Historical Dog Names

Introduction

There have always been many sources of inspiration available to choose a name for your dog. Whether it has been a favorite food, a well loved movie, or even a place that you visited and enjoyed - they all are sources of inspiration that may trigger the perfect name choice. An area that is not so well known is the field of historical events or people, which can provide an abundant source of naming ideas that are both original and unique. There have been some amazing characters throughout history who have changed the world or added pleasure through their talents as a musician, artist or even as an astronomer. When faced with choosing a name for a new dog in your life, don't overlook the influence of all things historical when you are sourcing inspiration for a name. We have taken the work out of what some new owners find to be a stressful situation, and we have compiled this list of ideas for a dog's name from the pages of history. Have a browse of our list; it may save you countless hours of research, leaving you free to enjoy getting to know this new furry friend of yours.

Historical Dog Names in Pop Culture

Featured Famous Historical Dog

Balto

Throughout history, the sled dog has been particularly useful as means of traversing the frozen ground and enduring the harshest of weather. As a group, these dogs work together to pull man, supplies and equipment across the frozen wilderness. Royal Canadian Mounted Police have depended on their dogs to carry them across the winter snows to catch a criminal. These dogs hark back to the glory days of the pioneers, prospectors, miners and freighters who drove teams of hardy Huskies across the trial. They are portrayed as loyal, courageous and with uncanny strength and resistance to the cold. In the town of Nome, Alaska, the population including many children were affected by an epidemic of diphtheria. The year was 1925 and the only way to get the medical supplies to the people was via several relay teams of dogs including the lead dogs such as Balto, Togo, and Fritz - who as a collective selection of teams, raced over 674 miles of frozen wilderness and plowed through blizzards and snow storms to reach the town. In temperatures of fifty below zero, their mushers (dog team handlers) and over one hundred and fifty dogs battled adverse conditions to reach the town of Nome. One musher suffered severe frostbite on his face, another had to have hot water poured over his hands to free them from the sled's handlebar.

Even the dogs suffered from the exertion, some had to be left at the roadhouses along the way to allow them to recover. The dogs relayed the serum needed to save the population, and they risked their lives without a thought - just a willingness to please their owner drove them forward. Balto and the other dogs in his team traveled the last long leg, and some say the toughest of the journey, in the bitter cold, through blizzards and more. He stands as a reminder of all the dogs involved in that operation, as well as the many other sled dogs who throughout history have always had a strong bond and loyalty with their masters to do what it takes to get across forbidding landscapes to get home. A monument of Balto stands in Central Park in New York City as a testament to their bravery. Without the Husky, many people feel that the state would not have been developed. The wilderness required a tough man and even tougher dogs to work as a team to tame the savage conditions. The dog has established itself over time and history as one of man's greatest allies and deserves a place in history for their many selfless acts and dedicated nature to humanity.

Historical Dog Name Considerations

One thing to remember as you begin the thought process for choosing a name is to keep the choice of name for your dog simple. This simplification not only benefits you when you are training your dog, but it helps your dog to understand that when you use that name, it is their name and you are talking to them. Try not to have the name similar to any children in your family, or that could be confusing for your four legged friends. If your daughter is named Isabelle, calling your dog Belle will be confusing as your dog may not realize you are talking to them and will ignore your commands. Dogs relate to one or two syllable names; they are clean, clear and crisp for a dog's ear. That is not to say that you cannot get creative, but if you keep longer names simple, it will work better for you both. Sometimes a dog's coloring or character can give you an idea for a name. A dog with a high level of energy who moves in top gear all of the time and who rarely sleeps might suit a name like Turbo, Thunder or even Chaos. A white dog might befit the name Snowy or Magnolia. A strong leader and confident canine would suit the moniker Caesar after one of the greatest Roman leaders of all time, or for a female, the name Sheba after the Queen of Sheba of Biblical times. Our list of historical dog names can provide a wealth of inspiration and takes all the hard work out of selecting that suitable name to honor your dog.

Male Historical Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
3	Brutus Another famous politician's name from Rome, this would suit a large imposing dog
1	Caesar A mighty Roman leader who lead the Roman Army and had countless victories
1	Ajax Short and simple yet effective, Ajax was a Greek hero and played a pivotal role in the Trojan War
1	Ares The Greek God of War
1	Nero Last Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty in Roman history
1	Titan A warrior race, they ruled the world before the Olympians in Greek Mythology
1	Thor The hammer wielding god of thunder and lightning
1	Sirius The Dog star, as well as faithful companion to Orion, Sirius was the most famous canine in Greek mythology
0	Crockett After the American Frontiersman Davy Crockett
0	Goliath A huge warrior featured in the Bible
0	Trojan After the legends of the Trojan War and the Trojan Horse saga
0	Greystoke Tarzan's official family name was Greystoke
0	Enzo Of Old German origin, it means 'giant'; it was also the name of a King of Sardinia in the 13th century
0	Ishtar The Gate of Ishtar, Babylon, was the northern entrance to this magnificent city
0	Midas A Greek Mythological King who had the ability to turn all he touched into gold
0	Chopin Frederic Chopin was a fine composer with French and Polish origins
0	Capone An American gangster, a fitting name for a dog with attitude who stole your heart
0	Attila A ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death - often called Attila the Hun
0	Crusoe Robinson Crusoe is the story about a castaway who spent 28 years on a remote tropical island
0	Sultan Of Arabic origin and a noble royal title, the word means strength, authority, and rulership
0	Byron An Englishman, poet, and politician born in 1788
0	Viking After the mighty Norse seafarers who raided and traded from many other countries
0	Khan After Genghis Khan, the Mongolian Emperor
0	Tesla Nikola Tesla was a successful Serbian American inventor who was way ahead of his time
0	Rafael A name taken from the Italian Renaissance artist - a classy name for a distinguished dog
0	Chekhov Anton Chekhov was a Russian playwright and short story writer- one of the greatest in history
0	Pharaoh A title of the monarchs of ancient Egypt from the First Dynasty
0	Plato A famous Greek philosopher
0	Dickens Charles Dickens, the famous English author
0	Honcho A leader or manager in charge of the army - the head honcho or official
0	Hoover John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States
0	Delano The middle name of United States President Franklin Roosevelt

Female Historical Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
0	Rosa After the first lady of American civil rights movement - Rosa Parks
0	Clarissa A pretty name in honor of the Civil War nurse and founder of the American Red Cross - Clarissa Barton known affectionately as Clara
0	Imelda Imelda Marcos, widow of the Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos
0	Isabella The Queen of Castile, Spain from 1474
0	Guinevere The fair and beautiful wife of King Arthur in the Arthurian legends
0	Arabella Lady Arabella Stuart was cousin of King James VI of Scotland
0	Patria With her sisters, they boldly opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the 1950's
0	Mirabal The three Dominican sisters' surname - they opposed the dictator Trujillo in the 1950's
0	Butterfly The Dominican Mirabal sisters who became known as the 'butterflies' and famous feminist icons
0	Kartini After Raden Ajeng Kartini a famous writer and activist born in 1879
0	Artemisia A famous and skilled painter during a time when women were not allowed to attend the artistic academies
0	Togozen A combination of the name Tomoe Gozen - a warrior woman in 12th century Japan
0	Asante After Yaa Asantewaa - a Warrior Queen in Ghana who opposed the British colonists from 1900 -1901
0	Maddy After Madam C.J. Walker - businesswoman and a great philanthropist born 1867
0	Sojourner An abolitionist and women's rights activist Sojourner Truth born in 1797
0	Murasaki Murasaki Shikibu, a lady-in-waiting in the Imperial Court and who wrote The Tale of Genji
0	Shikibu Murasaki Shikibu became an educated lady in ancient Japan
0	Nzinga After Nzinga Mbandi, Queen of Ndongo and Matamba (Angola) - a warrior queen with respected military tactics
0	Venus A Roman goddess
0	Indira Indira Gandhi was the first and only female Prime Minister of India
0	Maya Maya Angelou was an American poet and civil rights activist
0	Sheba Queen of Sheba is a Biblical figure of widespread legend and mystery
0	Minerva A Roman goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare
0	Cleopatra She ruled ancient Egypt as a co-regent along with her two younger brothers and then her son for almost three decades
0	Marlene Marie or 'Marlene Dietrich' was a German actress and singer
0	Magdalene The middle name of Marlene Dietrich- a famous actress
0	Scarlett Scarlett O'Hara as in the movie 'Gone with the Wind'
0	Ginger Named after the actress and dancer Ginger Rogers born in 1911
0	Blondie After Marilyn Monroe, the blonde bombshell of the 1950's - would suit a white or golden dog
0	Garbo Taken from the legendary actress Greta Garbo
0	Athena The Roman goddess of reason, wisdom, peace and much more