A dog with a colossal statue deserves a larger-than-life name. We’ve gathered the best unique and popular big dog names into one place, allowing you to choose the best name for your puppy.
There are countless big dog breeds out there, including the Great Dane, Mastiff, Scottish Deerhound, and plenty more. These breeds are fittingly categorized as “giant.” However, not all massive dogs belong to these giant breeds. Some dogs of other breeds can get quite large as well, and that isn’t even taking into account mixed breeds, which are sometimes massive in their own right.
Whether your pooch belongs to a giant breed or is just big, one of these large dog names is sure to fit their bulkiness. We’ve pulled names from across cultures and languages to bring you naming options for your colossal dog that you won’t be able to find elsewhere.
Best Big Dog Names
Here are some of the most famous names out there for big dogs. While these names are common, they’re famous for a good reason. Many of them are very fitting for a robust and large canine.
- Alaska
- Apache
- Apollo
- Atlas
- Axle
- Bear
- Bess
- Boomer
- Brawny
- Bruno
- Bubba
- Bull
- Burly
- Caesar
- Champion
- Chief
- Chopper
- Cliff
- Clifford
- Colossus
- Danger
- Diablo
- Everest
- Fang
- Fighter
- Gator
- Giant
- Goliath
- Grizzly
- Hercules
- Horatio
- Hornet
- Hulk
- Jumbo
- Jupiter
- Kane
- Kong
- Kong
- Lycan
- Majestic
- Mammoth
- Marmaduke
- Maximus
- Moose
- Mustang
- Nitro
- Omega
- Orion
- Phantom
- Rage
- Rebel
- Rex
- Rocco
- Rocket
- Rocky
- Rogue
- Samson
- Sarge
- Scar
- Shamu: like the killer whale at Sea World.
- Shrek
- Spear
- Spike
- Storm
- Tank
- Texas / Tex
- Thor: the Germanic god of thunder.
- Thunder
- Vulcan
- Whale
- Whopper
- Wolf
- Wrangler
- Zeus
Learn More: Top 400+ Golden Retriever Dog Names
Big Boy Dog Names
Here are some more unique dog names that are fitting for male canines. Of course, you don’t have to stick to your dog’s gender when choosing a name, but many of these names have a more masculine feel to them. These names were some of our favorites from around the world:
- Addanc: the name of a lake monster in King Arthur – said to be very large and eat crocodiles.
- Anak: biblical name meaning “collar”; this was the name of the descendants of the giant Nephilim.
- Argos: a giant with a hundred eyes in Greek mythology as well as the name of Ulysses’ dog.
- Bes: a very short but big-around-the-middle dwarf in Egyptian mythology, whose name means “brings joy.”
- Bran: the name of a giant kind in Britain, meaning “crow” or “raven.”
- Chrysaor: Latin name meaning “golden sword,” which was given to the son of Poseidon.
- Fafnir: Norse name of a dwarf who transformed into a dragon.
- Gidal: Hebrew name meaning “too big.”
- Gowg: Hebrew name meaning “mountain.”
- Grendel: the name of the monster in Beowulf, who is described as a giant and a troll.
- Huffie: English name meaning “peaceful giant.”
- Panoptes: Greek name often given to giants.
- Shen: Chinese name with many meanings, including “cautious,” “giant clam,” and “god.”
- Svadilfari: Old Norse name meaning “bad fate” that was also the name of a magical stallion that was ridden by giants.
- Titan: name for Giants in Greek mythology, probably meaning “fire.” A very fitting big black dog name.
- Umfredo: Italian name meaning “giant peace.”
- Wada: Anglo-Saxon name meaning “to go”; it was often used to refer to water Giants.
Learn More: Top 100+ Badass Dog Names
Unique Big Dog Names
Some dog names for bigger canines are very overused. If you want your canine to stand out, try some of these names:
- Abraven: Armenian name meaning “protector.”
- Alastair: Scottish name meaning “defender of mankind.”
- Alexandrus: Latin name meaning “defender of mankind.”
- Angrboda: Loki’s mother’s name in Norse mythology. This name likely means “distress” or “proclaim.”
- Apalal: Hindu name for a water dragon.
- Attor: Old English name for a dragon, probably means “poison.”
- Aylward: Middle English name meaning “elf guard” or “giant guard.”
- Daciana: Romanian regional name that means “wolf,” though it is very similar to the Gaelic word for “wicked man.”
- Draco: Latin word for “dragon.”
- Dracul: Romanian word for “dragon.”
- Gerdr: Old Norse name for the female giant that marries Freyr, probably meaning “stronghold.”
- Grid: a frost giant in Norse mythology.
- Otsana: Basque name meaning “big she-wolf.”
- Sequoia: Native American word for the giant redwood trees in California.
- Titaia: Greek name meaning “to burn.” This name was occasionally used to refer to the mother of the Titans, who were giants in Greek mythology.
- Ulrica: Middle English name meaning “giant wolf power.”
- Ulva: Feminine form of the Icelandic name meaning “wolf.”
- Xocoatl: very unique Nahuatl name meaning “fire serpent” and also “bitter water.” If you want your canine to have the most unusual name around, use this one.
Learn More: Top 200+ Black Dog Names
Cool Names for Big Dogs
What exactly counts as “cool” depends on who you are. However, we think these are some of the coolest names for big dogs around:
- Alf: German word for “giant” and “noble wolf.”
- Angus
- Apollo
- Axle
- Bardulf: German word meaning “bright wolf.”
- Boomer
- Bozorg: Persian word for “large.”
- Bruno
- Bubba
- Champion
- Chief
- Danger
- Diablo
- Fang
- Fighter
- Gator
- Grand: French word for “large.”
- Grizzly
- Groot: Latin word for “large.”
- Hornet
- Jupiter
- Kane
- Kong
- Lycan
- Mad-dog
- Magnum
- Majestic
- Mustang
- Nitro
- Omega
- Ookii: Japanese word for “large.”
- Phantom
- Rage
- Rebel
- Rocco
- Rocket
- Rogue
- Samson
- Scar
- Spear
- Spike
- Titan
- Vixen
- Vulcan
- Wrangler
Learn More: Top 150+ Japanese Dog Names
Funny Big Dog Names
Not all big dog names have to be serious. If you want to name your dog something a little on the lighter side, try some of these funny names:
- Ant
- Bacon
- Barkley
- Bean
- Big Foot
- Bond
- Bubba
- Byte
- Chalupa
- Chewie
- Cupcake
- Dagda: Gaelic god, whose name means “the good god.” He was a god of knowledge and magic but also had a huge appetite.
- Direwolf
- Dobby
- Dogzilla
- Dozer
- Dude
- Eisenhower
- Ewok
- Fly
- Frodo
- Gizmo
- Guinea pig
- Hobbit
- Hot Dog
- Houdini
- Jellybean
- Khaleesi
- King
- Mister Big
- Mittens: a fitting name for a big white dog with feet markings
- Mouse
- Mr. Dog
- Peanut
- Scooter
- Sheba
- Sir Loin
- Tiny
- Twinkie
- Yeti
- Winnie (the Pooh)
- Xena
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Cute Big Dog Names
While your dog might be a little on the gigantic side, that doesn’t mean you can’t name them something sweet. However, it does mean you have to get a bit creative since most cuter names are not made with large dogs in mind. Here are some name ideas to get you started:
- Ahti: Finnish god of magic who could “sing sand into pearls
- Aliya: Hebrew name meaning “ascending” or something high
- Amelinda: English name meaning “gracious, beautiful serpent”
- Bindy: English name meaning “bright serpent” or “bright tree.”
- Chusi: Native American name meaning “big snake flower.”
- Eitri: Norse giant (or dwarf, depending on the source) who made magic items for the gods, like Thor’s hammer.
- Elma: Italian name meaning “helmet of protection.”
- Finn: the perfect big white dog name. It means “fair, white” and was the name of an Irish hero who became all-knowing after eating a magical salmon.
- Hydra: A many-headed water monster in Greek mythology
- Lexa: English name meaning “defender of mankind.”
- Lindy: English name meaning “serpent.”
- Medusa: Name of a Gorgon in Greek mythology, who could turn people into stone by looking at them. The name itself likely means “guardian.”
- Merlin: Originally used for the wizard in Arthurian legend, this name means “large sea-fort.”
- Mindy: English name meaning “black serpent” – often used to refer to dragons.
- Olwen: Welsh name for a heroine in the Arthurian legends. It means “track” and “holy” and was given to the daughter of a fierce giant.
- Selma: German name meaning “divine protection.”
- Skye
- Skyler: English name meaning “shelter,” as in a “shelter of protection”
- Tanit: Phoenician name for the goddess of love, the moon, and the stars.
- Tiamat: Babylonian name meaning “mother of life.” This was the name of the primeval sea dragon goddess, who was the embodiment of chaos and the mother of the gods.
- Volos: Slavic name meaning “ox.”
- Zofia: Yiddish name meaning both “guard,” “giant,” and “scout” – an unusual name for a large scent dog.
Learn More: Top 250+ White Dog Names
Now for the Hardest Part – Choosing a Name!
We’ve given you hundreds of naming options in this article – some genuinely unique and others more familiar. However, now it is time for you to narrow it down and choose a name for your pooch. Don’t feel like you have to select a name right now and stick to it. You never really know how a name is going to fit until you try it, so we recommend testing a few out to see if it sounds right.
If you opt for a unique name, make sure everyone in your family can pronounce it. Children are known to “change” names they can’t pronounce, so make things simpler on everyone and select a name they can say easily.
Furthermore, be sure the name you choose doesn’t sound like anyone else’s name or a command you plan on teaching your pup. While dogs are smart, they can have a hard time differentiating. Your best bet is to choose something that sounds completely different.
