50 Best 3-Letter Dog Names and Their Meaning

Reviewed By Kim •  Updated: 09/28/20 •  10 min read
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Have you recently adopted a new dog or puppy? Then you’ll need a name for him or her! You’ve come to the right place! In today’s article, we’ll share 50 3 letter names for dogs, one of which we’re sure will be the perfect name for your dog!

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Why Choose a Three Letter Dog?

For one thing, a three-letter name is unique. Many modern dog names are quite long and involved, which makes them more difficult for dogs to understand and recognized. In fact, dogs respond better to a short name, rather than a long name! So, not only will your fur baby have a short name, but they’ll have one that’s also highly unique!

Think of calling this name out when you two go have fun at the dog park together. When your dog here’s his or her short name, they’ll know right away that you’re calling to them, and no other dog!

A name with three letters is both unique and short, both of which are the perfect characteristics of a dog’s name!

Three Letter Dog Names

OK, now we’re ready to take a look at our lists of dog boy and girl names that have three letters!

3 Letter Boy Dog Names

Here are some names that have three letters for boy dogs!

1). Abu: in Arabic, this name means “father of.” If you have a dog who is the father of a litter of puppies, this would be a great name for him! Or if you have adopted both a father and son, this would also be a great name for the father dog!

2). Ale: is a Finnish name that’s short for Aleksanteri or Aleski (in English, these names are “Alexander”. What a pretty name for a boy dog!

3). Alf: comes from the old Norse word “alfr,” which means “elf.” If your fur baby is a bit mischievous, then this is a great name for him!

4). Alo: is a name that comes from Estonia and is short for Aleksander or the Estonian word “alustus,” which means “beginning.” If you’ve rescued a dog from a shelter, then this would be a sweet name for him.

5). Bax: is an English name that’s short for Baxter.” It could also come from the Anglo-Saxon word “bax,” which referred to a box tree. Either way, we think this is an adorable name for a boy dog!

6). Ben: is English and is short for the English name Benjamin. What a cute name for a dog!

7). Bey: is a North German or Frisian word that means boy. It’s another cute, unusual name for a boy dog!

8). Boo: is short for an English term of endearment “boyfriend.” What better name could you choose for your fur baby?

9). Cap: is the nick name given to Captain America, a favorite character from Marvel Comics. This could be a great name for any boy dog!

10). Dan: is the shortened form of a Swedish name Danne. It’s also short for the English name Daniel. We just think this is a cute name for a dog who is very friendly and curious!

11). Fan: is a Chinese word that means “mortal.” This could be a great name for any boy dog.

12). Fer: is a shortened form of the name Ferdinand, which comes from the Dutch. This has also been the name of several kings in Europe. If your fur baby seems to believe he’s in charge, then this could be a great name for him!

13). Fox: is an English word that refers to the canine animal called a fox. This could be a great name for dogs that resemble a fox, such as a Shiba Inu, an Akita, or even a Finnish Sptiz.

14). Gus: this is an English name that is short for “Augustus.” It’s also the name of the American astronaut, Gus Grissom, one of the Original Seven Mercury Astronauts.

15). Han: you may be surprised that this is a Dutch name, which is short for Johannes. It’s also the name of the famous character from Star Wars known as Han Solo. If you have Dutch heritage, or you like the Star Wars movies, this would make a great name for your fur baby!

16). Ike: is the English short version of the name Issac, which was also the nickname of the American president Dwight D. Eisenhower.

17). Jam: this is a Persian word that means “twin.” It’s also the name of a mythical king whose name was Jamshid.

18). Joe: this is a nickname for the English name Joseph.  It’s also the name of many famous people, including the famous football player joe Montana (from American football).

19). Ken: is a Japanese word that means “health and strong,” or it’s also an English nickname for the name Kenneth.

20). Kio: is the Chinese name for a star called Alpha Virginis. If your fur baby is somewhat of a star, or has a star blaze, then this could be the perfect name for him!

21). Law: this is the short form of the English name Laurence. This could be a great name for a dog who lives in the American West or who is a herding dog!

22). Leo: is Latin for “lion,” or could be short for the English name Leon. If your fur baby is a Chow Chow and resembles a lion, then this would be the perfect name for him!

23). Nil: this is a name that comes from both the Catalan and Russian languages and is short for Neilos or can refer to the Nile River in Egypt.

24). Rio: means “river” in Spanish. This could be a great name for a dog who loves to swim and play in the water, or if you live near a river.

25). Uri: this is a name that comes from Slovak, and it stands for the English name George.” If you’d like a unique name, then this would be a great choice!

26). Ari: is an Armenian word that means “brave.” If your canine companion is protective you and your family, then this would be a fitting name for him.

Three Letter Girl Dog Names

Now, here are some great three letter names for girl dogs!

26). Acy: this name is taken from American English, where it means “ace.” If your lady dog has aced your heart, this would be the perfect name for her!

27). Ada: this is a nickname that comes from the Germanic name Adelaide, which means “noble.”  This might be a great name for a lady dog who has a great pedigree.

28). Afi: this is an Old Norse word that means “grandfather,” but we still think it’s a pretty name for a girl dog!

29). Ara: is a girl’s name that comes from the Arabic language and means “brings rain.” If your fur baby rains down love on you, then what better name could you choose?

30). Cas: is a nickname for Cassandra, which is Greek for “to excel or shine.” This could be a great name for any lady dog who has very shiny fur.

31). Chi: is Vietnamese for “branch.” This could be a great name for a dog who is the daughter of another dog you have. And just a pretty name besides!

32). Eli: this is a Swedish name that’s short for Elisabet, or Elizabeth in English. What a really pretty, feminine name for a girl dog!

33). Ema: is a Japanese word that means “favor, or benefit.” If your lady dog is a blessing, then this would be the best name you could choose for her.

34). Gea: is a nickname in Dutch for the name Margaretta.

35). Ida: this is the name of the Old Norse goddess Ida.

36). Iza: this is the diminutive for the Polish name Izabela, which is a very pretty name for a girl dog.

37). Jes: is the nickname for the English name Jessica.

38). Kas: this name is short for the English name Cassandra, or the Greek name Kassandra.

39). Kia: is the nickname of the Czech name Kristina (Krystina), which means “Christian.”

40). Sue: is the short form of the name Susana in English, which comes from the Hebrew word for “lily.” If your dog is a precious lily, then this would be a great name for her!

41). Lea: is short for the Hebrew name Leah, which means “tired.” If you have a girl dog who prefers laying in your lap, then this could be a great name for her!

42). Lia: this is a nickname for the Dutch or Italian name of Rosalia, which means “rose.”

43). Lua: the name of a Roman goddess.

44). Meg: this is a short version of the English name for Margaret, which means “pearl.” This could be a pretty name for your girl dog if she is the pearl of your heart.

45). Nia: is short for the English name Antonia.

46). Ona: this is the Czech word that means “she or girl.” What a pretty, short name for your lady dog!

47). Rea: is short for the Greek word “rhea,” which means “to flow.” This could be the perfect name for a dog who loves to play in the water, or who loves to run like the wind.

48). Tay: this is the feminine nickname for the English name Taylor.

49). Val: is short for the English/Czech name of Valerie (Valerie in Czech), which means “to be strong.”

50). Zoe: this is a pretty name that means “life” in Greek. If your canine companion has brought much to your life, then what better name could you choose for her?

We hope you’ve enjoyed our three letter words for dog names and that you’ve been able to find just the right name for your fur baby!

Pronunciation of a Short Dog Name

Even if your dog’s name is only three letters long, be sure to make their name longer when you pronounce it. The reason is that while dogs respond well to short names, they also respond better to names that are two syllables long.

For instance, if your dog’s name is “Pal,” then when you call him, say “Come, Pa-ahl.” He’ll come running and knock you down! The reason for the two-syllable pronunciation is that dogs are able to hear it much better and can pick up the sounds more easily when a short name is pronounced with two syllables.

Choose a Name that Fits Your Dog

When you’re looking through our list of dog names, be sure to choose a name that’s a great fit for your dog. The name could be based on some physical characteristic(s), his/her personality, etc.

Be sure to avoid any names that have a negative connotation. Dogs are sensitive beings, and they will definitely pick up on the negativity of any name when you say it. Not only is this not good for training purposes, it’s also cruel. So, in the end, be sure to choose a name that fits your dog, but has a loving meaning, or is a good fit for some aspect of his personality or characteristics.

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Kim

Kim is a talented author, who loves animals especially dogs. She engaged in writing books and articles relating to animals a decade ago. Kim resides in Chicago with her husband and son. The family is the proud owner of a dog and a parrot (Jack and Lily). Kim wanted more than these two pets, but her husband put his foot down... She often visits elementary schools to talk to the kids about what she learned about pets and how they could learn from them.

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