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Black Dog Names: 450+ Names for Black Dogs

Did you know that out of the 197 dog breeds that are recognized by the American Kennel Association, 69 breeds come in either all black or partial black coats?

Also at the time of this writing there were 11,000 dogs with black coats looking for a home on Petfinder.com?

That is a lot of black dogs

As you can image black dogs are fairly common.

Chances are if you are here you have a puppy with a black coat too.

But even though black dogs are common that does not mean you need to give your puppy a common name.

Here we have 450 black dog names to help you find the perfect name for your puppy.

Dog Breeds With a Full or Partial Black Coat

In case you are wondering what those black dog breeds are here is a list.

Dog BreedDog Breed
AffenpinscherLabrador Retriever
Afghan HoundLancashire Heeler
Appenzeller SennenhundLhasa Apso
Bearded CollieManchester Terrier
BeauceronMountain Cur
Belgian SheepdogMudi
Black and Tan CoonhoundNewfoundland
Black Russian Terrier Norwich Terriers
Bohemian SheperdOtterhound
BorzoiPlott Hound
Border CollieThe Pointer
Boston TerrierPolish Lowland Sheepdog
Bouvier des FlandresPoodle
BriardPortuguese Sheepdog
Brussels GriffonPortuguese Water Dog
Cane CorsoPuli
Cesky TerrierPumi
Cocker Spaniel  Rat Terrier
Croatian SheepdogRottweiler
Curly-Coated RetrieverSchipperke
DachshundScottish Terrier 
Doberman PinscherShikoku
Dutch ShepherdSiberian Husky
English Springer SpanielSkye Terrier
Entlebucher Mountain DogSlovensky Kopov
Finnish LapphundStabyhouns
Flated Costed RetrieverStaffordshire Bull Terrier
Giant SchnauzerSwedish Lapphund
Gordon SetterTaiwan Dog
Great DaneThai Ridgeback
Greater Swiss Mountain DogTibetan Mastiff
HoawartTibetan Terrier
JagdterrierTransylvanian Hound
Karelian Bear DogWetterhoun
Kerry Blue TerrierWorking Kelpie

Why are so many dogs black?

You may be wondering why there so many black dogs. It has to do with genetics of course. According to Dog Genetics UK, black is the default eumelanin color in dogs. In other words, black is the dominant color if the dog doesn’t have the genes for liver or dilution.

Since this is a post about names not genetics I won’t go any further but you can learn more at Dog Genetics UK.

Deciding On a Name

When deciding on a name for your new pup, there are 7 guidelines you should follow. We already mentioned the first one:

  1. Try to choose a unique name.  You don’t want to be 1 of the three or four other dogs named Blacky in the dog park.
  2. Pick a name that you are comfortable saying in public. What might seem funny in private might not go over well in public.
  3. Beware of the Black Dog Syndrome. This is when people view black dogs as being more aggressive.  Because of this you want to carefully pick a name for your dog that will not further influence people to think that your dog is dangerous.  Unless that is what you want to do.
  4. Choose a name that is easy to say.  You will be saying it a lot over the next 10 to 15 years. 
  5. Don’t choose a name that can be mistaken for another word. (Example: Jo that sounds like no)
  6. Choose a name with one or two syllables. Dogs can recognize shorter words easier. If you do choose a longer name consider using a nick name for everyday use.
  7. Plan for the future. Not all black coated puppies will stay black. Poodles and some other breeds are known to fade to gray or silver as they mature.

Names for Black Dogs

Animal Names for Black Dogs

Black is a common color in nature which makes it a great place to start looking for names for your pup. The below list consists of names of both black colored birds and animals. If you have a black and white dog, magpie can be a fun and unusual name.

AniBird
BatAnimal
BearAnimal
CheetahAnimal 
CootBird
CrowBird
GrackleBird
FalconBird
JaguarAnimal
KiteBird
MagpieBird
MombaAnimal
MynaBird
NoddyBird
OrkaAnimal
PandaAnimal
PantherAnimal
RavenAnimal
RookBird 
RoosterBird
SealAnimal
ShamuAnimal
SnakeAnimal
StallionAnimal
StarlingAnimal
SwanBird
SwiftBird
VultureBird
WhaleAnimal
ZebraAnimal

Nature Inspired Dog Names

Our next list is also inspired by nature. But the items on this list are not living. My favorites from this list are Pearl (as in the Black Pearl) and Pitch (as in Pitch black.) If you have a black and white dog

Agate
Ash
Asphalt
Carbon
Castiron 
Char
Cinder
Coal
Dark
Diamond
Dirt
Dusk
Dust
Ebony
Echo
Eclipse
Electric
Ember
Flash
Flint
Fog
Foggy
Graphite
Hole
Indigo
Ink
Inky
Iron
Jet
Lava
Lead
Lightning
Luna
Magma
Metal
Metallica
Mica
Midnight
Mildew
Miner
Mink
Mist (Misty)
Mountain
Mud
Muddy
Night
Nightfall
Nightshade
Nocturne
Nova
Obsidian 
Oil
Onyx
Ore
Orion
Pearl
Pit
Pitch
Puma
Satin
Shade
Shadow
Shady
Skye
Slag
Slate
Soil
Soot
Sooty
Steam
Stone
Storm
Stormy
Tar
Thunder
Twilight
Velvet
Witch

For more nature inspired dog names check out our full list of Flower Names For Dogs: Plus Nature Inspired Dog Names

Dog Names From Our Cultures

Our cultures are what define us. It’s the characteristics and knowledge that brings us together but also helps up stand apart. It is also a great way to find unique names for our dog.

The list below is a start, but I suggest that you look deep into your own culture to look for a name that will stand out.

Food Related Dog Names

We first start our list of cultural names with common foods and food related words. Names like Cocoa and Truffles make cute unique names for small dogs.

Anise
Berry
Bosco
Bourbon
Butler
Cadbury 
Caviar
Chocolate
Chow
Coca
Coco
Cocoa
Coke
Cola
Espresso
Forge
Fudge (ie)
Godiva
Grit
Guinness
Hershey
Kettle
Licorice
Liquorice
Meatball
Oreo
Pepper
Pepsi
Roast
Rum
Smelt
Smoke 
Truffles
Whiskey

Black Dog Names Based on Culture

This list consists of words and names from other cultures that mean black or darkness. To make it easier for you to choose we have included the words meaning. We also threw in a couple of ancient gods into the mix.

Adrian Black in Latin
Adrien French for Dark
Aka Black in Uzbek
Azur Meaning black in Egyptian
BellinarFrench for Beautiful and dark person
BismanIndian Black; Dark Blue
Choccy Australian for Chocolate
Corbin Meaning Raven in French
Dee Dark in Welsh
DonelleElfin Girl who has Dark haired
DuffGaelic for dark
Fia Dark in Gaelic
HeraGoddess
Hercules
JettaJet Black in Latin
KeiraCeltic meaning Little Dark-haired Woman
Kuro Japanese
MarliBlack Swan (Noongar) – Name
Melanie Greek French for blackness
Musta Black in Finnish
Nisha Night in Sanskrit
Noche Night in Spanish
NoirBlack in French
Noire Black in French
Nuit The Egyptian goddess of the Night Sky
Oso Meaning Bear in Spanish
PretaBlack in Portuguese (F)
Preto Black in Portuguese (M)
RevnaNorse – Raven
Schwarz Black in German
Sheba African Queen
SvartNorwegian
SwartBlack in Afrikaans
Teina Black in Maori
Thor
Titan
Xena Warrior princess
Zeus

Looking for a name for your large dog? Check out our list of Big Dog Names: 300+ Names From the Classic to the Unique

Pop Culture

Naming your dog based on pop culture can be a fun way to find a unique name. My favorite is Chaplin, as in Charlie Chaplin. Who was the lovable character from the days of black and white films.

Batman
Black Beauty 
Black Magic (nickname Magic)
Bolt
Chaplin (as in Charlie Chaplin, king of the black and white movies)
Darth Vader
Godzilla
Hulk
King Kong
Micky
Nana 
Nemesis
Night Rider
Pango 
Poisedon

For more culturally inspired dog names check out our posts on; Norse Dog Names: Viking Names for Your Dog; Australian Dog Names: 200 Dog Names to Choose From; French Dog Names; 550 British Dog Names: You Will Want to Use and Scottish Dog Names: 500 Names to Choose From

Black Dog Names From Games

Common games can also make a fun name for your dog.

BlackjackGames
CheckerGames
ChessGames
DiceGames
DominoGames
Eight BallGames
PawnGames
SpadeGames

Unique Dog Names for Black Dogs

If you are looking for something a bit more unique for your dog, try one of these names.

Angst
Arrow
Atticus
Black Widow
Blackfoot
Blackout
Bootleg
Boots
Chi Chi
Coven
Dane 
Demon
Dash
Ego
Enigma
Fefe
Galaxy
Gizmo 
Goth
Grim
Groucho
Gucci
Hex
Ink Spot (nickname Spot)
Magic
Murk
Mystery
Nebula
Nike
Nyx
Reaper
Rebel
Sealy
Sharpie
Silhouette
Voodoo
Yeezy
Yeti
York
Yorkie
Zeek

If none of these unique names fit what you are looking for check out our full list of Unique Dog Names: Plus How to Pick One

Black Dog Names for Girls

Still can’t find a name that you like. Here are some more names that could be perfect for your female black dog.

Abby
Alva
Ashley
Astra
Astral
Aubrey
Ava
Bailey
Beanie or Bean
Bebe
Betty
Betty Boop
Beyonce
Black Diamond
Black pearl
Cecilia
Chanel 
Ciara
Cruella
Darla
Doris
Dot
Electra
Elvira
Estella
Fawn
Gypsy
Harlequin
Iris
Kat
Lamya
Lana
Lena
Leyla
Lil
Lily
Lylah
Mi Mi
Mila
Mily
Missy
Misty
Mittens
Monkey
Morticia 
Nessie
Nila
Phoebe
Pipa
Piper
Pippin
Pipsy
Pita
Queenie
Raisin
Sandy
Sasha
Saskia
Serena
Sileni
Sky
Skylar
Sonya
Stella
Tabatha
Tika
Tilly
Tina
Toto 
Ursula
Vixen
Witchy
Yasmin
Yaz
Yuri
Za Za
Zara
Zulu

Black Dog Names for Boys

We can’t forget about the boys.

Ace
Angus
Apollo
Ares
Asher
Ashton 
Axle
Bandit
Beau
Beetle
Binx
Black
Blackie
Bond 
Bronson
Bruno
Brutus
Bullet
Chase
Chief
Coffee
Coley
Colton 
Cosmo
Cub
Dade
Damien
Danger
Darcy
Dark Angel
Delano
Diesel
Django
Duke
Duncan
Dusky
Felix
Gabe
Goliath
Grease
Grizzly
Gunnar
Haze
Hunter
Jackal (Jack for short)
Jasper
Jessie
Jethro
Judas
Ken
Kev
King
Kingston
Knight
Kol 
Kolby
Latte
Leo
Louis
Lucifer
Mack
Max
Merlin
Miguel
Mike
Milo
Minnie (Minnie Mouse)
Morris
Mustang
Nero
Ninja
Oden
Odie
Olive
Opal
Opie
Oscar
Oz
Ozlo
Panda Bear
Pengu
Penguin
Phantom
Pluto
Poe
Polo
Pongo
Poppy
Prince
Quill
Racer
Razor
Renegade
Rex
Rick
Roadster
Rocky
Sable
Salem
Sarge
Scar
Slater
Smokey
Soldier
Spot
Spy
Styx
Sullivan (or Sully!)
Sylvester
Tank
Taz
T-Bone
Ted
Teddy 
Terminator
Tint
Toby
Toots
Tootsie
Trooper
Tundra
Tux
Tuxedo
Uno
Vanish
Vlad
Zorro

Not what you are looking for?

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