Naming your dog is a special time. They’ll have their name forever and you want to be sure it’s a dog name that’s okay to yell out in public.

For instance, the name Shark might not be appropriate if you’re going to have to yell it out at the beach. You’re bound to cause a few scares.

At Bright Star Buddies we see thousands of dog names every day, because we make the cutest dog tags that ever existed. If we do say so ourselves. Here are 200 of our favourites, sorted into five lists so you can skip to the one you want.

What Australians are naming their dogs right now

Before the fun ones, the sensible ones. If you want to know which names you’ll hear shouted across the park, this is the current picture.

Girls: Luna, Daisy, Coco, Ruby, Bella, Nala, Winnie, Lola, Willow, Millie.

Boys: Teddy, Milo, Charlie, Archie, Leo, Murphy, Alfie, Buddy, Max, Bear.

That list comes from Pet Insurance Australia’s policy data, reported in March 2026. Worth knowing it is an insurer counting the names on its own policies rather than independent research, so it skews toward insured pets, but it is the closest thing Australia has to a national count and the trend in it is clear enough: soft, human, two syllables, the sort of name you’d find on a kindergarten roll.

Whether you want a name off that list or specifically want one that isn’t, it’s useful to know what you’re up against. Luna has been number one for a while now.

Cool Dog Names

Short, punchy and good for a dog with a bit of attitude. These carry well across a park, which matters more than people expect until they’re standing in one.

Barley, Barney, Bear, Beowoof, Boomer, Bowie, Buzz, Byte, Cadillac, Cotton, Doodle, Dusty, Earth, Einstein, Hurricane, Jett, K-9, Koda, Mako, Merlot, Moon, Neon, Nova, Ocean, Onyx, Pebble, Pixel, Puck, River, Rocket, Rue, Rusty, Smooches, Tesla, Trigger, Whiskey, Wizard, Woody, Zeus, Ziggy

Witty Dog Names

The ones that make the vet receptionist laugh. A word of warning from the tag studio: the longer the joke, the smaller we have to engrave it. Bone, James Bone is a brilliant name and a tight fit on a small tag.

Al Poo-chino, Bark Twain, Bone, James Bone, Chewbarka, Dogzilla, Droolius Caesar, Dumbledog, Fuzz Aldrin, Hairy Pawter, Indiana Bones, Jabba the Mutt, Jennifer Pawrence, Jimmy Chew, JK Growling, Katy Pawry, Luke Skybarker, Mariah Hairy, Mary Puppins, Muffin Chops, Pablo Escobark, Pawcasso, Queen Elizabark, Salvador Dogi, Santa Paws, Sherlock Bones, Snoop Dog, Virginia Woof, William Shakespaw, Winnie the Poodle, Winston Furchill

Cute Food Names for Dogs

Food names have gone from a bit of fun to one of the most common things we engrave. Miso, Gnocchi and Mochi have all turned up on tags this year and we are fully on board.

Bacon, Biscuit, Cacao, Chai, Cheese, Chestnut, Chilli, Chip, Cinnamon, Cookie, Cupcake, Dumpling, Ginger, Gnocchi, Honey, Ketchup, Kimchi, Milo, Miso, Mochi, Muffin, Munchkin, Noodle, Nugget, Pancake, Panini, Peanut Butter, Pesto, Pickles, Popcorn, Pretzel, Puppuccino, Pup Tart, Skittles, Sprinkle, Sugar, Sushi, T-Bone, Toast, Waffles

If sweet is more your thing, we have a whole list of dessert names for dogs as well.

Cute Girl Dog Names

A mix of the ones everyone loves and the ones you’ll have to yourself at the dog park.

Adele, Angel, Bailey, Bee, Bella, Bonnie, Cleopatra, Coco, Daisy, Dolly, Ellie, Eva, Fiona, Frankie, Frida, Hachi, Jewel, Ladybug, Layla, Leia, Lola, Lucy, Lulu, Luna, Maple, Millie, Minnie, Moana, Nala, Orchid, Pearl, Phoebe, Poppy, Rose, Ruby, Sadie, Sansa, Sasha, Shelby, Snow, Star, Sunny, Trixie, Willow, Winnie

Cute Boy Dog Names

Same again, with a couple of very Australian ones in there. Banjo and Bluey turn up on our tags more than you’d think.

Ace, Alfie, Archie, Arlo, Axel, Banjo, Blaze, Bluey, Bolt, Bruce, Buddy, Casper, Chance, Charlie, Dino, Elmo, Enzo, Finn, Harley, Hunter, Jack, Jax, Jude, Kenzo, Knight, Kobe, Kylo, Leo, Louie, Max, Milo, Murphy, Ollie, Oscar, Parker, Pluto, Rocky, Scotch, Skip, Teddy, Theo, Thor, Toby, Tucker, Winston

How to pick one you won’t regret

We’re not dog trainers, so this is just what we’ve picked up from years of printing names and the odd piece of actual advice from people who do know.

• Say it out loud in a public voice before you commit. Not in your head. Out loud, at volume, the way you’ll say it when the dog is 30 metres away and heading for someone’s picnic.
• Two syllables tends to work. Plus, it lines up with what tops the lists: Luna, Teddy, Milo, Daisy.
• Avoid anything that sounds like a command. Kit sounds like sit. Bo sounds like no. Ray sounds like stay.
• Imagine the name on an old dog. Cute puppy names mostly survive this. Some don’t.
• Then check the spelling before you order the tag. We print exactly what’s typed in the box, and we have made a few Charlies into Charleys over the years.

Got More Cute Dog Name Ideas?

Share with us your cute dog name ideas and we might just feature them on our blog. Don’t forget to tag us on Facebook and Instagram!

Looking For Ways To Make Your Fur Babies Look Cuter?

Read about How To Groom Your Dog and Cute Dogs with Stylish Clothes to pamper them with some cute dog essentials for your new pup at home!

Want To Spoil Your Pupper?

We’ve got super cute dog tags, dog collars, and more! They’re the perfect welcome home gift for your fur babies!  The best part? These are made in Australia and shipped super fast! You’re going to love them!