Bringing home your German Shepherd puppy is one of the most exciting parts of dog ownership. But what are you going to call them?
German Shepherds can live up to 13 years, so whatever you decide to call them, they’re going to be around for a while. Because of that, you’ll want to take plenty of time when naming them.
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Here are some do’s and don’ts of naming dogs:
- Don’t name based on current trends.
- Do keep it short and simple.
- Don’t make it something embarrassing to have to yell out.
- Don’t give a name based on negative personality traits.
I also personally recommend keeping it interesting and providing a unique name for your puppy. It doesn’t have to be as out-there as King Arthur Pendragon of Camelot, but it also doesn’t have to be as common as Max.
Most Popular German Shepherd Names
If you want to avoid giving your German Shepherd a name that could cause some confusion at the dog park, these are the names to stay away from. These are the top 10 most popular German Shepherd names by gender.
Top 10 Male German Shepherd Names
- Max
- Bear
- Buddy
- Duke
- Rocky
- Jake
- Shadow
- Zeus
- Jack
- Rex
Top 10 Female German Shepherd Names
- Ladie
- Sadie
- Sasha
- Sheeba
- Bella
- Heidi
- Princess
- Maggie
- Molly
- Daisy
Less Common German Shepherd Names by Gender
These names are general pet names that would work for males, females, or either gender. They’re more common than some of the other names further down on this list, but aren’t at the very top of the popularity chart, either.
Names for Males
- Adonis
- Alamo
- Axel
- Bandit
- Bingo
- Bo
- Boomer
- Buck
- Butch
- Cerberus
- Chief
- Charlie
- Cleo
- Cosmo
- Curly
- Dante
- Dino
- Draco
- Falcon
- Hamlet
- Jax
- Levi
- Major
- Marmaduke
- Maverick
- Mister
- Murdoch
- Neo
- Oscar
- Otis
- Pal
- Phoenix
- Pirate
- Pluto
- Porter
- Prince
- Puck
- Rascal
- Rebel
- Ringo
- Rover
- Sarge
- Scooter
- Shane
- Simon
- Sinbad
- Sirius
- Skipper
- Spike
- Tex
- Zane
- Zeke
Names for Females
- Aloha
- Ambrosia
- Annabelle
- Ariel
- Aster
- Barbie
- Blossom
- Calamity
- Chloe
- Clarabelle
- Clementine
- Countess
- Daffodil
- Dancer
- Dixie
- Dora
- Duchess
- Empress
- Felicity
- Fern
- Flicka
- Flower
- Freya
- Gem
- Gigi
- Gypsy
- Harmony
- Iris
- Ishtar
- Jasmine
- Layla
- Lulu
- Madame
- Majesty
- Melody
- Mimi
- Missy
- Muffy
- Pandora
- Peony
- Petunia
- Piper
- Princess
- Queenie
- Rosemary
- Rosie
- Roz
- Serendipity
- Serenity
- Sheba
- Sissy
- Star
- Summer
- Treasure
- Trixie
- Venus
- Wildfire
- Willow
- Zephyr
Unisex Names
- Allegro
- Avalanche
- Avalon
- Bailey
- Biko
- Bits
- Blitzen
- Boo
- Bootsie
- Bug
- Camelot
- Cassidy
- Chaos
- Clover
- Corona
- Cricket
- Dreamer
- Echo
- Einstein
- Eskimo
- Eureka
- Fedora
- Fiesta
- Froggy
- Gargoyle
- Gatsby
- Hershey
- Hickory
- Freckles
- Friday
- Indigo
- Java
- Kid
- Koko
- Liberty
- Lucky
- Marble
- Mayhem
- Moonshine
- Mystic
- Nova
- Nugget
- Odyssey
- Palomino
- Perry
- Pharaoh
- Pudge
- Pumpkin
- Rain
- Remington
- Rhapsody
- Ricochet
- Sam
- Sandy
- Scruffy
- September
- Snickers
- Socks
- Solstice
- Splash
- Tango
- Taz
- Tonka
- Tuesday
- Utopia
- Windsor
- Zoom
German Shepherd Names Based on Color
If you have a Black German Shepherd or else a white one, why not celebrate that uniqueness with one of these color names? What’s great about most of these names is that most work for both male and females.
Black German Shepherd Names
- Beauty
- Black Jack
- Blackberry
- Carbon
- Coal/Cole
- Cricket
- Domino
- Ebony
- Eclipse
- Eightball
- Inky
- Jet
- Kettle
- Layla
- Licorice
- Mamba
- Merlin
- Midnight
- Mora
- Nightmare
- Panther
- Pepper
- Phantom
- Raven
- Reaper
- Sable
- Silhouette
- Spade
- Storm
- Vader
- Velvet
- Viper
- Vlad
- Widow
- Zukua
White German Shepherd Names
- Alabaster
- Alaska
- Angel
- Arctic
- Blanco
- Blizzard
- Casper
- Cloud
- Coral
- Crystal
- Dove
- Frosty
- Glow
- Halo
- Ice
- Ivory
- Jewel
- Lacy
- Lightning
- Lilly
- Luna
- Magnolia
- Marshmallow
- Mayo
- Moonshine
- Opal
- Pearl
- Polar
- Polaris
- Popcorn
- Seraphim
- Shiver
- Sky
- Snow
- Star
- Sugar
- Tundra
- Vanilla
- Winter
- Zero
Other Color Names for German Shepherds
- Amber
- Azure
- Blaze
- Blue
- Brownie
- Buttercup
- Butterscotch
- Caramel
- Checkers
- Cobalt
- Cocoa
- Copper
- Dotty
- Dusty
- Foxy
- Freckles
- Kodiak
- Lava
- Maple
- Misty
- Nacho
- Othello
- Oreo
- Patches
- Penny
- Red
- Ruby
- Scorch
- Sandy
- Scarlet
- Sepia
- Sienna
- Skittles
- Smokey
- Spot
- Sunny
- Teddy
- Tigger
- Whiskey
- Woody
German Shepherd Names by Origin
Maybe you love Japanese culture or want to honor the Germanic origins of the breed. Either way, here are some German Shepherd names from all over the world.
Spanish Names
- Adelina
- Alba
- Alberto
- Alegria
- Alita
- Amigo
- Amor
- Barto
- Belleza
- Benito/Benita
- Bonito/Bonita
- Carmita
- Carmelo
- Castro
- Charo
- Chiquito/Chiquita
- Concha
- Cortez
- Dali
- Diego
- Domingo/Dominga
- Enchilada
- Fabio
- Flor
- Gordo/Gorda
- Hugo
- Isabel
- Julio
- Leon
- Lobo
- Magellan
- Navidad
- Octavia
- Oro
- Oso/Osa
- Paloma
- Pancho
- Poco
- Raton
- Reina
- Rosa
- Santiago
- Savannah
- Valentina
- Vito
- Zaida
Indian Names
- Akash
- Alok
- Amir
- Bandar
- Bari
- Batuk
- Beta
- Kumar
- Lamba
- Mani
- Nirav
- Raja
- Sumit
- Tej
- Yogi
Native American Names
- Ama
- Dakota
- Denali
- Geronimo
- Hiawatha
- Honi
- Kai
- Kanti
- Kasa
- Kaya
- Kele
- Kitchi
- Koko
- Kohana
- Kuruk
- Lulu
- Maka
- Makwa
- Mansi
- Micco
- Miki
- Miwak
- Maikoh
- Mona
- Nikan
- Nina
- Nova
- Onida
- Pavita
- Sequoiah
- Squanto
- Takoda
- Tala
- Tallulah
- Tiva
- Wakanda
- Winona
African Names
- Ane
- Aza
- Bika
- Chebe
- Domme
- Duma
- Emi
- Goni
- Kaabo
- Kafi
- Kanzi
- Lomo
- Minzi
- Moja
- Nata
- Obi
- Okaka
- Roho
- Siti
- Sudi
- Tezi
- Tita
Japanese Names
- Aki
- Akio
- Akira
- Arata
- Haru
- Haru
- Haruko
- Haruna
- Haruto
- Hibiki
- Hinata
- Hiro
- Hiroki
- Hitomi
- Hitoshi
- Jiro
- Kaito
- Katashi
- Kazuko
- Kenji
- Kenta
- Kiko
- Kyo
- Kyoko
- Mai
- Maki
- Makoto
- Mana
- Masa
- Masaki
- Masaru
- Michi
- Mieko
- Momoka
- Nanami
- Nao
- Naomi
- Nori
- Red
- Riku
- Rikuto
- Rina
- Ryo
- Sakura
- Shiro
- Sora
- Tadashi
- Takahiro
- Takashi
- Takumi
- Taro
- Toshio
- Yoshi
- Yuka
Hawaiian Names
- Akua
- Alamea
- Alemana
- Alii
- Amoka
- Haimi
- Hanai
- Hekili
- Hula
- Ilio
- Inoki
- Ipo
- Kahua
- Kai
- Kekoa
- Kika
- Kiko
- Kikokiko
- Kio
- Koa
- Lani
- Luana
- Lupo
- Malo
- Makani
- Mako
- Malia
- Mana
- Mano
- Meli
- Moana
- Moho
- Nahoa
- Nalani
- Nalu
- Nani
- Olulu
- Piki
- Pilikea
- Polua
- Ula
German Names
- Ada
- Adolph
- Aldo
- Alger
- Alvin
- Anka
- August
- Ava
- Baldwin
- Bach
- Baron
- Beatrix
- Bernadette
- Britta
- Bruno
- Klaus
- Dirk
- Ella
- Emmet
- Felix
- Franz
- Fritz
- Gertrude
- Gretchen
- Greta
- Gunther
- Hansel
- Heidi
- Heinz
- Helga
- Hilda
- Johann
- Kaiser
- Leonard
- Liesel
- Marta
- Millie
- Mischa
- Otto
- Rolf
- Schwartz
- Siegfried
- Stein
- Trudy
- Ulf
- Waldo
- Wanda
- Wolfgang
- Zelda
Other Lists of German Shepherd Names
Here are a few more categories that you can use to choose your German Shepherd puppy’s name!
Police Dogs Names
- Ace
- Arrow
- Badger
- Baxter
- Blazer
- Bones
- Boris
- Buck
- Buster
- Caesar
- Charger
- Colonel
- Colt
- Deringer
- Diesel
- Gator
- Hawk
- Hunter
- Indy
- Justice
- Kimbo
- Lucky
- Magnum
- Pistol
- Ranger
- Remington
- Rhodes
- Rocket
- Rocky
- Rusty
- Scout
- Taz
- Trooper
- Wesson
- Zipper
Names from Movies and TV Shows
- Aragorn
- Astro
- Atticus
- Balto
- Beethoven
- Belle
- Blondie
- Bluto
- Bolt
- Boomer
- Chance
- Darwin
- Django
- Dude
- Falcor
- Ferris
- Gizmo
- Groucho
- Juno
- Kane
- Marley
- Marv
- Maverick
- Milo
- Morpheus
- Murph
- Napoleon
- Neo
- Norman
- Odie
- Rin Tin Tin
- Shakespeare
- Sherlock
- Sylvester
- Tramp
- Trinity
- Twister
- Vito
- Voyager
- White Fang
- Yoda
Names for Long-Haired German Shepherds
- Aries
- Boots
- Cashmere
- Chester
- Darcy
- Dexter
- Dutchess
- Earl Grey
- Esmeralda
- Fuzz
- Goldie
- Grace
- Guinness
- Harley
- Hope
- Jazz
- Lola
- Lucas
- Mimi
- Monty
- Muppet
- Oliver
- Oscar
- Penelope
- Romeo
- Ruffles
- Scruffy
- Sully
- Taz
- Trixie
- Winston
- Ziggy
Heroic Dog Names
- Achilles
- Apollo
- Artemis
- Athena
- Atlas
- Aurora
- Black Widow
- Brutus
- Byron
- Captain
- Crockett
- Drax
- Gambit
- Gamora
- Goliath
- Hawkeye
- Hector
- Helen
- Hercules
- Iris
- Julius
- Jupiter
- Logan
- Midas
- Minerva
- Nightcrawler
- Odin
- Olympus
- Patton
- Perseus
- Rhea
- Saturn
- Star Lord
- Solomon
- Triton
- Thor
- Titan
- Venus
- Xerxes
Place Names for German Shepherds
- Aspen
- Avalon
- Brooklyn
- Carson
- Charlotte
- Cheyenne
- Dallas
- Denver
- Derby
- Dublin
- Kona
- London
- Paris
- Phoenix
- Savannah
- Sparta
- Sydney
- Vegas
Food Dog Names
- Basil
- Biscuit
- Candy
- Caramel
- Chip
- Cherry
- Cinnamon
- Colby
- Cookie
- Ginger
- Hazel
- Honey
- Meatball
- Moxie
- Nacho
- Nutmeg
- Oreo
- Peanut
- Pistachio
- Poppy
- Pumpkin
- Sushi
- Tootsie
Names for Pairs of German Shepherds
- Abbott and Costello
- Adam and Eve
- Antony and Cleopatra
- Athena and Zeus
- Bart and Lisa
- Batman and Robin
- Ben and Jerry
- Bert and Ernie
- Bonnie and Clyde
- Buzz and Woody
- Cain and Abel
- Casper and Wendy
- Charles and Diana
- Cinnamon and Sugar
- Dharma and Greg
- Donald and Daisy
- Dora and Boots
- Ebony and Ivory
- Fire and Ice
- Fred and Ethel
- Fred and Wilma
- Hansel and Gretel
- Harry and Lloyd
- Harry and Sally
- Homer and Marge
- Jack and Jill
- Jasmine and Aladdin
- Jekyll and Hyde
- Kirk and Spock
- Laurel and Hardy
- Lewis and Clark
- Lilo and Stitch
- Lucy and Ricky
- Mario and Luigi
- Marshall and Lily
- Mojo and Jojo
- Moon and Sun
- Oberon and Titania
- Olive and Popeye
- Rachel and Ross
- Romeo and Juliet
- Salt and Pepper
- Starsky and Hutch
- Tarzan and Jane
- Yin and Yang
- Yogi and Boo-Boo
- Will and Grace
Choosing the Perfect German Shepherd Name
Hopefully, by now you’ve found a name that’s perfect for your German Shepherd puppy. If not, I hope that something on our list sparked an idea that led to a name.
