The Ultimate List of
Black Dog Names

By Janice Jones   |Last Updated 11-04-2023

Does your new puppy need a clever black dog name?  Sure, why not.  Every puppy deserves the perfect name and many people will choose a name based on the color of the fur or hair.  

There are many ways to choose a name for a small dog, but finding a name that reflects the color of his/her hair is a popular choice.

We have compiled a list of possible names for your black dog. Where does the inspiration come from for these black names?  

Consider all the black objects found in nature, either in the form of animals, plants and minerals.    

Black Dog Names Based on Foods and Drinks

1. Anise - seed has a licorice-like taste and black hue
2. Bean/Beans (Black beans)
3. Blackberry - tasty summer treat
4. Black Quinoa
5. Black Swan
6. Cacao -  cacao is the darkest & purest form of chocolate.
7. Caviar
8. Cake
9. Chocolate
10. Cola - black soda
11. Coke - black soda
12. Coffee -coffee without cream
13. Currant
14. Eggplant (Black beauty eggplant variety)
15. Espresso - Very strong dark coffee
16. Fig / Figgy
17. Guava (Black Guava)
18. Guinness - Irish stout that is very dark in color
19. Hershey - Could be used for a black or brown dog. Think Dark Chocolate
20. Lentil (black lentils)
21. Licorice (Black type of candy
22. Mars (bars)
23. Nori - a jet-black hue
24. Olive (Black olive)
25. Oreo - A good name for a black and white dog
26. Pea - Black eyed pea
27. Pepper
28. Pepsi - soda that looks black
29. Quinoa (black quinoa)
30. Raisin - Dark dried fruit of grapes
31. Sapote
32. Sesame (black sesame seeds)
33. Seaweed (black seaweed)
34. Soy
35. Vanilla

Black Dog Names Based on other Animals

1. Aye Aye - A small mammal found on the island of Madagascar.
2. Angus (type of black cow breed)
3. Ant - tiny insects that are black
4. Bat (small black mammal)
5. Bear (black bear)
6. Beetle (black insect)
7. Black Beauty
8. Black Bird
9. Black Colobus Monkey
10. Bonobo - black ape
11. Crow (black bird)
12. Bonobo apes are famously social and playful
13. Fox
14. Jackal - medium size dog type mammal found in Africa
15. Jaguar - largest cat species in the Americans sometimes black in color
16. Leopard - Large black cat
17. Magpie - Beautiful black and white bird
18. Mamba - Black Mamba are venomous snakes found in Africa
19. Mustang - black mustang horse species
20. Myna - crow like bird with black feathers
21. Panda - A large black animal
22. Panther - Large black cat and another name for a cougar
23. Penguin - Black land and sea bird; Could be used for a black and White dog.
24. Puma - a large cat or another name for Cougar
25. Raven - Large Black Bird
26. Skunk - Not techincally all black but a good name for a black and white dog.
27. Spider - black 8 legged arachnidsStarling - type of bird that is blackTasmanian Devil
28. Squirrel (Black squirrel) 
29. Willy (whale in Free Willy)
30. Vole - meadow mouse
31. Wolf - large dark colored wild canine
32. Vulter (black vulter)
33. Widow - as in Black widow spider 
34. Zebra- Black and white wild animal

Black Dog Names Based on Other Languages

1. Eleʻele (Hawaiian) 
2. Noir (French)
3. Musta (Finnish)
4. Schwarz (German)
5. Negra (Spanish)
6. Nero (Italian)
7. Preto (Portuguese)
8. Hei (Chinese)
9. Kuro (Japanese)
10. Geom-jeong (Korean)
11. Svart (Swedish)
12. Mávros (Greek)

Black Dog Names Based on Black Things

1. Ace - As in the Ace of Spades
2. Agate - A type of stone with various meanings depending on the culture from warding off evil to healing properties
3. Ash
4. Ashes
5. Asphalt - Black material used on roads
6. Black Pearl
7. Black Rose
8. Blackjack (Jack for short)
9. Blackie - Simple but descriptive
10. Bullet - Ammunition 
11. Carbon - Black colored element
12. Cosmo - The heavens are black in space
13. Charcoal or Coal (Cole) for short
14. Checkers - At least half of the playing pieces are Black
15. Cinder - What's left over after a fire
16. Clubs - Good name for someone who loves to play Cards
17. Dark Star - 1974 American science fiction comedy film
18. Demon - Usually considered very dark
19. Diamond - black diamonds
20. Dice - Could work for a black and white dog
21. Domino - A good name for a predominantly black dog with a little white.
22. Dot - A good name for a black dog with a white spot
23. Ebony - Dark wood
24. Eclipse - The sun or moon goes black during an eclipse
25. Eightball - A black pool ball
26. Ember - charred wood
27. Oboe -Dark colored woodwind instrument
28. Shadow
29. Tux - short for Tuxedo, a black and white color fabric

Black Dog Names Based on Black Plants

1. Bamboo - Black bamboo is a species of bamboo that is native to the Hunan Province of China
2. Black Bearded Iris
3. Black Coral Bells - the leaves look black
4. Black Hollyhock
5. Black Magic Mangave
6. Black Mondo Grass
7. Queen of the Night’ Tulip (Tulip or Queen for Short)
8. Black Prince Coleus - not your typical coleus variety
9. Iris - deep purple flowers that almost appear black
10. Persian Lily
11. Petunia - (Sweetunia Black Satin) variety
12. Poppy - seeds are black
13. Viola - variety called 'Black Delight'

Black Dog Names Based on Characters

1. Batman - A favorite Superhero
2. Buck - from "The Call of the Wild"
3. Chess - Think, "A Queen’s Gambit"
4. Cinderella - A beloved character that spent time in the ashes.
5. Cruella - a dark Disney villain dressed in black and white fur.  
6. Deva (Hindu moon goddess)
7. Elvira - Queen of the Night
8. Fly - from “Babe,” the motherly black-and-white Border Collie.
9. Grim (Reaper)
10. Hades (Greek god)
11. Hitchcock - Think dark fiction
12. Joker (Batman)
13. Knight - Black Knight
14. Merlin - Mythical sorcerer for King Arthur
15. Morpheus (The Matrix)
16. Morticia (The Addams Family)
17. Nyx - Greek goddess who was the personification of night.
18. Orpheus (Greek mythology)
19. Phantom - Phantom of the Opera
20. Poe (Edgar Allen)
21. Sirius (Harry Potter)
22. Stella Luna - A black bat in the children's book by the same name
23. Toto (Wizard of Oz)
24. Wednesday (The Addams Family)
25. Wolverine - x-men character 
26. Zoro

Black Dog Names Based on Rocks and Minerals that are Black

Black rocks, minerals and gemstones are often a symbol of strength, project, and comfort.   Since ancient days many have taken on spiritual or metaphysical properties, making them highly regard and prized.

1. Basalt
2. Black Agate (Agate for short)
3. Black Coral
4. Black Diamond
5. Black Jade
6. Black Jasper
7. Black Marble
8. Black Quartz
9. Black Star Sapphire
10. Black Tiger’s Eye
11. Black Tourmaline
12. Black Zircon
13. Blizzard Stone (Blizzard for short)
14. Coal
15. Galena
16. Lava - Can harden into a black rock
17. Obsidian - Dark black stone known for its metaphysical properties
18. Onyx - Black stone
19. Opal - Black Opals are precious stones
20. Tourmaline

Dog Breeds That May Scream Black Dog Names

More Black Dog Names A to Z

Gothic - 

Graphite - pencil lead

Indigo - very dark pigment

Inkblot - That's assuming the ink is black

Inkwell - See above

Inky - See above

Magic - Think Black Magic

Midnight - Dark part of the night

Noche - means night in Spanish.

Nimbus - type of dark cloud

Ninja - Medieval Japanese Assassin

Rocket

Rorschach - Remember the Rorschach ink blots from Psychology 101?

Shadow - Shadows are dark gray to black

Shady

Silhouette - The black outline of an object

Silky

Smoky

Spade - Black cards

Spot - Good for a black dog with a couple of white spots

Stallion - Black horse

Stormy - Weather is usually very dark

Tarmac - Runway at the airport

Tattoo - Some tattoos are black

Thunder

Twilight - 

Vader - Darth Vader always portrayed with a black cloak

Velcro - Black Velcro makes a great name for a little black dog that won't leave your side.

Velvet

Voodoo

Vortex

Got Some Great Ideas for Black Dog Names?

We want to make this the longest Black Dog Names List ever.  If I have forgotten a few or many, please let me know and we'll add them to this page along with a note giving you credit for creativity.  Contact me now.

Are There Rules for Naming a Dog?

The short answer is yes and no and let me explain.

• Pick a name that is not too close to a traditional dog command such as come, sit, or stay
• Find a name that is comfortable for you to repeat in public
• Many dogs learn short names faster.  Pick a one, two or three syllable name
• Choose a name that doesn't sound like any family member names

More Black Dog Names from Our Readers

Ideas from Our Readers:
Ivy from Tennessee, USA Offered these ideas:

Ruger
Hatchie
Skunk (Good for a Black & White Dog)
Winchester
Timber
Cracker Jack
Storm

Jadyn from
Valparaiso, Indiana USA suggested the following great names for your black dog:

Poppy
Pepper
Penny
Jana

Jaja
Joni
Jojo
Barney

KoKo for Cocoa

Shadeaux - Sounds like "Shadow" but with a French twist

PJ for a peanut butter and jelly dog (brown and red)

Cole is short for Charcoal or coal

Sabian - For Sabian Holmes, a famous black man

Elvin - Famous black drummer Elvin Jones

Clarke - Famous black drummer Kenny Clarke

Prince

Winston

Brandon

Buddy

Baxter

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J.W. Peterson from Cottage Grove, MN suggests the name, Brenna

I found this name has both Nordic and Celtic origin and has meanings ranging from Raven, Raven haired, Little Raven,Raven haired beauty, and even another meaning "little beacon on a hill" and even "little teardrop."

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For an in depth explanation and historical perspective of the color black, check out this wikipedia article.

Choosing a name for your Dog’s Registration Paperwork

Need a formal name to place on your purebred dog’s registration paperwork? 

Practically anything goes in this regard but must not exceed 50 characters including spaces if you are registering with the American Kennel Club.  Otherwise, you will pay more for your name.  Any name you choose will be subject to approval with AKC. 

You do not need to choose two entirely separate names, one informal and one formal.  You can start with one of the names below and add to it to come up with a unique dog name to register.  For example, say you want to name your dog Thunder, a formable name for a tiny dog. 

Your registered name could be Josie’s Passing Thunder Clouds.

Have a suggestion for a black dog name.  Take a moment and add it to our ever growing list.  Use the form below our list of black dog names to submit your ideas. 

We will evaluate any name for appropriateness on this site and add accordingly.  You are also welcome to add photos and a short story about your favorite black dog.

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Share Your Thoughts about Black Dogs or Black Dog Names

Have a great name or story to tell about your Black Dog?  We’d love to hear it.  Use the form below to tell the world about your favorite black dog.

Didn’t find the perfect name?  Check out our other dog name pages for additional ideas to help you name your dog.