Russian nicknames for dogs: examples for different breeds

Dogs in the modern world have become not just watchmen, shepherds or hunters, but also full members of the family. They are often given human names. And that’s good, because dogs don’t like funny nicknames. But in order not to offend any neighbor by the fact that his namesake barks and whines, people take nicknames for their pets from a rich arsenal of foreign names. The Anglo-American Jack, Charlie, the German Bertha, Wolf, and the Spanish Jorge and Lucia are very popular.

But why reject Russian names? After all, in the calendar you can find ancient Slavic copies that have almost gone out of circulation. They are sonorous and beautiful. In the old days, children were given a nickname that carried a magical meaning, as if encoding a person’s character. You can name a puppy the same way. Don't know what to name your dog? Russian nicknames for dogs and bitches, for hunting, guard and indoor breeds, small and large, will be presented in this article.

Basic principles for choosing a name for a dog

First of all, you should know that your pet understands short words consisting of one or two syllables. Therefore, such beautiful Russian names as Evlampius or Epiphania should be excluded or shortened to Lampi and Pitha. You should not give your dog funny, offensive nicknames. Do you think that the puppy does not understand the Russian language? Maybe so. But from the reaction of others to his nickname, he will understand that they are simply making fun of him. Contact with the owner will not work out, the dog will not follow commands and will become aggressive.

Also, you should not choose Russian nicknames for dogs that are similar to the names of your household members. Every time you contact them, your pet will become confused. When choosing a nickname, you need to focus on the size of the dog. The Great Dane is not called Knopa, and the tiny Chihuahua is called Max. Breed also matters. Service dogs are given sonorous, proud names, and indoor dogs are given cute names. The nicknames of male dogs are more menacing; they often contain a booming “r” sound. Bitches are given phonetically melodic names.

Russian names of hunting dogs

Let us remember that a man and his four-legged friend were brought together by joint activities. The life of the owner sometimes depended on the ability of a hunting dog to track down, drive out an animal, or even defeat it. Therefore, people approached the choice of names for such dogs very responsibly. All the best qualities of a hunter should be encoded in it. For such dogs, the name Orion is suitable. This is the name of the constellation, which in Russian is familiar as “Hunter”. Russian nicknames for hound dogs are: Wind, Bullet, Smerch, Runner, Lightning, Cheetah, Fast.

If the dog belongs to a breed bred to track game (terriers, spaniels, etc.), then the name, accordingly, should be different. Suitable nicknames are Altai, Zador, Antey, Nyukh. For a large dog that will have to fight the beast, you need to give the appropriate names: Thunderstorm, Thunder, Terrible, Throw, Ardent, Daring, Tiger, Wolf. Suitable nicknames for a dachshund: Sema, Pirate, Thread, Nora. If you want to give your pet a human name, then you can call the little hunter Ratibor, Martyn, Buyan, Valdai, Lyut.

Popular nicknames

This selection includes the most famous names given to black puppies:

Adrian.
Atena.
Amaya.
Aster.
Angus.
Aria.
Artemis.
Anise.
Bruno.
Bamboo.
Boomer.
Bart (Bartolomeo).
Brain.
Black Beauty.
Brena.
Bean.
Blake.
Calla.
Space.
Celeste.
Corbin.
Koala.
Coca Cola.
Danae.
Duncan.
Dakota.
Virgo.
Darcy.
Affairs.
Dart.
Eve.
Emery.
Indigo.
Jetta.
Kilo.
Guillemot.
Kuro.
Kieran.
Kodiak.
Lyra.
Leila.
Legend.
Nash.
Nova.
Nerika.
Niche.
Orion.
Ophelia.
Oso.
Orpheus.

French Bulldog Nova:

Poppy.
Persephone.
Equal.
Rhine.
Saber.
Stella.
Selena.
Scout.
Sky.
Sterling.
Silvia.
Tinder.
Titanium.
Vega.
Vesper.
Yukon.

Labrador Sky:

Herding breeds

As soon as a person tamed various kinds of artiodactyls, he began to need an assistant. A shepherd dog should have the same intelligence as a hunter dog, but be more obedient and be able to divide animals into “us” and “strangers”. Such qualities of helpers as a sensitive ear, a ringing bark and a willingness to protect the herd were important for humans. Therefore, in the old days the following Russian nicknames for dogs of shepherd breeds were popular: Dozor, Danube, Asiat (for Oriental Shepherds), Almaz, Zavet, Singer, Bayan, Volny, Tuman, Yastreb, Ruslan, Lyubomir.

Females of herding breeds are more obedient and affectionate than males. Peace-loving nicknames are suitable for them. You can call your pet some old Russian name: Lada, Oriyana, Mila, Marfa or Marta, or its shortened version: Nyusha, Asya, Alya, Toma. But there are also nicknames for female dogs that code for protective qualities. These are Shusha, Iskra, Flame, Steppe, Verna, Gorda, Vlasta.

Mythological nicknames

If your puppy has a fighting breed, you can take a look at the names of mythical heroes who became famous for their omnipotence, strength and ferocity:

Ares is the ancient Greek god of brutal war.
Atlas, Atlas - an ancient deity holding the firmament on his shoulders.
Ajax is an ancient Greek hero who was so strong that he was able to single-handedly hold off the entire enemy army during the Trojan War.
Bacchus, Dionysus - the ancient god of winemaking and fun.
Hades is the ruler of the underworld, the ruler of the kingdom of the dead.
Hera is the wife of the supreme Olympian god Zeus, the mother of all ancient Greek deities.
Loki is a Scandinavian giant god. A werewolf known for his vengeful nature.
Maya is one of the daughters of the strongman Atlas, who turned into the Pleiades constellation.
Neptune, Poseidon - the ancient god of the water elements.
Samson is, according to biblical legends, a man of enormous strength.
Shaitan is the Arabic name for Satan.
Thor is the Scandinavian god of thunder.
Titan is a giant with superhuman strength in ancient Greek mythology.

Merry Bacchus:

Working breeds

Russian nicknames for husky dogs should reflect their strength, speed and endurance, especially to weather conditions. These are names such as Frost, Wind, Kayukh, Baikal, Altai, Caucasus, Taiga, Buran, Bakhran, North. For divers, you need to choose an appropriate nickname. This could be Sailor, Cook, Navigator, Boatswain, and for the girl’s dog Jung, Rybka.

For large service dogs, majestic nicknames such as Count, Julbars, Lord, Baron, Tsar, as well as Marquise, Gorda, Zlata, Molniya are suitable. It is best to give your companion a human name. Such dogs are very smart, so the nickname Sophia or Sonya is suitable for a girl. So that the bitch is kind and attached to the owner, she is called Darina, Rada, Bogdana, Gordeya, Otrada, Yarina.

Nicknames for “hereditary nobles”

For mongrel dogs, names are chosen that reflect some striking features of their appearance. This mainly concerns the suit. So, Russian nicknames for female dogs sound like Kashtanka, Dymka, Gypsy, Snezhinka, Vaksa, Rudya. Yellow or brown markings above the eyes give reason to call the mongrel Brovka. A special gait can also give rise to nicknames: Chapa, Trossa, Gait, Gallop, Lynx.

For small mongrels, funny names such as Tyapa, Snickers, Zhuzha, Mukha, Raccoon, Sharik, Poufik are more acceptable. Who said that mongrel dogs cannot be given human names? Suitable nicknames for them would be Fekla, Mashka, Miron, Dashka, Sonya, Marfa, Fedya, Vaska. The names Mila, Nyura, Dora, Nora also sound good when applied to mongrels. The dog you adopted from the shelter can be called Darena, and the dog you picked up from the street Naida.

Latin nicknames

For black and white puppies there are names in ancient Latin, they will reflect the depth and paradox of the animal’s personality.

For boys:

Avitus - heir
Alpheus - changeable
Argus - radiance
Brutus – large, heavy
Verus - truth
Vitus - life
Darius - wealth
Draco is a dragon
Ursus - bear
Kalix is the most beautiful
Kato - wisdom
Liber - freedom
Lupus - wolf
Cute - grace
Nemo - nobody, incognito
Okinus - ocean
Pluto - wealth
Rolo - famous
Remus is fast
Uranus - sky
Fido - trust
Hugo - spirit
Cerberus is a demon
Erebus - darkness
Jupiter is a deity

We recommend watching: 369+ beautiful names for drathaar

English setter Hugo is good both on the hunt and on the couch

For girls:

Avila - bird
Aurora - dawn
Bellona – struggle
Venus – love
Gusta - respect
Jonna - good
Irena - peace
Calypso - mystery
Clio - glory
Lisia – light
Medea is cunning
Nerthus – strong, strong
Oriana - gold
Petra - rock
Rena - rebirth
Sarah - princess
Celia – heavenly
Ondine - wave
Fausta - luck
Femi – courtesy
Helena – flame, torch
Herta – energy
Electra - bright light
Eunice - sure victory

Newfoundland Sarah is in a great mood
This is interesting: funny nicknames for white, gray and black rats.

Russian nicknames for small breed dogs

These dogs are very funny, but at the same time touchy and vulnerable. After all, wild dogs were the size of a jackal or a wolf. When breeding miniature breeds, people thought little about how dwarfs would feel in a world of giants. And now experts who understand dog psychology are talking about the “dachshund complex.” It manifests itself in the fact that a small dog is trying to prove to itself and others that it is big. Such attempts can end badly for your pet.

It is better to immediately adjust his character to a good-natured mood, giving him a sweet and beautiful name. Russian nicknames for Chihuahua dogs (boys) are: Bantik, Funtik, Baby, Mir, Lucky, Bublik, Barsik, Malets, Zhuk, Fantik. The girl can be called Bima, Lapulya, Lyalya, Snezhka, Klyaksa, Leleya. Do you want to give your pet a human name? Any diminutive form is suitable: Yashka, Yarik, Leshka, Dimka, Irisha, Kiryusha, Nyusha, Shurik, Timka, Nyasha.

"Gastronomic" nicknames

An excellent option for a funny nickname for small dogs is to name a representative of the Russian breed by the name of a popular or little-known dish of Russian cuisine:

Dumpling;
Pancake;
Borsch;
Kulebyaka;
Solyanka;
Cheesecake;
Cabbage roll;
Dumpling;
Pie;
Kulich;
Toast;
Kovrizhka;
Pearl barley;
Paste;
Kalach;
Roe;
Morsik;
Kvass;
Paska.

Russian greyhound Grenka:

Comic nicknames for male dogs

Perhaps you will name the puppy after observing him for several days, studying his habits and character. Then you can give your pet such a Russian nickname for boys’ dogs as Snoring, Fighter, Robber, Barbarian, Lizun, Vertun, Handsome, Ripper, Glutton, Dar, Woof. Perhaps after some time a human name that is suitable for your pet will come to mind. Puppies often resemble cartoon characters - Cheburashka, the dog from Prostokvashino Sharik or his friend the cat Matroskin.

You can also be inspired by old Soviet films, for example “White Bim Black Ear”. It is only important that the nickname is not offensive and so funny that it makes others laugh. As for the phonetics of names, dog experts are divided in opinion. Some say that dogs like it when their name contains the letter “r”. Others believe that this growling-like sound incites dogs (especially males) to be aggressive. It is best that the letter "r" is not between two vowels. You can call the dog Lord, Vertun, Drone.

Best names with meaning

The trend is that most often breeders gravitate towards names whose meaning is precise and succinct. For example, Alain means handsome, and Dior means golden. From different nations you can find beautiful words that quickly take root as nicknames. What other nicknames with beautiful meanings do breeders like:

Boom - arrow
Jean is a good man
Louis - famous warrior
Mark - militant
Lu is a wolf
Claude is lame
Vayu - bandit
Dylan is a Leo
Arman - brave
Basil is the king
Poirot is a simpleton

Pekingese - the emperor's pocket dog

Hati - bee
Teko – chocolate
Moka - coffee
Kuro – black
Ryu - dragon
Haru - spring

Did you know? Chinese emperors always wore a Pekingese dog in the wide sleeves of their clothes. She served as an excellent guard for the emperor on occasions when bodyguards were not around.

Bertie – bright
Shadow - shadow
Sunny is the sun
Osman - heavenly
Bark - lightning
Askar - warrior
Adjar - dragon
Daushi - screamer
Starkey - star
Rhine - rain
Ike is a favorite
Yoshiko - baby

We recommend watching: 365+ Brazilian and Portuguese nicknames

Little Angie with an offended face

Dansor - dancer
Angie is an angel
Nathan - nocturnal
Boy - boy
Forest - forest
Snowy - snowball
Pappy - puppy
Kotti – cotton
Fresh - freshness
Iron - iron
Galaxy - galaxy
Dusty – dusty

Comic nicknames for bitches

Girls dogs have a more subtle, one might even say, ear for music. Therefore, when choosing a name, you should focus not only on its meaning, but also on phonetics. Russian dog names for girls should sound very melodic. Then the puppy will quickly remember his name and will happily respond to it. Affectionate bitches really like it when they are lisped with. Make sure that your pet’s nickname contains softened sounds, such as “n”, “l”, “s” and “t”. These syllables give free rein to the owner's imagination.

You can take almost any female name and apply a diminutive form of endearment, turning it into a dog name. These are Valka, Alka, Aska, Dunka, Basya, Fesya, Sonya. But there are also humorous nicknames for females, mostly small breeds. The lap dog can be called Snowflake, Pushinka, Bunny, Umka. A good nickname for a Yorkie or Chihuahua is Button, as well as Yula, Belka, Lelya, Lyalya, Tsypa. Larger dogs can be called Zlata, Lada, Dymka, Chaika, Otrada.

Nicknames "outlaw"

A rather bold option is to name your pet in honor of the famous criminal, conqueror, mafioso.

Billy - Billy the Kid.
Bonnie is the criminal couple Bonnie and Clyde.
Borden is an ax murderer.
Butch is a notorious bank and train robber.
Al Capone is the head of the Chicago mafia.
Genghis Khan is the bloodthirsty founder of the Tatar-Mongol Empire.
Jesse James is a robber and murderer.

2 month old Billy:

Kojak is a police lieutenant from the popular 70s television series.
"Baby Face" Nelson is a murderer and robber.
Robin Hood is a fictional criminal who robbed the rich and shared his loot with the poor.
Atilla was a legendary Hun who ruled vast lands of Europe and Asia in the 400s.
Darth Vader is a bad character from Star Wars.
Pancho Villa is one of the significant figures of the Mexican Revolution.
General Zod is a villain in the Superman comic book series.
Tepes was a prince of Wallachia who fought the Ottomans.

Bull Terrier named Atilla:

List of popular and beautiful names

In principle, you can give a puppy a nickname without looking at the ancient Orthodox calendar. Sometimes a dog bears a striking resemblance to a movie character, and not necessarily a Russian one. So, recently the nicknames Van Damme, Oreshek, Indiana, Bond have become popular. They are called serious, self-confident dogs. Beautiful names for female dogs can also be borrowed from the rich arsenal of domestic and foreign cinema. This is Britney, Jessica, Paris. Of course, the most common nicknames remain Zhuchka, Naida, Dzhulka, Strelka and Buska.

But if you don’t want not only your dog, but also five or six of its namesakes to come running when called, find it a name that is not in the top 5 in Russia. The nicknames Nika, Vika, Vlad, Volna, Zlata, Ida, Inga, Kira, Luna, Malvina, Nochka, Niva, Alder, Rosie, Lynx, Rada, Plusha, Snezhka, Margot, Chita, Mira, Alice, Rita sound very beautiful. The main thing is that the name matches the appearance of the dog. Thus, a representative of the Chinese Crested breed should not be called Pushinka, and a black male should not be called Snowball.

Cool and funny nicknames

The first will be funny English names:

Bubblegum - Bubblegum.
Buff Biff - Buff Biff.
Buffy - Buffy.
Burrito - Burrito.
Bustamove - Bustamovo.
Butters - Butters.
Caddylick - Caddylick.
Caesar - Caesar.
Captain Chaos - Captain Chaos.
Chalupa - Chalupa.
Chantilly - Chantilly.
Cheeseball - Cheeseball.
Cheeseburger - Cheeseburger.
Chief Crazy - Chief Crazy.
Chili Pepper - Chili Pepper.
Chuck Norris - Chuck Norris.
Cookie Jar - Cookie Jar.
Cookie Monster - Cookie Monster.
Coppertop - Coppertop.
Crunchie Bones - Crunchy Bones.
Dee-Oh-Gee - Dee-o-Gee.
Dickens - Dickens.
Dilbert - Dilbert.
Eager Beaver - Eager Beaver.
Einstein - Einstein.
El Diablo - El Diablo.
Fang - Fang.
Fergus - Fergus.
Fido - Fido.
First Dibs - First Dibs.
Fitbit - Fitbit.
Foxy - Foxy.
Fuzzy Toast - Fuzzy Toast.
Gary - Gary.
Geronimo - Geronimo.
Gimme More - Jimmy More.
Jerry Lee - Jerry Lee.
Kobe Burger - Kobe Burger.
Paws Away - Paws Away.
Root Beer Float - Rkt Beer Flo.
Ruffcut - Ruffcut.
Rufus - Rufus.
Rum Runner - Rum Runner.
Rusty - Grow.
Shiner Black - Shiner Black.
Short Fuse - Shorty Fuse.
Toodle Lou - Toodle Lou.
Wienerful - Weinerful.

In the photo - Norris: