Germans Shepherds are strong, confident guard dogs. They are extremely intelligent and highly protective of their family and loved ones. Because of this, they are commonly crossed with other breeds.
They are loyal, curious and obedient and so most owners want a name to reflect this.
Some dog parents have a name in mind long before they set eye on their first dog, whereas others prefer to get there German Shepherd home, spend a few days with him and then decide on a name based on their personality.
Most German Shepherds follow the standard breed temperament and require a very strong and noble name, whereas others turn out to be a little cheeky and perhaps need a more fun name.
Whatever name you do decide on, make sure it’s one you’re happy to shout out across as playing field if you need to recall them quickly.
Whilst a fun name might be lots of fun at home – it can quickly become embarrassing having to yell Justin Bieber across a busy park.
One last thing to keep in mind is if you plan on registering your pup with a certain club such as the Kennel Club, you’ll need to read their rules and guidance on choosing names.
They can be quite strict with the amount of characters you’re allowed, and won’t allow a repeat name if another registered dog already has that name.
There are some names which are unisex and suitable for either a male or a female, and others which are much more suited to one of the sexes.
According to Tesco Pet Insurance, the five most popular German Shepherd names are currently Max, Bella, Shadow, Kaiser and Ruby.
They come in colors such as tan, silver, red and black so you may want to choose a name which reflects the color, such as Blackie, Biscuit, Autumn, etc.
If none of these are taking your fancy, let’s take a look at the best names for your German Shepherd and help you find one to match your pup perfectly.
If you’re looking for a name for your lady GSD, you might want something which reflects her strong personality, or maybe her beautiful feminine appearance.
We’ve listed plenty of names below, some of which reflect strong women, some of which reflect beauty and others are just plain great names!
Amy – French for dearly loved
Amelia – Short for Amelia Earhart
Angel – Greek for messenger
Annabelle – Meaning graceful or favor
Ashley – Meaning lives in the ash tree grove
Annie – Hebrew for Prayer
Amber – The name of a jewel
Autumn – Sounds better than fall
Blondie – Nickname for someone with blonde
hair
Bonnie – Scottish for pretty or attractive
Bella – Latin for beautiful
Brownie – Name for a chocolate colored dog
Candy – Latin for dazzling white
Caramel – Hebrew for garden
Chloe – Greek for fertility goddess
Chrissie – Follower of Christ
Cassie – Unheeded prophetess
Coco – Abbreviation for “Socorro” meaning help
Daisy – Derived from the flower
Diamond – Greek for invincible and untamed
Diana – Roman goddess
Dixie – French for ten
Dawn – First appearance of light, daybreak
Destiny – Fortune and fate
Dora – Greek origin meaning gift
Ella – Short for Eleanor Roosevelt
Eloise – Meaning healthy
Elsa – Meaning consecrated to God
Erika – Sole ruler or eternal ruler
Eve – Hebrew for living
Faith – Unquestioning belief
Fiona – Meaning fair
Flower – Delicate yet strong
Gabby – Women of God
Gloria – Feminine version of glory
Grace – Latin for God’s favor
Gretel – German for pearl
Heidi – Nobility or of noble birth
Hermione – Granger from Harry Potter
Honey – Meaning sweet
Isabelle – Spanish variant of Elisabeth
Jamie – Hebrew meaning supplanter
Jasmine – The name of a flower
Jewel – A precious stone
Julie – Latin for youthful and vivacious
June – Latin for young
Katniss – the lead character from the Hunger Games
Krissy – Derivative of Kristen
Laila – Arabic meaning dark beauty
Lady – Ladylike or head of the household
Lizzie – Derivative of the name Elizabeth
Lucy – Latin meaning of light
Lola – A derivative from a Spanish word
meaning sorrow
Maya – Meaning spring or brook
Maxi – Short for Maxine
Millie – Latin for free-born
Minnie – Hebrew for wished-for child
Missy – Greek for Bee
Meadow – Meaning mowed field
Mya – Derived from Egyptian meaning beloved
Nancy – Hebrew for grace
Nikita – Greek for people victory
Neena – Russian diminutive of Anne, meaning
gracious
Pearl – Latin for precious
Princess – A royal daughter
Queen – A female ruler
Rita – Spanish name meaning pearl
River – Literally meaning river
Rosie – Variant of Rose, meaning flower
Roxy – Persian name for dawn or bright
Sara – Hebrew meaning princess
Sandy – Greek for protector of mankind
Sheeba – Meaning style
Sky- A nature name
Trixie – Latin for “brings joy”
Ursula – Meaning little bear
Violet – As in the flower
Val – Meaning strong
Xena – Xena the Warrior Princess
Zelda – Meaning blessed or happy
Zola – Latin for Earth
Your male German Shepherd will need a name which reflects his strength of character and his loyalty.
If you’re looking for a strong and courageous name to suit your dog, any of these names would be perfect for your GSD.
Ace – Someone who excels
Alpha – The top dog
Albert – As in Albert Einstein
Augustus – Latin for majestic
Apollo – Greek god of sunlight and prophecy
Alex – Greek meaning, protector of mankind
Ben – Good solid dog’s name
Beethoven – Popular large dog breed name
Blade – Unconventional yet macho
Boris – Russian for fighter
Branson – German word ‘brand’ means sword
Bruiser – Large and strong
Buddy – A good friend
Captain – The one who’s in charge
Caesar – As in Julius Caesar
Casanova – A seducer
Champ – Short for champion/winner
Charlie – From old English ‘ceorl’ meaning man
Dizzy – Stems from Latin word meaning desired
Duke – A prince or noble man
Ernie – Derived from Germanic ‘eornost’ meaning serious
Eric – Old Norse name “Eirikr” deriving the words “ever, always” and “ruler
Fletch – Or ‘fletcher’ meaning arrow maker
Freddy – Peaceful ruler
Frodo – Wise by experience
Goliath – The name of a giant from the Bible
Horatio – Timekeeper
Hudson – Heart, mind spirit
Hugo – German origin meaning mind
Hunter – Rugged yet cute name
Hercules – Latin for glorious gift
Jack – God is gracious
James – One who follows
Jango – Strong and amazing
Jason – Derived from a Greek word meaning to heal
Jeff – Peaceful pledge
Jerry – Courageous, honest and determined
Jim – Hebrew for supplanter
Kaiser – German for “emperor”
Keanu – Cool breeze over the mountains
King – Ruler or leader
Kobi – Form of the Hebrew name Jacob
Leo – Latin for lion
Lucas – Bright or shining
Max – The greatest
Mac – Scottish origin meaning son
Major – Latin meaning, greater
Milo –German origin, mild, peaceful and calm
Napoleon – Lion of Naples
Nero – Strong and energetic
Newton – intelligent, as in Isaac Newton
Oakley – Strong like an oak tree
Oscar – Also known as God’s spear
Otto – Wealth and fortune
Polo – Variant of Paolo
Pluto – God of the underworld
Popeye – As in the cartoon
Raga – Meaning harmonious
Romeo – Romantic lover from Romeo and Juliet
Rocky – Nickname for a tough person
Robin – Famed, bright and shining
Roger – German for famous spear
Rex – Latin for king
Sam – Referring to “God has heard”
Skipper – English origin for captain
Shadow – Shakespearean name
Sherlock – Lock of hair
Tarzan – Lord of the jungle
Thor – Norse God of strength
Toby – Referring to “Good is God”
Tyson – Derived from a French word meaning
firebrand (fiery temperament)
Victor – Conqueror in Latin
Wilson – German origin, meaning desire
Wolfie – Teutonic meaning wolf strife
Yoda – One who knows
Zeus – The name of a Greek God
Zeno – Derived from Zeus
If you’re not really interested in having a feminine or a masculine name, you could choose a more fun name which reflects the personality of your German Shepherd. Try one of these:
Bounce
Cookie
Comet
Cosmo
Chocolate
Doughnut
Fluffy
Fudge
Flash
Furball
Gypsy
Happy
Miracle
Messy
Monkey
Nugget
Oreo
Power
Pup
Ruff
Sunny
Shiny
Smarty
Sting
Tango
Uno
Happy name choosing for your new arrival! May it reflect the wonderfully strong and courageous nature of German Shepherds.
Author bio:
John Woods is a dog lover, enthusiast and author at All Things Dogs. He has studied animal behaviour and welfare and is on a mission to educate 40M dog owners on how to care for dogs.
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