Strong Dog Names - Male and Female

Strong Dog Names - Male and Female

A strong dog name doesn't mean your dog has to be a muscular brute. We might think of tough dog names for certain breeds such as a Rottweiler or Pit Bull, but doing so might be misguided. Firstly, these dog breeds can be absolute sweethearts, so tough names might not be appropriate for their personality. Secondly, choosing a name which connotes aggression is only going to reinforce unhelpful stereotypes in certain breeds.

AnimalWised provides strong dog names for male and female dogs so that you can choose a name which shows your dog's real strength. Maybe your dog has been through some tough times, something which often happens with shelter pets. Then a strong names shows just how well they can survive. Of course, sometimes you just want a good sounding name. Fortunately, we have those too!

Tips for choosing a strong dog name

When choosing the perfect name for your dog, you want to be original. Unfortunately, this is getting harder and harder. With so many options to choose from, you need to be really considerate to get it right. This is why we have lists like these strong dog names. It's not just to provide a name for you to copy, but to help you come up with your own original and unique name for your dog.

To get an original strong name for your dog, you should consider the following points:

  • Ideally you will need to choose short names of only one or two syllables. This is for practical reasons as you will need to use the name to call, train and teach them obedience.

  • Avoid names that are difficult for you to pronounce. You will be using it the most, so you need to be consistent otherwise the dog might be confused.

  • Avoid names that are too similar to words you use on a daily basis.

  • According to the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience, dogs likely have a “different mechanism of language comprehension than in humans”[1]. Names containing the vowels ‘a’, ‘e’ and ‘i’ are believed to be assimilated faster than the vowels ‘o’ and ‘u’ by dogs.

  • Avoid giving them a name and then calling them by different nicknames. Dogs need consistency, so don't be surprised if they don't respond when you vary their name all the time.

There are other creative things to consider when choosing a strong name for your dog. Namely, you should think about how your dog's personality interacts with your own. What is it about them that suggests a strong name? Are they a willful personality? Have they done something which seems heroic?

A dog's physical appearance is also something you should consider. Many want a strong dog name because their dog looks regal, noble and powerful. For ironic reasons, someone might want to choose a strong name for their dog who is quite tiny and relatively weak compared to larger breeds. Equally a tough guy or tough girl name for a dog might be a fun ironic name for a small and very friendly dog.

Your own interests should play a part as you can choose a strong dog name from some piece of culture you are interested in. Maybe you have a dog who likes to jump and kick, so you can call him Eric (after the Cantona, the French footballer). Or you could call hem Conan because you're a big Arnie fan. It's up to you.

Strong male dog names with meanings

If you still can't think of one yourself or simply want to see some options for inspiration, we have these strong male dog names which might be helpful. They are not simply strong names, but names which connote a sense of pride and strength of character. We also provide you boy dog names which have an original meaning related to strength and being strong.

  • Ares: Roman god of war.
  • Achilles: Greek god considered to be invincible.
  • Azai: Aramaic name meaning strength.
  • Cyclops: giant from Greek mythology (has one eye).
  • Cronos: name of a powerful Titan in Greek mythology.
  • Dynamo: name related to power and vitality.
  • Draco: comes from Latin and means ‘dragon’, a notoriously strong and powerful creature.
  • Fenrir: personage in Norse mythology depicted as a giant wolf.
  • Fergal: Celtic name translated as ‘Man of Strength’.
  • Goku: character from Japanese animation famous for his physical strength.
  • Goliath: biblical character famous for strength.
  • Hercules: Greek demigod famous for his physical strength.
  • Hulk: a Marvel comic book character known for his strength.
  • Jaret: this is a Germanic name which means .
  • Leo: this is a name related to the power and strength of a lion.
  • Magno: the Spanish name for Alexander the Great.
  • Mars: Roman god of war.
  • Marcos: comes from the Latin name Marcus and is also related to gods fo war.
  • Odín: Norse god of war.
  • Oziel: Hebrew name meaning divine strength.
  • Rambo: the character played by Sylvester Stallone synonymous with strength and heroism.
  • Rocky: another Sly Stallone character also known for his bravery as well as sportsmanship.
  • Samson: Hebrew name meaning ‘light’, but belonging to the Biblical character who is famous for his extreme strength and size (also good for longhair dog breeds).
  • Seth: Egyptian god of strength.
  • Taranis: Celtic god of thunder.
  • Titan: a type of giant known from Greek mythology.
  • Thanos: related to strength and power.
  • Thor: god of thunder found in Viking mythology.
  • Ull: Nordic god of combat.
  • Vicente: comes from the Lati and means Victor. You could also use the name Victor.
  • Vulcano: Roman god of fire and smiths.
  • Zeus: Greek god of thunder.

Strong female dog names with meanings

A lot of people think that strong means edgy, scary or even ‘manly’. This kind of thinking is reductive. When you see our list of strong female dog names, you'll see it's simply wrong. The female names on this list are strong because they are brave, adventurous and powerful, something not monopolized by males. This strong girl dog names come from goddesses, writers, heroines and other sources which might suit your dog perfectly.

  • Adira: Hebrew name meaning strong.
  • Andrea: Greek name related to courage and strength.
  • Astrid: Scandinavian name meaning strength and beauty.
  • Athena: Greek goddess of war and wisdom.
  • Audra: a lot of female names beginning with ‘A’ connote strength, this English one meaning ‘noble strength’.
  • Bellona: Roman goddess of war.
  • Brighid: Gaelic for strength, similar to Bridget.
  • Carla: Hebrew name meaning woman of strength.
  • Emery: English name for female or male dogs, meaning home strength.
  • Emma: name of Germanic origin meaning strength.
  • Ellen: named after Ellen Ripley from the Alien movies.
  • Eyad: Arabic name meaning support, strength or might (as in mighty).
  • Freya: Norse goddess of love, but also adventure.
  • Garbo: after the famous actress Greta Garbo who changed movies forever. Greta is also a strong name.
  • Gertrude: meaning ‘spear of strength’ and named after Gertrude Stein a writer who was heroic during WWI.
  • Irma: Germanic name connoting strength, from Irmin, a German war goddess.
  • Katniss: after the Hunger Games character, but also slightly ironic since you might think of it as more a cat name.
  • Koko: after the famous gorilla who helped us see how animals relate.
  • Lara: after Lara croft from Tomb Raider.
  • Leia: references the film franchise Star Wars and the Princess character who is the linchpin in saving the universe.
  • Mae: after Mae West, famously independent actress and entertainer.
  • Matilde: another name of Germanic origin which means strength and valor.
  • Minerva: Roman goddess of war and knowledge.
  • Nenya: one of the ‘Rings of Power’ from the Lord of the Rings books and movies.
  • Rainey: Gaelic name meaning Queen.
  • Selina: first name of the DC comic book hero Catwoman.
  • Susan: many powerful Susan's as a namesake, but Susan Sarandon
  • Storm: from X-Men.
  • Trudy: another ‘spear of strength’ name.
  • Valeria: Latin for brave.
  • Valkyrie: warriors of Norse mythology who took warriors to the afterlife.
  • Vayu: Hindu name which means divine force.
  • Zora: after powerful writers such as Zora Neal Hurston and Zora Cross.

Tough male dog names

There are many dog names which connote strength and toughness. These can often be related to sports or music, but they do not have to be. Some of the best strong male dog names include:

  • Artemis
  • Azim
  • Barack
  • Bear
  • Beefcake
  • Big Lad
  • Bruce
  • Bruiser
  • Cesar
  • Chevy
  • Conal
  • Conan
  • Connor
  • Conrad
  • Dexter
  • Duffin
  • Gabriel
  • Garrett
  • Gerrard
  • Griffin
  • Hardy
  • Hunter
  • Johnny
  • Julius
  • Kendrick
  • King
  • Kobe
  • Kriss
  • Kyrie
  • Lebron
  • Liam
  • Malachy
  • Max
  • Merlin
  • Michael
  • Mick
  • Napoleon
  • Osred
  • Rex
  • Rico
  • Shaq
  • Slevin
  • Titus
  • Victor
  • Wayne
  • Xavier

Tough female dog names

If your are looking for similar inspiration when looking for some tough names for a female dog, we have you covered with the following suggestions:

  • Alanis
  • Alessia
  • Aluma
  • Balwinder
  • Brigid
  • Brunhilda
  • Claude
  • Courtney
  • Dipa
  • Elfreda
  • Frideswide
  • Geeta
  • Generys
  • Gwen
  • Hera
  • Herta
  • Indra
  • Jannis
  • Jennifer
  • Jett
  • Kendra
  • LaVern
  • Madonna
  • Maleficent
  • Mildred
  • Miley
  • Niamh
  • Olesia
  • PJ
  • Patti
  • Roswitha
  • Sabrina
  • Sally
  • Sania
  • Serena
  • Shakti
  • Simone
  • Valencia
  • Valerie
  • Venus
  • Wanda
  • erena

More ideas for dog names

These strong dog names for female and male dogs are ideal for protective dogs, faithful companions and even dogs which just have a strong personality, whatever that personality may be. The power these dogs have aren't necessarily in their muscles, but in the forces of nature they are in our lives.

If you haven't found the perfect name for your dog, we have other options for you to select from:

  • Dog names starting with ‘S’
  • Dog names with only 3 letters
  • Funny names for dogs
  • Short names for dogs

If you want to read similar articles to Strong Dog Names - Male and Female, we recommend you visit our Names category.

References

1. Prichard, A., Cook, P. F., Spivak, M., Chhibber, R., & Berns, G. S. (2018). Awake fMRI Reveals Brain Regions for Novel Word Detection in Dogs. Frontiers in neuroscience, 12, 737. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2018.00737