Alaskan Dog Names - Popular and Exotic
By Janice Jones |Last Updated March 22, 2019
Searching for Alaskan Dog Names for your new puppy? Whether you have a dog breed developed in the far north, love the natural beauty of Alaska, or just have a fascination with the language, you might just find the perfect dog name on this list.
Alaska is home to at least 20 Native languages. Traditional Alaskan names are often used for both girls and boys and it is not unusual to find a family who names their new son after his grandmother.
Alaskan Dog NamesThe names on this page represent three different categories:
- Popular names such as Kodiak, Orca, or Eskimo that people often think about when they brainstorm Alaskan Names
- Traditional Inuit names and words taken from one of the many languages found in Alaska and northern Canada
- Place names such as cities, lakes, and parks. They are listed here because they have cool sounding names that work well as dog names.
So many of the traditional words found in these languages are long and contain many syllables.
Though beautiful to the ear, they may be too much for a dog to recognize. There are many dazzling names but I have restricted this list to ones that would work well for dogs.
So remember, your dog doesn’t need to be the next Balto, run the Iditarod, or even be of a breed developed in Alaska to be christened with one of these great sounding names.
Some small breed dogs associated with Alaska and the North.
HINT: Pronunciation
The letter I is usually pronounced as ee so that the name Miki meaning little is pronounced mee kee
Common Names Associated With Alaska
Here are samples of some common terms associated with Alaska including native animals, indigenous peoples, geographic and weather related terms.
Many people have named their dog with one or more of these words not realizing they can also pertain to Alaska. Any of these words would make great Alaskan Dog Names.
Alaska
Arctic
Aspen
Aurora
Balto
Bear
Beaver
Beluga
Blizzard
Borealis
Brown Bear
Chinook
Glacier
Grizzly
Igloo
Mammoth
Mukluk -- Eskimo moccasins
Moose
Orca
Otter
Parka
Polar
Raven
Seal
Sockeye
Storm
Totem (as in Totem pole)
Tundra
Place Labels that Make Great Alaskan Dog Names
Attu: Island
Barrow: Small village about the Arctic circle
Copper: River
Denali: Mountain
Eska: Creek
Haines: City
Homer: City
Hubbard: Mountain
Juno: City
Kiska: Island
Klondike: Region
Kodiak: City
Nome: City
Nuka: Bay
Palmer: City
Seward: City
Sitka: City
Skagway: City
Valdez: City
Tongass: National Forest
Yukon: River
Alaskan Dog Names
These names can be used for either male or female dogs unless noted. These are names found in the languages of the native Inuit peoples.
Aanaq: Mother (pronounced ah-nak) Female Dog
Aatag: Father (pronounced Ah-tag) Male Dog
Aga: Mother Female Dog
Akiak: Brave
Akna: Mother goddess Female Dog
Amak: Playful
Arrluk: Killer whale
Atka: King
Ataneq: King Male Dog
Cupun: Coal
Kamik: Eskimo Boot
Kima: Candy
Koko: Chocolate
Miki: Little
Miska: Little Bear
Nanook: Cute
Nanuk: Polar Bear
Nini: Porcupine
Nukla: Younger Sister Female Dog
Pinga: Goddess of the hunt, fertility and medicine
Pukak: Snow: Smart
Pakak: One that gets into everything
Panik: Daughter (Female Dog)
Sakari: Sweet
Sesi: Snow
Shila: Flame
Shtiya: 'My strength'
Siku: Ice
Suka: Fast
Suluk: Feather
Sura: New Life
Tikaani: Wolf
Tupit: tattoo lines on face
Famous Alaskans that will Share Their Name With Your Dog
Wyatt Earp - known for his participation in the gunfight at O.K. Corral.
Larry Sanger - co founder of Wikipedia
Walter Harper - first person to step foot on the summit of Denali in 1913
Bob Ross - was a famous oil painter
Jewel Kilcher - a singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress, author, and poet, and a member of the Kilcher family that has gained fame in the T.V. Reality Show, Alaska, The Last Frontier.
James Morrison - a famous actor raised in Anchorage. He's starred in many film and television shows, including 24, Frasier, and The X-Files.
Gary Paulson - a writer of young adult fiction, writing over 200 books including, Hatchet, Dog Song and The Winter Room
The Photos on this page were taken during a summer trip to Alaska. The dogs train all summer for the upcoming winter Iditarod.
~Janice
About Janice (author and voice behind this site)
Having lived with dogs and cats most of her life, Janice served as a veterinary technician for ten years in Maryland and twelve years as a Shih Tzu dog breeder in Ohio.
Her education includes undergraduate degrees in Psychology with a minor in biology, Early Childhood Education, and Nursing, and a master's in Mental Health Counseling.
She is a lifelong learner, a dog lover, and passionate about the welfare of animals. Her favorite breed for over 50 years has been the Shih Tzu, but she has also lived with Poodles, Maltese, Yorkshire Terriers, Beagles, English Bulldogs, Carin Terriers, and a Cocker Spaniel.
When not writing, reading, and researching dog-related topics, she likes to spend time with her eight Shih Tzu dogs, husband, and family, as well as knitting and crocheting. She is also the voice behind Miracle Shih Tzu and Smart-Knit-Crocheting
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