Dog Names By Century >> 20th Century Dog Names

20th Century Dog Names

Updated: April 28, 2024

Welcome to our special compilation of canine monikers inspired by the era that witnessed some of the most iconic and groundbreaking moments in human history. The 20th century was a time of profound change and evolution, fostering an atmosphere of innovation, revolution, and cultural shifts that left an indelible imprint on the world. These trends also extended into the world of pet naming, leading to a diverse array of unique and memorable names for our four-legged companions.

From names inspired by influential figures and popular culture to those derived from significant events and advancements, our collection offers a rich tapestry of names that capture the essence of the 20th century. Whether you're a history buff, a vintage enthusiast, or simply seeking a name with a touch of nostalgic charm for your beloved pet, this carefully curated list is sure to provide ample inspiration. So, delve into the past with us and discover a timeless name that perfectly suits your dog's identity and spirit.

Name	Reason to Choose
Archie	After 'Archie Andrews', a 20th century comic book character
Astro	Featured in 'The Jetsons', a classic cartoon
Bagheera	Inspired by a character from the 20th century Disney film 'The Jungle Book'
Bailey	Bailey, a soft and sweet name, was common for both male and female dogs
Balto	Famous sled dog that delivered serum in 1925
Bambi	From 'Bambi', a classic 20th century Disney film
Bandit	From the animated series 'Jonny Quest'
Barney	After 'Barney & Friends', a popular children's show in the late 20th century
Beethoven	Title character of a popular 1992 comedy film
Bella	Bella, meaning beautiful in Italian, was a common name for female dogs
Belle	Belle was a popular name for female dogs, inspired by the French word for beautiful
Benji	Star of several films in the 1970s and 1980s
Bentley	Named after the famous 20th century luxury car brand
Bingo	From the classic children's song
Biscuit	From the popular children's book series
Blitz	In reference to the Blitzkrieg, a significant military strategy of the 20th century
Blue	From the children's show 'Blue's Clues'
Bolt	From the 2008 animated Disney film
Bonnie	Bonnie, meaning beautiful in Scottish, was a common name for female dogs
Boomer	Symbolizes the 'Baby Boomer' generation of the mid-20th century
Boots	Boots is a nostalgic name reminiscent of the era when black and white movies were popular
Bruno	Cinderella's faithful dog in the Disney film
Bucky	After Bucky Barnes, a character from 20th century Marvel comics
Buddy	Buddy, symbolizing friendship, was a popular name for male dogs
Bugs	After 'Bugs Bunny', a classic 20th century cartoon character
Buster	Buster was a popular name for dogs in the 20th Century, often used in films and cartoons
Buzz	Named after Buzz Lightyear, a character from the 20th century movie 'Toy Story'
Champ	Champ was often chosen for strong, athletic dogs
Chance	Another dog character from 'Homeward Bound'
Charlie	After 'Charlie Brown', a popular comic strip character of the 20th century
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Space Race Inspired Names

The mid-20th century was marked by the Space Race, which provides a plethora of unique dog names.

Name	Description
Aldrin	Named in honor of Buzz Aldrin, one of the first two humans to land on the moon
Apollo	Named after the Apollo space program, which enabled the first man to walk on the moon
Armstrong	A tribute to Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon
Astra	Latin for 'star', a tribute to the space race
Atlas	Inspired by the Atlas rockets, used in many space missions
Buzz	Derived from Buzz Aldrin, who was one of the astronauts on the Apollo 11 mission
Comet	Comets are celestial bodies that were studied during the space race
Gagarin	Inspired by Yuri Gagarin, the first human to journey into outer space
Galaxy	Represents the outer space, where the space race took place
Gemini	An homage to the NASA's Gemini program, which helped develop space travel techniques
Luna	Latin for 'moon', a major focus of the space race
Mercury	Derived from NASA's Mercury program, the first human spaceflight program of the United States
Mir	Named after the space station launched by the Soviet Union
Nova	Latin for 'new', representing the new frontiers opened by the space race
Orion	Named after the Orion space program, which was developed for crewed missions to the moon and Mars
Pioneer	Inspired by the Pioneer program, which launched the first successful interplanetary probes
Saturn	Named after the Saturn V, the rocket that launched the Apollo missions
Sputnik	Inspired by the first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the Soviet Union
Star	Stars were the ultimate goal of the space race
Titov	Inspired by Gherman Titov, the second human to orbit the Earth
Tranquility	A nod to the Sea of Tranquility, where Apollo 11 landed
Venus	Named after Venus, the second planet from the Sun and a focus of several space missions
Vostok	After the first manned spacecraft, launched by the Soviet Union
Voyager	Inspired by the Voyager program, which launched probes to study the outer Solar System
Zond	Named after the Zond program, which sent the first successful interplanetary probes
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Historical Figure Names

The 20th century was full of influential figures in politics, science, and culture whose names could be used for dogs.

Name	Description
Amelia	After Amelia Earhart, the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean
Armstrong	Inspired by Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon
Chaplin	A tribute to Charlie Chaplin, an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer
Churchill	Named after Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II
Curie	After Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize
Disney	Named after Walt Disney, an American entrepreneur, animator, writer, voice actor and film producer
Einstein	A tribute to the scientist Albert Einstein, known for his theory of relativity
Eliot	A tribute to T.S. Eliot, a British essayist, publisher, playwright, literary and social critic
Evita	After Eva Perón, the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952
Freud	In honor of Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis
Gandhi	After Mahatma Gandhi, an Indian activist who was the leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule
Hefner	After Hugh Hefner, an American magazine publisher and life-stylist
Hemingway	A tribute to Ernest Hemingway, an American journalist, novelist, short-story writer, and sportsman
Hitchcock	In honor of Alfred Hitchcock, an English film director and producer
Kahlo	Inspired by Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist known for her portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by nature and artifacts of Mexico
Lennon	After John Lennon, a member of the Beatles and peace activist
Malcolm	A nod to Malcolm X, an American Muslim minister and human rights activist
Mandela	Inspired by Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black head of state and anti-apartheid icon
Mao	In honor of Mao Zedong, a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founding father of the People's Republic of China
Marley	Inspired by Bob Marley, a Jamaican singer-songwriter who became an international musical and cultural icon
Orwell	Named after George Orwell, an English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic
Picasso	Named after Pablo Picasso, a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and stage designer
Roosevelt	In honor of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd U.S. President
Tesla	After Nikola Tesla, a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and futurist
Thatcher	Named after Margaret Thatcher, the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
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Classic Film Character Names

The 20th century was a golden age for cinema, with many classic characters that could serve as inspiration for dog names.

Name	Description
Bacall	A tribute to Lauren Bacall, the sultry star of 'To Have and Have Not'
Bergman	A nod to Ingrid Bergman, the unforgettable star of 'Casablanca'
Bogart	Paying homage to Humphrey Bogart, one of the greatest American screen actors of the 20th century
Brando	Named after Marlon Brando, who gave a brilliant performance in 'A Streetcar Named Desire'
Cagney	Commemorates James Cagney, the charismatic star of 'Yankee Doodle Dandy'
Capra	Named after Frank Capra, the director of heartwarming classics like 'It's a Wonderful Life'
Chaplin	After Charlie Chaplin, the iconic comic actor and filmmaker of the silent film era
Day	A tribute to Doris Day, the sunny star of 'Pillow Talk'
DeMille	Honoring Cecil B. DeMille, the pioneering director of early Hollywood epics
Eastwood	A moniker that hails from Clint Eastwood, the iconic star of 'Dirty Harry'
Gable	A nod to Clark Gable, who starred in iconic films such as 'It Happened One Night'
Garland	In honor of Judy Garland, beloved star of 'The Wizard of Oz'
Grant	Named after Cary Grant, the debonair star of 'North by Northwest'
Hanks	Named after Tom Hanks, the beloved star of 'Forrest Gump' and 'Big'
Harlow	A name inspired by Jean Harlow, the 'Blonde Bombshell' of early Hollywood
Hepburn	A tribute to Audrey Hepburn, the epitome of grace and elegance in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'
Heston	After Charlton Heston, the rugged star of epics like 'Ben-Hur'
Hitchcock	After the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, director of thrillers like 'Psycho' and 'The Birds'
Kubrick	An homage to Stanley Kubrick, the director of groundbreaking films like '2001: A Space Odyssey'
Lemmon	Commemorating Jack Lemmon, the versatile star of both comedies and dramas
Monroe	This name hails from Marilyn Monroe, a symbol of beauty and sensuality in the 20th century
Pacino	A tribute to Al Pacino, the intense star of 'The Godfather'
Rhinestone	For Dolly Parton's unforgettable role in the movie 'Rhinestone'
Scarlett	Inspired by the vivacious character Scarlett O'Hara from 'Gone with the Wind'
Streep	This name pays tribute to Meryl Streep, one of the most acclaimed actresses of the late 20th century
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1920s Slang Names

The 1920s had unique slang that can be used as quirky, vintage-inspired names for dogs.

Name	Description
Bees	Taken from 'bee's knees', a phrase for something exceptional
Big	Taken from 'big cheese', a term for an important person
Cats	Derived from 'cat's pajamas', meaning something splendid or stylish
Cheaters	A term for eyeglasses in the Roaring Twenties
Dapper	A word used to describe a man who is neat and fashionable
Darb	An excellent person or thing
Doll	An endearing term used for a woman in the 1920s
Eggs	From 'eggs in coffee', meaning being in a good situation
Flapper	Inspired by the term for a fashionable young woman in the 20s
Giggle	Short for 'giggle water', a term for alcohol
Gold	Taken from 'gold digger', a woman who sought wealthy men
Heebie	From 'heebie-jeebies', meaning a state of nervous fear
Hooch	Speakeasies served this illegal alcohol during Prohibition
Hoofer	A term used for dancers of the time
Hotsy	Part of the phrase 'hotsy-totsy', meaning perfect or excellent
Jake	A term meaning okay or fine
Jalopy	A term for an old, decrepit car
Keen	A term for something good or nice
Ritzy	Derived from the Ritz Hotel, it means elegant or fancy
Sheba	A popular term for a girlfriend in the Jazz Age
Speakeasy	A term for illegal bars during the Prohibition era
Tin	From 'tin pan alley', a term for the music industry
Vamp	A woman who uses her charm to seduce men
Whoopee	From 'make whoopee', meaning to have a good time
Zozzled	A term for being drunk during the Jazz Age
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World War Inspired Names

Many dogs during this time period were named after famous generals, battles, or terms associated with World War I and II.

Name	Description
Adolf	Originates from Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany during World War II
Blitz	Inspired by the term 'Blitzkrieg', a German war tactic used in World War II
Bomber	Inspired by the aircrafts that played a significant role in World War II
Dunkirk	Named for the city in France where a massive evacuation of Allied soldiers occurred in World War II
Dwight	Inspired by Dwight Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe
Enigma	Inspired by the German code-making machine broken by the Allies in World War II
Flanders	A region where some of the most intense fighting of World War I took place
Hiroshima	The Japanese city where the first atomic bomb was dropped in World War II
Luftwaffe	The aerial warfare branch of the German forces during World War II
MacArthur	Named after General Douglas MacArthur, who played a prominent role in the Pacific theater of World War II
Midway	Inspired by the Battle of Midway, a turning point in the Pacific during World War II
Monty	Short for Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, a key British leader during World War II
Mussolini	Inspired by the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, notable for his role in World War II
Normandy	The region in France where the D-Day invasion took place in World War II
Patton	Named after General George S. Patton, a prominent military figure in World War II
Pearl	Named after Pearl Harbor, the U.S. naval base that was attacked by Japan in World War II
Radar	After the technology that played a crucial role in World War II
Roosevelt	Franklin D. Roosevelt served as the U.S. President during most of World War II
Sommel	After the Battle of the Somme, one of the most brutal battles of World War I
Spitfire	A type of British fighter aircraft used in World War II
Stalin	After Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union during World War II
Trench	Derived from the trench warfare, a common form of battle in World War I
Verdun	Inspired by the Battle of Verdun, one of the largest battles of World War I
Winston	After Winston Churchill, who was a significant figure in World War II as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Zeppelin	Named after the German airships used in World War I
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