From hounds to gun dogs, dogs have accompanied humans when hunting for millennia. Whether you’re a professional hunter who had just adopted a cocker spaniel pup or you’ve never shot a rifle in your life but want a cool-sounding dog name, here are the top hunting dog names popular nowadays.
Nature as inspiration for hunting dog names
There is hardly a dog breed that doesn’t adore the great outdoors, so why not go for a nature-inspired hunting dog name. Summer, Misty, River, Sunny, Sky, Meadow, Dawn, Bay, Daisy, Ivy, Aspen, Sequoia, Ocean, Autumn, Zip, and Midnight are all “environmentally-friendly” names.
A true hunter, on the other side, might go with more potent options, such as Pistol, Blizzard, Lightning, Thunder, Scout, Bolt, or Sabre.
There is hardly a dog breed that doesn’t adore the great outdoors, so why not go for a nature-inspired hunting dog name.
Rough & tough hunting dog names
Speaking of names that can pack a punch, the list is actually quite long: Duke, Wolverine, General, Snap, Beast, Rambo, Jett, Cap(tain), Major, Hulk, Arrow, and Goliath.
For gun lovers, these names resonate well: Sherman, Browning, Bullet, Rebel, Striker, Hammer, Ruger, Striker, and Tank. Strong girl names would be Athena, Roxy, Thora, Flair, Buffy, Furiosa (meaning “enraged” in Spanish), Natasha, or Lexi.
Girls vs. boys
When it comes to female hunting dogs, the full list of potential names is surprisingly long. Dakota, Ivy, Nala, Arya, Asia, Willow, Ziggy, Aurora, Duchess, Moxie, Bailey, Sadie, Nikita, Dottie, Dixie, Layla, Shiloh, Xena, Roxie, Trudy, and Gamora are common ones.
Before moving on to male hunting dog name suggestions, we must say that there is no gender difference in terms of canine hunting capabilities.
That’s why a Blaze, Shadow, Trapper, Ranger, Remington, Gun(ner), Bow, Max, Chas(er), Logger, Dash, Brutus, Ryder, Otis, Mack, or Diesel will fetch or scavenge just like any other female hunting dog.
For professional hunters and marksmen, choosing their faithful four-legged assistant’s name isn’t a game, as the animal needs to respond instantly.
Monosyllabic Hunting Dog Names
For professional hunters and marksmen, choosing their faithful four-legged assistant’s name isn’t a game, as the animal needs to respond instantly. That is why monosyllabic (one-syllable) names are the most convenient and thus most popular choice.
Some of such, short names include Rex, Ace, Dax, Whizz, Belle, Beck, Ash, Ivy, Gus, Boone, Chief, Finn, Lace, Cliff, Rain, Chance, Jet, Wren, etc.
There are several types of hunting dogs, such as sighthounds and pointers.
Going duck hunting?
As mentioned in the introduction, there are several types of hunting dogs, such as sighthounds and pointers. Within these categories, different names prevail, which is obvious from the names for retrievers which are most often used for duck hunting.
Goose, Birdie, Flock, decoy, Sparrow, Drake, Duckie, Lady Bird, Radar, and Quack would be some of the most common names. Apart from them, you can opt for Highball, Rifle, Deke, Mallard, or Powder as well.
Naming your hunting dog after another animal
Since hunting dogs have to interact with other animal species (yes, this includes poor hares), you can name them after an animal.
An intelligent canine can be called Fox, one with excellent eyesight Hawk, and a ferocious one can be Wolf. Other faunal names you might consider are Boa, Grizzly, Finch, Colt, Eagle, Badger, Buck, Bull, Coyote, Bear, Buffalo, Bear, Raven, Lark, etc.
Since hunting dogs have to interact with other animal species, you can name them after an animal.
Movie characters as inspiration for hunting dog names
Chances will have it that you are not only a dog lover but a movie buff as well. This is the perfect combo, as there are endless characters’ names that you’ll find inspirational.
If you’re a fan of the Rocky franchise, then Silvester Stallone’s character name is perfect for a sturdy canine. As an alternative, you can go with Rambo. Action movies buffs should also consider Arnold or Terminator, the obvious references to the famous actor and the former Governor of California.
If you enjoyed reading Defoe’s Robison Crusoe and watching Pierce Brosnan play it on the big screen, name your pup Crusoe or Robinson. A Game of Thrones fan can name his or her female dog Khaleesi or Cersei, while a Star Wars buff should go for (Princess) Leia.
Watson is a great name for Sherlock Holes lovers, Moby or Ahab are for avid readers, while Fang is a great name from Harry Potter. Bruce and Joker are name ideas from Batman and Clyde is a name that means business (from Bonnie and Clyde).
Other fictional character names suitable for a hunting dog include Huckleberry (from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn), Katniss (from Hunger Games), Loki (from the Avengers and after a Norse deity), Strider or Pippin (from The Lord of the Rings), and Nala (from The Lion King).
Hunting dog names with a deeper meaning
If you still haven’t come across the right name, maybe you need a backstory to potential names. Brutus was Julius Caesar’s assassin, so it’s a great name for a dog that doesn’t follow your commands to the letter, to put it as such.
For dog owners living in a wooded area or who work in the logging industry, the name Logger is self-explanatory. Another pioneer name is Davy, after the intrepid Davy Crockett. Hercules or Herc is the ideal name for a courageous and strong dog.
Taking your canine to the beach often? Then go with Neptune, the Roman god of freshwater and the sea (for some reason, this name is popular among retriever owners). The alternative would be Poseidon, while the most powerful name is definitely Zeus, the chief Greek deity.
Dog owners who love history and football should pick the name Blitz. Whether it denotes a football play or a rapid attack by combined military forces, Blitz carries a punch. Seal is a similar name, relating both to the marine mammal and US Navy’s elite strike force.
Chances will have it that you are not only a dog lover but a movie buff as well. This is the perfect combo, as there are endless characters’ names that you’ll find inspirational.
Somewhat odd hunting dog names
We have listed the top hunting dog names but there are actually many more names that hunters often pick. These include Teddy, Oakley, Copper, Atlas, Sage, Benelli, Bill, Cedar, Cricket, Dashiell, Jagger, Kodiak, Legend, Serge, Marlin, Moxy, Orion, Yukon, Walker, Spike, Texas, etc.
If you own a dog breed predominantly used for hunting, be creative and don’t name them Hunter. From duck hunting to movie characters, there are so many inspirational hunting dog names Fido will proudly respond to. Just make sure it doesn’t turn its sight to the neighbor’s cat.
