avo
Avocado
F
Bae
Before Anyone Else
N
Barbie
Short for barbecue
M
Billy
Teapot
M
Bitzer
Mixed-breed dog
N
Bloke
Man
M
Bonzer
Great!
N
Boonie
Safari hat
N
Boujee
Rich
F
Bruce
Aussie Bloke
M
Brumby
Wild horse
N
Chappie
A man
M
Chrissie
Christmas
F
Cobber
Very good Friend
N
Crikey
Expression of surprise
N
Name
Meaning
Gender
Digger
Soldier
M
Epic
Very enjoyable
N
Greenie
Environmentalist
F
Grommet
Young surfer
N
Inala
A place of peace
F
Jumbuck
Sheep
N
Kiwi
Term for a person from New Zealand.
N
Kolya
Winter
N
Kylie
Boomerang
F
Mate
Friend
M
Oz
Nickname for Australia
M
Ozzie
Nickname for Australia
M
Postie
Postman
N
Rellie/Rello
Relatives
N
Sheila
Woman
F
Sparky
An electrician
M
Straya
Australia
N
Stubby
A bottle of beer
N
Tinny
Can of beer
N
Yolo
You only live once
F
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.
Name
Meaning
Gender
Adelaide
City in Australia
F
Albury
City in New South Wales, Australia
N
Barry
Great Barrier Reef
M
Bendigo
City in Australia
N
Bondi
Famous beach
N
Boyce
Mountain in New South Wales Austria
N
Brindabella
Mountain located near Sydney
F
Brisbane
The capital of Queensland
N
Brizzie
Short for Brisbane
N
Bundy
Bundaberg, Queensland
M
Byron
Bay located along the eastern coast
M
Name
Meaning
Gender
Canberra
Capital of Australia
F
Carlton
Carlton Gardens
M
Coral
Great Coral Reef
F
Corindi
River that flows in New South Wales
N
Darling
Darling Harbor
F
Darwin
City named after Charles Darwin
M
Fitzroy
River in Queensland
M
Fraser
Island off the eastern coast of Australia
M
Goldie
Gold Coast City in Queensland Aus.
F
Grafton
City in New South Wales Aus.
M
Griffith
City in New South Wales Aus.
M
Name
Meaning
Gender
Hobart
Capital city of Tasmania
M
Kakadu
A national park in northern Australia
N
King
King Street In Perth
M
Marley
Australian beach
M
Mel
Short for Melbourne
M
Melbourne
State capital of Victoria
N
Nelson
City in New Zealand
M
Perth
Capital of Western Australia
N
Queenie
As short for Queensland – a state of Australia
F
Sunshine
Sunshine Coast
F
Sydney
Capital of New South Wales Australia
N
Name
Meaning
Gender
Talia
Coastal town
F
Tasmania
Island state of Australia
M
Taz
Short for the Tasmania
M
Thornton
Thornton Peak high in the Daintree Rainforest
M
Toowoomba
City in Australia
N
Uluru
Large sandstone rock formation
F
Victoria
One of Australia’s states
F
Wellington
Capital City of New Zealand
M
Zeil
Mount Zeil in Northern Australia
M
Dog Names Based on Famous Australians
Here we collected some of the more unusual names from famous actors, actresses, authors and sports heroes to add to our list of Australian dog names.
Name
Meaning
Gender
Banjo
Australian poet
M
Baz
Australian director
N
Bindi
Steve Irwin’s daughter
F
Bradbury
Australian Olympic speed skater
M
Cate
Cate Blanchett – Actress
F
Errol
Errol Flynn – Actor during the Golden Age
M
Heath
Heath Ledger – Actor
M
Hemsworth
Thor – actor
M
Hugh
Hugh Jackman – Actor
M
Irwin
Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin
M
Jai
Jai Courtney – Actor
M
Name
Meaning
Gender
Kalinda
Ashton Kalinda – Author
F
Liam
Liam Hemsworth – Actor
M
Liane
Liane Moriarty – Author
F
Luke
Luke Hemsworth
M
Lynda
Lynda Stoner Pioneer in animal rights
F
Margot
Margot Robbie – Actress
M
Pearce
Guy Pearce – Actor
M
Perry
As in Perry the platypus – The Simpsons
M
Rebel
Rebel Wilson – Actress
F
Shane
Cricket heroes Shane Warne and Shane Watson
M
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
Name
Meaning
Gender
Aari
Mountain of Strength
N
Alinta
Fire – Name
F
Allyra
Quartz – Name
F
Amarina
Rain
N
Bardo
Water
M
Birrani
Boy (Wiradjuri) – Name
M
Bunji
Close friend (Warlpiri)
M
Daku
‘Sand hill’ (Diyari)
N
Iluka
Seaside town – Name
M
Jarrah
From Djarraly – type of Eucalyptus tree – Name
M
Jedda
Little wild goose (Noongar) – Name
F
Name
Meaning
Gender
Jiemba
Laughing star (Wiradjuri) – Name
M
Karri
Type of eucalyptus tree
M
Kaya
Hello
N
Keira
Large Lagoon – Name
F
Killara
Always there (Dharug) – Name
F
Kirra
To live – Name
F
Koen
Thunder – Name
M
Kylie
Boomerang (Noongar) – Name
F
Lowanna
Girl – Name
F
Marli
Black Swan (Noongar) – Name
F
Marlu
Kangaroo
N
Name
Meaning
Gender
Medika
Blossom or flower – Name
F
Miki
Moon in Aboriginal language
F
Minjarra
Bush plum tree – Name
M
Moona
One who gives or provides light – Name
F
Ngarra
Together with you (Dharug) – Name
M
Norin
Honorable
M
Nullah
Hunting Stick (Dharug) – Name
M
Tahnee
Sound of the surf – Name
F
Waru
Milky way (Kalkadoon)
M
Yarran
Wattle tree (Wiradjuri) – Name
M
Yindi
Child – Name
F
Native Animals of 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.
Name
Meaning
Croc
Crocodiles
Dingo
Feral dog native to Australia
Emu
National bird of Australia
Heeler
Blue Heeler, Type of Australian Cattle Dog)
Joey
Baby kangaroo
Kanga
Kangaroo
Kelpie
Australian Kelpie, a herding dog
Koala
Animal – marsupial
Kookaburra
Bird native to Australia
Name
Meaning
Loggerhead
Type of Turtle
Potoroo
Small, nocturnal rat-kangaroo
Possum
Mountain pygmy possum
Quokka
Aka short-tailed scrub wallaby
Quoll
Carnivorous marsupial
Roo
Short for Kangaroo
Rufus
Hare -wallaby
Wallaby
Small marsupial
Wallaroo
Related to the Kangaroo and Wallaby
Wombat
Small marsupial
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.
Name
Meaning
Bikkie
Cookie or biscuit
Biccy
Biscuit
Chiko
Australian snack
Choccy
Chocolate
Jaffa
Candy in Australia and New Zealand.
Lamington
Traditional cake popular in Australia
Lollies
Sweets
Orchy
Juice brand
Pavlova
Dessert of meringue mixed with fresh fruit
TimTam
An Australian cookie
Vege
Short for Vegemite
VoVo
Biscuit
Yellowtail
Wine
More Australian Dog Names
Still haven’t found the right name? Below are even more Australian inspired dog names to choose from.