Are you an American football fan? Have you recently adopted a puppy or a dog? Then you’ve come to the right place! That’s because you probably need a name for your fur baby, so why not consider a dog name inspired by football?
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To help you get started and inspired, we’ve done some research into names that might be a good fit for a boy or a girl dog. From that we created a list of dog names for you to review and see if any of the name might be the right choice for your dog!
Football Dog Names Boy
Here are some great American football dog names male dogs!
1). Joe: for the famous Joe Montana, who is a Hall of Famer. Turns out his name is a popular choice for boy dogs.
2). Soldier: this name comes from Soldier Field, which is the home of the Chicago Bears.
3). Jet: is inspired by the Jets, a team from New York.
4). Steelers: is inspired by the Pittsburgh Steelers. This could be a great name for a Rottweiler, a Pitbull or a Doberman.
5). Raider: this name comes from the Oakland Raiders in California. Do you have a dog that likes to get into waste baskets and other things he shouldn’t? Then this might be a great name for him!
6). Bill: after the Buffalo Bills. The team started back in 1960 and were a part of the AFL (American Football League) and were led by head coach Buster Ramsey.
7). Rice: this name is inspired by Jerry Rice, who was a wide receiver and played many years for the San Francisco 49ers. He played over 20 seasons in the NFL.
8). Chief: after the Kansas City Chiefs, based in Kansas City, Missouri, this team is a part of the AFC West division. They were founded back in 1960, and their name was then the Dallas Texans. They relocated to KC in 1963.
9). Lawrence Taylor: was a linebacker for the New York Giants from 1981 to 1993. He played for this team his entire professional career.
10). Bronco: this name comes from the Denver Broncos based in Denver, Colorado. The team began back in 1960 and were part of the AFL. Then they changed over to the NFL in 1970. They’ve won three Super Bowls: 1997, 1998, and 2015.
11). Sanford: this is a name that comes from the stadium of this name at the University of Georgia, in Athens, Georgia.
12). Pack: this name is inspired by the Green Bay Packers, of course! This team is based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and is one of the oldest NFL franchises—they started back in 1919!
13). Brett: named after Brett Favre, who was a quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from 1992 to 2007.
14). Viking: this name comes from the Minnesota Vikings, based in their home city of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The team began in 1960 and began playing in 1961. It’s said that this team is one of the most successful that hasn’t one a Super Bowl! Maybe this year?
15). Charger: this is a great name that comes from the San Diego Chargers. This might be a great name for a dog who loves to run. Or maybe one who likes to give headbutts!
16). Hike: this is the term used for passing the football backwards. Does your dog love to take hikes with you? Then why not choose this name for him?
17). Tiger: this is name is inspired by Tiger Stadium, which is at Louisiana State University. Do you have a brindle dog? This might make a really cute name for him!
18). Lincoln: not only is this the name of 16th president of the United States, it’s also the name of the place where the Philadelphia Eagles play, at Lincoln Financial Field.
19). Ford: this name comes from the name of the stadium where the Detroit Lions play. This would make a really cute name for a dog that’s medium-sized and built like a tank. Maybe a Bulldog!
20). QB: this stands for quarterback, which is one of the team positions when on the field. This is usually the leader of the offensive team, who calls plays.
21). Manning: this is the last name of two football players who are brothers: Eli and Payton Manning. This could be a cute name for any boy dog!
22). Heisman: this is the name of an award given each year to the best player, who also has the most integrity as a player.
23). Walter: this is a name that comes from the famous Walter Perry, who played defensive lineman in the NFL for 10 seasons. His nickname was the “Refrigerator.”
24). OT: this is the name of the period that is played when there’s a tie in the game score. The teams play for 15 minutes at a time and continue until a winner is declared.
25). Patriot: this name is inspired by the New England Patriots, who are based in Boston, Massachusetts. This team was founded back in 1959 as the Boston Patriots, but they made the name change when moving from the AFL to the NFL in 1971.
Football Dog Names Girl
Here are some American football dog names females!
26). Nicky: this name comes from the Alabama head coach, Nick Saban.
27). Bobbie: this name is inspired by the Florida State coach, Bobby Bowden, who lead the team to 346 wins! If your fur baby is a champion, then this would be a great name for her!
28). Ray: comes from the name of place where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play—Raymond James Stadium.
29). KaLena: is inspired by KaLena Barnes, who was the first woman to play on a top 10 Division 1A school, where she was a punter for the University of Nebraska!
30). Gale: this pretty name is inspired by Gale Sayers, who was with the Chicago Bears from 1965 to 1971.
31). Regina: this girl dog name comes from Reggie White, who was a Defensive Lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1985 to 1992. He was then with the Green Pay Packers from 1993 to 1998, and finally with the Carolina Panthers in 2000.
32). Liz: this is the first name of the woman to play and score in a college football game—Liz Heaston.
33). Peyton: this name comes from Peyton Manning, who was the quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos.
34). Brittanee: this name is inspired by the first female football coach in college football—Brittanee Jacobs.
35). Carroll: this name is inspired by Pete Carroll who coached the Seattle Seahawks and was the former coach at USC.
36). Uga: this unusual name comes from the University of Georgia’s mascot, which is a Bulldog! The mascot goes all the way back to 1956, when the dog was brought to Georgia’s first home game of the season. After the game, the head coach, Wally Butts, asked if the dog could be used as the team’s mascot. All of the dogs have been owned by the Seiler family, to this very day. By the way, Seiler would also make a pretty name for a girl dog!
37). Raven: for the Baltimore Ravens, which would make a great name for a dog that is as black as a raven!
38). Brady: what a cute name! This name is inspired by Tom Brady who played quarterback for the New England Patriots; he’s one of only two players to ever win five Super Bowls, too.
39). Colt: this name is inspired by the Indianapolis Colts. The team was first founded in Baltimore back in 1953, but then they moved to the AFL in 1970. They relocated to Indianapolis in 1984, and have won the Super Bowl, defeating the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI (41—for those who don’t remember their Roman numerals).
40). Carolina: another pretty name, which is inspired by the Carolina Panthers. This team is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was founded in 1995.
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Ask a Vet Live NowCollege Football Dog Names
Here are the last of our American football-inspired dog names! These names come from college football!
41). Fiesta: this is the name of the college football bowl game played in Glendale, Arizona—this is the Fiesta Bowl.
42). Sugar: this cute name comes from another college bowl game—the Sugar Bowl—which is played in New Orleans, Louisiana each year.
43). Rose: this name is inspired by another college bowl game—the Rose Bowl—which is played in Pasadena, California.
44). Butler: this is the name of the mascot for the Butler University’s football team, the Butler Bulldogs, located in Indianapolis, Indiana.
45). Drake: this is a name that comes from another college mascot, for the team called the Drake Bulldogs located in Des Moines, Iowa. The dog’s name is Spike.
46). Victor E: this is the name of the one of the Bulldog mascots for California State University, which is located in Fresno, California. They actually have two Bulldog mascots—the other one’s name is Time Out!
47). Jack: this is the name of the Bulldog mascot for the Georgetown University Hoyas, located in Washington, DC.
48). Bully: you guessed it—this is the name of another Bulldog mascot! He works with the Mississippi State Bulldogs, located at Starkville, Mississippi.
49). Gray: this one will surprise you! It’s not a Bulldog! This is the name of one of the Salukis for the Southern Illinois Salukis based in Carbondale, Illinois. The full name of this dog is “Gray Dawg”, and the other dog is named “Brown Dawg.”
50). Damien: this is another surprise—this is the name of one of the Great Danes who is the mascot for the University of Albany Great Danes! The team is based in Albany, New York. The other dog’s name is “Lil’D.”
There you have it! We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of dog names inspired by American football! We also hope that you’ve found a great, unique name for your canine companion!
Fun Facts About American Football
Here are fun facts about American football we hope you enjoy!
Football the game: was originally based on English rugby and soccer. The first games in the US were in fact more soccer-like, right down to the rules and the how the game was played. That’s because the rules were adapted from the London Football Association.
Football beginnings: the first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 between Princeton and Rutgers, and was played in New Brunswick, New Jersey. From there, more colleges based in the North East began to play the game.
Father of American football: was Walter Camp. He helped to move from it’s soccer-like game to what was know as American football today. He was a medical student (and undergrad) at Yale from 1876 to 1881, where he played halfback and served as captain of the team.
Football leagues: there are two main leagues in American football: the National Football League (these are the pros who earn lots of money playing the game) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (where college students play).
Number of kids in high school football: these days, both girls and boys enjoy playing American football. In fact, there are over 1 million boys in the sport, and a few girls who play.
Teddy Roosevelt saved football: back in the day, football was a popular college sport that many enjoyed. However, over time, the sport became very brutal. In fact, 18 football players died playing the game in 1904, with 159 serious injuries for those who weren’t killed outright. Some died right on the field and some of the most common injuries were broken spines, pierced lungs or heart (from broken ribs), and fractured skulls. The uniforms contained no padding, except for possibly shoulder and thigh pads. And the players wore metal cleats. Ouch! Then in 1906, Teddy Roosevelt pushed for rule changes. As a result, an intercollegiate conference was put together to approve rule changes for that 1906 season, which worked to make football a safer game. It is said that if the changes weren’t instigated, then Roosevelt planned to outright ban the sport. Can you imagine no Sunday Night Football games?
The gridiron game: with the rule changes, the forward pass was legalized. In order track the distance of the pass, the football field was divided up into vertical and horizontal lines, which were placed 5 yards apart. The field then looked more like a checkerboard, which had the look of a gridiron (a metal rack that was used to broil meat). This is where the football field nickname “gridiron” comes from.
Football safety gear: the game started out with little protection. No wonder it turned into a bloodbath! By 1920 the first hardened helmets with pads began to be sued. In 1930, foam pads and face mask were added, and by 1940 the first leather shoulder and chest pads were introduced, along with chinstraps. And the changes went on from there. While safety gear does protect players, they can still sustain serious injuries.
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Kyoko is from a family of 3 and moved to New York with her parents and siblings when she was 13. Kyoko is fond of spending a great amount of time with pets, specifically her beagle Luna and cat Missy. Her boyfriend often complains that she spends too much time giving attention to their animals. Kyoko has written dozens of articles concerning pets and is aiming at owning a pet shop one day!
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