Dog Names By Year >> 1980 Dog Names

1980 Dog Names

Updated: July 30, 2024

Welcome to a delightful journey back in time where we explore the popular names for our furry friends in an iconic decade. The 1980s was not just a time of neon leg warmers, big hair, and good music, but it was also a period that inspired a unique assortment of dog names. This era, filled with cultural and historical milestones, undoubtedly influenced pet owners when it came to naming their canine companions.

From names inspired by popular movies, music stars, and TV shows of the time, to those reflective of the decade's trends and events, this page celebrates the unique blend of traditional and quirky names that were a hit among dog owners in the 80s. Whether you're looking for a nostalgic name for your new pet or are simply curious about pet naming trends of the past, this compilation offers a fascinating glimpse into the canine nomenclature of this unforgettable era.

So, get ready to take a trip down memory lane with our collection of dog names from this vibrant and unforgettable decade. You might just find the perfect moniker for your new furry friend, or simply enjoy revisiting the popular names from this colorful period in history.

Name Reason to Choose
Alf Alf was a popular TV show in the late 80s
Apollo Inspired by the Greek god of the sun
Astro The name of the dog in 'The Jetsons' cartoon
Atari Named after the popular 80s video game company
Athena The Greek goddess of wisdom
Axel Character from the popular 80s movie 'Beverly Hills Cop'
Bandit Bandit was a popular name for dogs, possibly due to its connotations of mischief and adventure
Bangles Named after The Bangles, a popular 80s band
Barbie The iconic doll was popular in the 80s
Bear The name Bear was popular for large, fluffy dogs
Beethoven Named after the famous composer, and popularized by the movie about the St. Bernard
Benji This name was popularized by a series of films about a dog named Benji
Bingo Named after the popular song 'Bingo was his name-o'
Blade From 'Blade Runner', a popular 80s movie
Bogart Inspired by the iconic actor Humphrey Bogart
Bogey Inspired by Humphrey Bogart, a popular actor of the 80s
Boomer Boomer was a popular name for dogs in the 80s
Bowie Named after David Bowie, who was popular in the 80s
Brosnan Last name of Pierce Brosnan, who played James Bond in the 80s
Bruno This name was popular in the 80s, perhaps due to its strong, masculine connotations
Buddy Buddy was another common name for dogs in the 80s
Buster Buster was a common name for dogs in the 80s
Cabbage Inspired by Cabbage Patch Kids, a popular 80s toy
Cagney From the 80s TV show 'Cagney & Lacey'
Casper From the 80s movie 'Casper the Friendly Ghost'
Champ Champ was a common name for dogs in the 80s
Charlie Charlie was a common name for dogs in the 80s
Cher Cher was a popular singer and actress in the 80s
Conan Conan the Barbarian was a popular movie
Cujo Stephen King's novel about a rabid dog named Cujo was a bestseller
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80s Sports Stars

The 80s had many influential sports stars, and sports fans often name their pets after their favorite athletes.
Name Description
Akeem In honor of Akeem Olajuwon, a basketball legend
Bird Inspired by Larry Bird, a basketball legend
Boomer Boomer Esiason's football career inspired this name
Borg For tennis enthusiasts, this name comes from Bjorn Borg
Clemens For fans of Roger Clemens, a baseball star
Elway John Elway's football career inspired this name
Evert For fans of Chris Evert, a tennis legend
Gabriel A tribute to Gabriel Batistuta, the football legend
Gretzky Wayne Gretzky, the iconic hockey player, inspired this name
Herschel Herschel Walker, a football star, influenced this name
Isiah A name for fans of Isiah Thomas, the basketball icon
Kareem This name is inspired by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a basketball sensation
Lendl Ivan Lendl dominated tennis in the 80s
Magic A tribute to Magic Johnson, a dominant NBA player in the 80s
Maradona Diego Maradona's football career influenced this name
McEnroe This name is inspired by John McEnroe, a tennis sensation
McGwire Mark McGwire, the baseball legend, inspired this name
Montana This name is after Joe Montana, a football legend
Navratilova One of the best tennis players, Martina Navratilova
Payton Walter Payton's football career influenced this name
Pele Pele, the football legend, inspired this name
Rice A tribute to Jerry Rice, a dominant NFL player in the 80s
Ripken This name is for fans of Cal Ripken Jr., a baseball icon
Seles This name is inspired by Monica Seles, a tennis sensation
Tyson The name is for fans of Mike Tyson, the boxing icon
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80s Pop Culture Icons

The 80s had many memorable pop culture icons and events, which can inspire unique and nostalgic dog names.
Name Description
Atari In tribute to the video game console that defined the 80s gaming culture
Axel Inspired by Axel Foley, Eddie Murphy’s character in Beverly Hills Cop
Beetlejuice After the quirky character from the 1988 Tim Burton film
Bowie Named after David Bowie, the influential musician and actor who was big in the 80s
Cher In honor of the legendary singer and actress who had a big presence in the 80s
Cyndi After Cyndi Lauper, whose music and fashion defined the 80s
Ewok The adorable creatures from the Star Wars franchise that debuted in the 1980s
Ferris From Ferris Bueller's Day Off, a classic 80s film
Ghostbuster After the supernatural comedy film that was a major hit in the 80s
Gizmo The lovable Mogwai from the 1984 film, Gremlins
Gozer The villain from Ghostbusters, a classic 80s film
He-Man From the popular 80s animated show, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
Jareth The character played by David Bowie in the 1986 film, Labyrinth
Madonna Inspired by the Queen of Pop herself, who dominated the 80s music scene
Maverick Tom Cruise’s character in Top Gun, a symbol of 80s cool
Mcfly Paying tribute to Marty McFly, the time-traveling protagonist in Back to the Future
Morrissey Named after the iconic 80s singer and lyricist from The Smiths
Pac-Man The 80s wouldn't be complete without this iconic video game character
Rambo Sylvester Stallone’s iconic character, an embodiment of 80s action films
Ripley Sigourney Weaver’s character in the Alien franchise, a defining figure of 80s sci-fi
Rubik For the Rubik's Cube, a popular 80s puzzle toy
Simba The protagonist of The Lion King, one of the most famous 80s Disney films
Splatterhouse From the gory video game that defined 80s arcades
Tootsie From the popular 80s film of the same name
Voltron After the titular robot from the 80s animated series
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80s Movies and Film Characters

The 80s were known for some iconic movies and characters, and pet owners often choose names from their favorite films.
Name Description
Axel The lead character in the action-comedy film Beverly Hills Cop
Beetlejuice The mischievous ghost from the film of the same name
E.T. The adorable extraterrestrial from the film E.T
Falkor The luckdragon from The NeverEnding Story
Ferris The carefree protagonist of Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Ghostbuster For the team of paranormal investigators in the movie Ghostbusters
Gizmo A cute and mischievous character from the movie Gremlins
Goonie A reference to the adventurous kids from The Goonies
Indiana A nod to the adventurous archaeologist Indiana Jones from the movie series of the same name
Joker The iconic Batman villain from the 1989 film
Maverick The callsign of Tom Cruise's character in Top Gun
Mcfly In homage to Marty McFly from the Back to the Future series
Predator The alien antagonist of the movie Predator
Rambo The tough soldier character played by Sylvester Stallone
Ripley Inspired by Ellen Ripley, the heroine of the Alien film series
Rocky Sylvester Stallone's iconic boxer character
Scarface The nickname of the character Tony Montana in the film Scarface
Simba The lion prince from Disney's The Lion King
Slimer The green ghost from the movie Ghostbusters
Spock The logical Vulcan from the Star Trek series
Staypuft The giant marshmallow man from Ghostbusters
Vader The notorious Sith Lord from the Star Wars series
Venkman One of the original Ghostbusters from the 1984 film
Vito The head of the Corleone family in The Godfather series
Yoda The wise Jedi master from the Star Wars series
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80s Musicians and Bands

The 1980s were a significant era in music history with many iconic musicians and bands, and many people named their pets after their favorite artists.
Name Description
Axl Axl Rose, lead vocalist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses
Bangles A tribute to the all-female band known for 'Walk Like an Egyptian'
Blondie Inspired by the famous new wave band
Bono U2's frontman, a global icon in the 80s
Bowie David Bowie's eclectic style influenced many 80s musicians
Cure The Cure, a popular gothic rock band of the 80s
Cyndi Cyndi Lauper, famous singer known for 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun'
Debbie Debbie Harry, lead singer of Blondie, was an 80s style icon
Duran British synth-pop band Duran Duran was a big hit in the 80s
Fleetwood Fleetwood Mac's popularity surged in the 80s
Jackson In tribute to Michael Jackson, the King of Pop
Jett Joan Jett, rock guitarist and singer, came to prominence in the 80s
Jovi A nod to Bon Jovi, the rock band that dominated the charts in the 80s
Lennox Annie Lennox of Eurythmics fame was a major 80s music icon
Madonna In honor of the Queen of Pop who rose to fame in the 80s
Morrissey The Smiths' frontman, a landmark figure in 80s indie music
Motley Motley Crue, the glam metal band, was a sensation in the 80s
Prince After the influential artist known for hits like 'Purple Rain'
Ramone Punk rock band The Ramones had a strong influence on 80s music
Simmons KISS band member Gene Simmons was popular during the 80s
Springsteen Bruce Springsteen, an iconic figure of rock in the 80s
Sting Lead singer of The Police, a popular 80s band
Toto Band Toto's hit 'Africa' is a recognizable song from the 80s
Turner Tina Turner, renowned for her powerful vocals, was a staple of 80s music
Whitney Remembering Whitney Houston, one of the best-selling artists of all time
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Popular TV Show Characters

Many people named their dogs after popular characters from TV shows of the 1980s.
Name Description
Alex Inspired by the main character in 'Family Ties'
Alf After the lead character in the sitcom 'ALF'
Arnold From the popular show 'Diff’rent Strokes'
Balki A character from the show 'Perfect Strangers'
Bart From 'The Simpsons', which debuted in 1989
Benson After the lead character in the sitcom 'Benson'
Blanche One of the main characters on 'The Golden Girls'
Bosley A character from the hit 80s show 'Charlie's Angels'
Cliff A character from the famous 80s sitcom 'Cheers'
Crockett One of the main characters in 'Miami Vice'
Daisy A character from the 'Dukes of Hazzard'
Fonzie From the popular 70s and 80s show 'Happy Days'
Hawkeye 'M*A*S*H' featured this character prominently
Higgins A character from the hit 80s show 'Magnum, P.I.'
Maddie Named after a character in 'Moonlighting'
Maverick Inspired by the lead character in 'Top Gun'
Mork From the popular show 'Mork & Mindy'
Murphy 'Murphy Brown' was a popular sitcom in the late 80s
Norm 'Cheers' featured this character prominently
Punky Inspired by 'Punky Brewster', a popular 80s show
Rose One of the main characters in 'The Golden Girls'
Scooby 'Scooby-Doo' was a beloved cartoon in the 80s
Tubbs Inspired by a character from 'Miami Vice'
Vinnie Inspired by a character from 'Doogie Howser, M.D.'
Webster Named after the title character in the sitcom 'Webster'
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