Hercules Inspired Dog Names

Introduction

The Legend of Hercules is as old as mankind itself. Roman mythology tells of a demigod who is so hated by his stepmother, Hera, that he is doomed to a life of sorrow. However, Disney created an animated adaptation of the ancient myth for younger audiences. While many of the creatures featured in the Roman tale are also present in the Disney film, the story is much less disheartening. Hera becomes Hercules' mother in the Disney movie, and Zeus' brother Hades becomes Hercules' antagonist. Although Hades wishes to rid the world of Hercules, our hero will find a way to outwit his evil uncle.

Hercules Inspired Dog Names in Pop Culture

Featured Famous Hercules Inspired Dog

Hercules

We have already agreed that the names associated with the Disney movie Hercules is perfect for a large, strong dog, and Mastiffs in particular are quite suited for the Hercules-inspired names. However, one English Mastiff holds the title of The World's Biggest Dog, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Coincidentally, this Mastiff's name is Hercules!

Hercules is a purebred Mastiff dog; he's owned by John Flynn of Massachusetts. Hercules' owner never sought to make his massive Mastiff famous. However, a young boy happened to overhear Flynn discussing his Hercules with another Mastiff pet parent. When Flynn mentioned that his humongous Hercules weighed in at approximately 275 pounds, the little boy couldn't help but want to find out how Hercules compared to the current title holder (of the title for largest dog in the Guinness book). The young boy, David Delauri, was astonished to find that the dog with the title weighed only a little more than Hercules (the title holder at that time was another Mastiff weighing in at 296). David reported his findings to John Flynn, and John took Hercules to the veterinarian in order to have more accurate measurements to send in to Guinness should Hercules qualify.

Hercules' owner was surprised to find that his Mastiff weighed a whopping 282 pounds and possessed a neck circumference of thirty-eight inches! In addition, when Flynn contacted Guinness, the company informed him that the previous record holder had passed away, an event that made Hercules the new title holder.

Hercules' story doesn't end there, though! In today's world, hoaxes are ever-common! Shortly after Hercules' story was made public and people learned of his distinction, doctored pictures of a dog claiming to be Hercules began circulating the Internet. This dog is often pictured with a couple and a horse. The pictures make Hercules look like he is almost as tall as the horse, more muscular and somewhat broader than his equine companion. To further the hoax, not only did one picture of the supposed Hercules surface, but three did!

It didn't take long before the fake photos were being debunked! First of all, the dog used in the fake pictures is a Neopolitan Mastiff, rather than an English Mastiff (neither breed is related). Next, the size of the dog is totally out of proportion of what an English Mastiff can grow to - the picture makes the fake Hercules appear to be nearly three-quarters of the size of the horse also in the picture, but no Mastiff, no matter how huge, has ever reached those dimensions. Regardless, many people fell for the online trickery.

Hercules Inspired Dog Name Considerations

What type of dog is suited to a name inspired by the movie Hercules? The most predominant feature of our hero is his superhuman strength. Therefore, dogs reputed to be very strong are deserving of a Hercules inspired name. Dogs such as the Bull Mastiff, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the Doberman Pinscher, the Rottweiler, and the Siberian Husky (or Alaskan Malamute) are all extremely strong dogs. The Mastiff, Bull Terrier, Doberman, and the Rottweiler are all known for their propensity for herding cattle over long distances. Unfortunately, over time, most of the aforementioned dog breeds have been a fighting dog at some point in time. However, this bleak point in their histories points to the extreme strength of these breeds.

Hercules proves to be quite a heroic figure in the Disney adaptation of his story. However, this is not to say that the Hercules of Roman mythology was any less a hero. The traditional Hercules was bound by honor, which made him heroic. Even though he made many mistakes throughout his life, he always tried to rectify those issues. The Hercules of the Disney movie must prove he is heroic by fighting for what is right, including rescuing two young boys and later, Meg (Hercules' love interest).

Male Hercules Inspired Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
1	Zeus The chief god; he imprisons his parents The Titans
0	Hal Hal Holbrook plays the part of Hercules' earthly (adoptive) father
0	Dan Danny DeVito provides the voice of Philoctetes
0	Cyclops One of Hercules' antagonist; also a great name for a very strong dog
0	Phil Short for Philoctetes, a satyr who assists Hercules
0	Hades The lord of the Underworld; Hercules' chief antagonist
0	Rocky DWayne "The Rock" Johnson is the voice of Hercules
0	Nicholaus One of the minor characters Hercules encounters in his film
0	Phineas A minor character in the Disney film
0	Arius A young boy that Hercules saves at the behest of Meg
0	Tobias Tobias Santelmann plays the part of Rhesus
0	Rhesus One of Hercules' antagonists throughout the film
0	Eurystheus King Eurystheus asked Hercules to return the Cerebus to the Underworld
0	Reece Reece Ritchie plays the part of Iolaus
0	Iolaus One of Hercules' antagonist
0	Tydeus He is known as the wild barbarian of the film
0	Rufus Rufus Sewell plays the part of Autolycus
0	Cotys Lord Cotys, one of Hercules' main antagonist
0	Ian Ian McShane plays the part of Amphiaraus
0	Hercules Our hero, and the lead character
0	Hercules Our hero, and the lead character
0	Ian Ian McShane plays the part of Amphiaraus
0	Cotys Lord Cotys, one of Hercules' main antagonist
0	Rufus Rufus Sewell plays the part of Autolycus
0	Tydeus He is known as the wild barbarian of the film
0	Iolaus One of Hercules' antagonist
0	Reece Reece Ritchie plays the part of Iolaus
0	Eurystheus King Eurystheus asked Hercules to return the Cerebus to the Underworld
0	Rhesus One of Hercules' antagonists throughout the film
0	Tobias Tobias Santelmann plays the part of Rhesus
0	Arius A young boy that Hercules saves at the behest of Meg
0	Phineas A minor character in the Disney film
0	Nicholaus One of the minor characters Hercules encounters in his film
0	Rocky DWayne "The Rock" Johnson is the voice of Hercules
0	Zeus The chief god; he imprisons his parents The Titans
0	Hades The lord of the Underworld; Hercules' chief antagonist
0	Phil Short for Philoctetes, a satyr who assists Hercules
0	Cyclops One of Hercules' antagonist; also a great name for a very strong dog
0	Dan Danny DeVito provides the voice of Philoctetes
0	Hal Hal Holbrook plays the part of Hercules' earthly (adoptive) father

Female Hercules Inspired Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
0	Megara Hercules' love interest
0	Hera Hercules' mother who gives him up for his own safety
0	Alcmene Hercules' adoptive mother
0	Peg Short for Pegasus; a mythological character that is also Hercules' friend
0	Susan Susan Egan plays the part of Megara
0	Ingrid Ingrid Bolso Berdal plays the part of Atalanta in the 2014 version of the film
0	Ergenia A Thraician princess; this name would fit a Great Pyrenees
0	Becca Rebecca Ferguson played the part of Ergenia
0	Irina Irina Shayk played the part of Megara in the 2014 film
0	Karolina Karolina Szymczak played the part of Alcmena in the 2014 film
0	Nora One of Ergenia's maids in the 2014 film
0	Juno The Roman equivalent of Hera, queen of the gods
0	Delphi The Oracle at Delphi was often run by a priestess of Apollo
0	Athena The goddess of war; she aided Hercules in completing his twelve Labors
0	Arcadia A mythical place on which Hercules stayed while completing many of his Labors
0	Hippolyte The leader of the Amazons; Hercules was to capture her girdle as a part of the Labors
0	Melani Melanippe was a variation of Queen Hippolyte's name
0	Hesperus Mother of the Hesperids with her husband Atlas
0	Minerva Wife of the god of the sea, Neptune
0	Flora The goddess of flowers; this name is perfect for a dog that loves playing outdoors
0	Diana The Roman name of the goddess of the hunt
0	Luna The spiritual embodiment of the moon
0	Lucina A goddess associated with midwifery; she was an incarnation of Juno
0	Aurora The Roman goddess of the dawn
0	Nona A personification of destiny or fate
0	Roma She was the spiritual embodiment of Rome
0	Terra Terra was one of the Roman goddesses of the earth and the harvest
0	Venus The goddess of beauty and love
0	Tori Victoria is the goddess of victory; her Greek equivalent is Nike
0	Lycia A city in the Mediterranean during the height of the Roman Empire