Dog Names By Year >> 1981 Dog Names

1981 Dog Names

Updated: July 15, 2024

Welcome to a nostalgic journey back to the year 1981, a time where pop culture, music, and global events undoubtedly influenced the choices of monikers for our furry friends. This is a curated collection that reflects the unique and popular dog names that emerged from this distinctive era. It is fascinating to see how the socio-cultural environment of a specific year can leave its mark in such a charming way.

In this collection, you will find names that might bring back memories of iconic movies, famous personalities, or even historical events that marked 1981. Perhaps, these names will inspire you to choose a vintage name for your new pup, or simply to appreciate the trends of a bygone era. Each name holds a tale of why it gained popularity during this time, making each one special in its own right.

So, let's take a step back in time and explore the unique and diverse dog names of 1981. From the classic to the unusual, this list provides a glimpse into the past, capturing the spirit and essence of the year. Whether you're seeking inspiration for your own pet's name or just curious about naming trends from this specific year, this comprehensive collection is sure to intrigue and entertain you.

Name Reason to Choose
Asteroids Inspired by the popular arcade game
Atari Popular gaming console in the '80s
Axl Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses was a famous musician
Bandit A fun name often given to mischievous dogs
Bear A strong name often given to large dogs in the 80s
Beastie From the band 'Beastie Boys'
Bella A classic and feminine name
Blade Blade Runner was a well-known sci-fi film in the 80s
Blondie Inspired by the rock band
Blues The Blues Brothers film gained massive popularity in 1981
Bono U2 frontman, popular in the 80s
Boomer A strong, masculine name often given to large dogs
Brandy A sweet and feminine name popular in the 80s
Breaker From the phrase 'circuit breaker'
Bruno A strong, masculine name popular in the 80s
Buddy A friendly name often given to dogs
Buster A fun and lively name popular in the 80s
Cabbage From the 'Cabbage Patch Kids' dolls
Casper Inspired by the friendly ghost from 80s cartoons
Charlie This versatile name gained popularity in the 80s
Cheetara Cheetara was a popular character from the ThunderCats cartoon
Cher Cher was a popular singer in the 80s
Coco A sweet name, often given to brown dogs
Commodore Named after the popular computer
Cyndi After the pop icon Cyndi Lauper
Daisy A sweet name often given to dogs in the 80s
Dallas Dallas was a popular TV show in the 80s
Defender Named after the arcade game
DeLorean Iconic car from the '80s
Dixie A charming southern name often given to dogs
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Fictional Characters

1981 was a year of many fictional characters in literature, which can provide cool dog names.
Name Description
Astro The pet dog from 'The Jetsons', a futuristic animated series from the 1960s
Balto The heroic sled dog from the 1995 animated film, 'Balto'
Beethoven The troublesome yet lovable St. Bernard from the 1992 film of the same name
Bolt The super dog from the 2008 Disney film titled 'Bolt'
Bruno Cinderella's faithful dog in the Disney's 1950 animated film
Clifford The big red dog from the popular children's book series that began in 1963
Copper The hound dog from Disney's 'The Fox and the Hound', a film from 1981
Dug The Golden Retriever who can talk via a special collar in Pixar's 'Up', released in 2009
Fang Hagrid's loyal pet from the 'Harry Potter' series, which began in 1997
Goofy The anthropomorphic dog and one of Mickey Mouse's best friends in the Disney universe
Gromit From the Academy Award-winning animated short film, 'A Grand Day Out with Wallace and Gromit', released in 1989
Lady The refined, purebred Cocker Spaniel from Disney's 'Lady and the Tramp'
Lassie The Rough Collie starring in a popular television series that aired from 1954 to 1973
Marley The lovable Labrador Retriever from the book and film 'Marley & Me'
Max The loyal pet of The Grinch in Dr. Seuss's classic Christmas story
Nana The loyal Newfoundland dog who takes care of the Darling children in J.M. Barrie's 'Peter Pan'
Odie The good-natured, yet not very bright, dog from the 'Garfield' comic strip, which started in 1978
Pluto Mickey Mouse's loyal dog in the Disney universe, a character dating back to 1930
Pongo From Disney's '101 Dalmatians', a beloved animated film from 1961
Rex The lovable police dog from the Austrian television show 'Inspector Rex'
Scooby The lovable Great Dane who solves mysteries with his human friends in 'Scooby-Doo', a show that started in 1969
Shadow The wise old Golden Retriever from the 1993 film 'Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey'
Snoopy The iconic beagle from Charles Schulz's comic strip, 'Peanuts', a beloved character from the early 1950s
Toto The brave terrier from L. Frank Baum's 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz', a book published in 1900
Tramp From Disney's 'Lady and the Tramp', a classic animated film from 1955
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Historical Events

Significant historical events that occurred in 1981 can inspire unique dog names.
Name Description
Belgrano The Argentinian ship Belgrano was sunk in 1981
Bobby Bobby Sands, the Irish hunger striker, died in 1981
Brixton Refers to the Brixton riots that took place in London in 1981
Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA championship in 1981
Challenger The first flight of Space Shuttle Challenger occurred in 1981
Columbia The space shuttle Columbia was launched in 1981
Concorde The Concorde plane had a significant crash in 1981
Elvis Elvis Presley's Graceland estate was opened to the public in 1981
Hinckley John Hinckley Jr. famously attempted to assassinate President Reagan in 1981
Hobbit The animated 'Hobbit' film was aired in 1981
Hunger Named after the 1981 hunger strikes in Northern Ireland
Khomeini Ayatollah Khomeini was a significant figure in Iran during 1981
Leninakan The city of Leninakan suffered a devastating earthquake in 1981
Lennon John Lennon's posthumous album was released in 1981
Mitterrand Francois Mitterrand was elected president of France in 1981
MTV 1981 saw the birth of MTV, a major influence on pop culture
Pacman Pac-Man, the hugely popular arcade game, was released in America in 1981
Raiders The film 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' was a box office hit in 1981
Reagan Named after Ronald Reagan who was inaugurated as the U.S. President in 1981
Sandinista The Sandinistas were a political group in Nicaragua heavily involved in the 1981 armed conflict
Solidarity Inspired by the Polish trade union movement founded in 1981 that contributed to the fall of communism
Springbok The Springbok Rugby tour sparked protests in New Zealand in 1981
Strikes 1981 was a year of major strikes in Poland
Tangshan Tangshan, China was hit by a strong earthquake in 1981
Toxteth Inspired by the Toxteth riots in Liverpool, England in 1981
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Famous Sports Figures

1981 was a big year in sports, and naming dogs after famous sports figures can be fun.
Name Description
Barkley In honor of Charles Barkley, an NBA player
Borg For tennis fans, in honor of Björn Borg
Brett In homage to George Brett, a baseball star
Daley For Daley Thompson, the decathlon champion
Dwight For Dwight Clark, a celebrated NFL player
Gretzky In honor of Wayne Gretzky, a hockey legend
Herschel In reference to Herschel Walker, an NFL player
Kareem Named after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a basketball legend
Larry Named after Larry Bird, a basketball legend
Lemieux In honor of Mario Lemieux, a hockey star
Lendl Ivan Lendl, a famous tennis player
Magic A tribute to Magic Johnson, NBA player
Mancini For Ray Mancini, a boxing champion
McEnroe A nod to John McEnroe, a tennis champion
Montana Joe Montana, a famous NFL quarterback
Moses In reference to Moses Malone, an NBA player
Nastase For Ilie Nastase, a tennis star
Navratilova A nod to Martina Navratilova, a tennis champion
Ozzie For Ozzie Smith, a baseball star
Rice In homage to Jerry Rice, a football star
Sayers In honor of Gale Sayers, an NFL player
Seve In reference to Seve Ballesteros, a golf legend
Singletary A tribute to Mike Singletary, an NFL legend
Sugar For Sugar Ray Leonard, a boxing legend
Wilkins A tribute to Dominique Wilkins, an NBA player
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80's Music Icons

Many iconic musicians emerged in 1981, and their names can be used for dogs.
Name Description
Axl After Axl Rose, the lead singer of Guns N' Roses, a popular 80's band
Blondie This band, fronted by Debbie Harry, was a staple in the 80's music scene
Bono A tribute to the U2 frontman who dominated the rock scene
Bowie In memory of David Bowie who was a key figure in 80's music
BoyGeorge Culture Club, led by Boy George, had many hits in the 80s
Cher Cher's music career spanned decades, including the 80's
Cyndi A nod to Cyndi Lauper, whose 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' was a big hit
Duran After Duran Duran, the British band that had a number of 80's hits
Dylan Bob Dylan's influence extended into the 80's, making it a perfect name
Elton Elton John's music continued to top charts in the 80's
Jackson After Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, who was a dominant force during the 80s
Jagger A tribute to Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones
Joan Named after Joan Jett, who was a major player in the 80s rock scene
Lennon For John Lennon, who continued to influence music in the 80's despite his untimely death
Madonna A tribute to the Queen of Pop who was a defining figure in 80's music
Mercury For Freddie Mercury, whose band Queen had a significant impact on 80's music
Morrissey A tribute to the lead singer of The Smiths, a popular band in the 80s
Prince Named after the iconic artist known for hits like 'Purple Rain'
Sade Named after Sade Adu, whose smooth sound was loved in the 80s
Simone Nina Simone's influence remained strong in the 80's
Springsteen For Bruce Springsteen, whose album 'Born in the USA' was a defining 80's sound
Stevie Stevie Nicks was a prominent figure in 80's rock music
Sting For the British musician who fronted The Police before going solo
Tina Inspired by Tina Turner, a significant figure in 80's pop and rock music
Whitney For Whitney Houston, who started her extraordinary pop career in the 80s
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Popular Movie Characters

Many people like to name their dogs after popular movie characters from 1981.
Name Description
Butch Inspired by Butch Cassidy from 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'
Ewok From the Star Wars franchise, a species of small, furry bipeds
Frodo The main character of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings
Gandalf Inspiration drawn from a character in Lord of the Rings
Gizmo Named after the cute creature from the movie Gremlins
Godzilla Influenced by the giant monster from the Godzilla franchise
Gollum A character from The Lord of the Rings known for his split personality
Hannibal A character from The Silence of the Lambs
Indy Inspired by Indiana Jones, a well-loved character from the movie of the same name
Jaws Inspired by the large shark in the movie 'Jaws'
Khan Named after the character from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Lando A character from Star Wars, Lando Calrissian
Marty The lead character of the Back to the Future trilogy
Neo Inspired by the main character from The Matrix
Norma A reference to Norma Desmond from Sunset Boulevard
R2D2 From Star Wars, the name of a lovable droid
Ripley From the character Ellen Ripley, the protagonist of the Alien franchise
Rocky Rocky Balboa is a popular character from the Rocky series
Scarface This name is from the classic movie, 'Scarface'
Shrek The main character from the animated movie 'Shrek'
Simba The Lion King's main character's name
Spartacus From the title character of the 1960 film 'Spartacus'
Strider Aragorn's pseudonym in Lord of the Rings
Vader From Darth Vader, a central character in the Star Wars saga
Yoda Named after the wise character from Star Wars
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