50 Retro Dog Names

Reviewed By Kyoko •  Updated: 05/04/21 •  10 min read
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If you’re looking for some ideas on dog names, then you’ve come to the right place! When you adopt a dog or puppy, one of the first things you need to do is find them a name. That’s not easy!

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Names can be inspired by all sorts of things from your favorite foods, books, and movies to your favorite type of music, and more. Today, we’re going to look at some dogs’ names inspired by the past!

The dog names in this article will be “retro.” What does that mean? According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, retro means “relating to, reviving, or being the styles and especially the fashions of the past: fashionably nostalgic or old-fashion.”

So, that means we’ll be taking a look at names for dogs that hail from past fashions, old-fashioned dog names, and more. Most of these will be from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. What fun!

There are times in life when you just hanker for the past. It’s fun to look back with nostalgia on things from when you were a kid or a young adult. So, we thought this would be some fun inspiration for your dog’s name!

Retro Names for Male Dogs

Here are some great retro names for male dogs!

1). Atticus: this name comes from the book and movie To Kill a Mockingbird. The novel was by Harper Lee, an American author, and was published in 1960. The book won the Pulitzer Prize and has become a classic to be read in schools. Lee based some of the characters and the plot from her real-life family and neighbors.

2). Bingo: this fun game is still around and the first game out in 1530. Back then, this was a type of lottery game enjoyed in Italy. The game continued in popularity into 18th century France, then into German, and eventually came to the US. The game was first popular in the US in about the 1920s.

3). Brownie: this is an American treat that is made with chocolate. It’s in between fudge and cake and may include other ingredients such as nuts, chocolate chips, frosting, and more. The brownie was first developed in the US in the late 19th century.

4). Buck: this was the name of a dog in the book The Call of the Wild, by Jack London. It was first published in 1903 and tells a story about the Klondike Gold Rush in the 1890s. The main dog in the tale is Buck.

5). Buddy: this is a classic dog name that has been around for just over 100 years. This name means “friend” and there were also some famous guys with this name including Buddy Holly.

6). Archie: this name comes from Archie Comics, which is still a popular comic today! One of the main characters in one of their comics is Archie. He’s famous for his bright red hair.

7). Elvis: this name comes from the famous American singer Elvis Presley. He’s been dubbed the “King of Rock and Roll,” and is famous for his contributions to music and American culture.

8). Skipper: this is the name of the captain from the TV series “Gilligan’s Island.” The character was played by Alan Hale, Jr. On the show, the Skipper’s real name was Capt. Jonas Grumby.

9). Opie: this was the name of the son on the TV series the “Andy Griffith Show.” Opie is famous for his red hair and freckles, as well as getting into trouble every now and then.

10). Tarzan: this is the name of the main character from the novel Tarzan of the Apes, as well as many movies that came out in the 50s and 60s. This would be a cute name for a large, strong dog.

11). Elwood: this was the name of one of the characters from a movie called The Blues Brothers. After the movie became a hit, the guys who played the main characters in the movie (John Belushi & Dan Aykroyd) became hits on the popular TV show Saturday Night Live.

12). Lennon: was a singer, songwriter, and musician. He started out with the group called The Beatles and later went solo. He was also a peace activist, who was shot by a fan on December 8, 1980.

13). Jagger: this name is inspired by the English singer, songwriter, actor, and film producer Mick Jagger (real name Sir Michael Philip Jagger). He’s become a world-famous lead singer for a group called the Rolling Stones.

14). Ringo: this name is inspired by Ringo Starr (real name Sir Richard Starkey MBE), who is a British musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He became famous as a drummer for the group called The Beatles.

15). Domino: this name is inspired by Fat Domino (real name Antoine Dominique), who was an American pianist, singer, songwriter. He was most popular in the 50s and 60s and sold more than 65 million records.

16). Herman: this name is inspired by the British rock group called Herman’s Hermits. The lead sinder was Peter Noone. They were one of the most successful groups in the British Invasion.

17). Jimmy: this name is inspired by a famous actor, James Stewart, who was popular in many movies from the 50s & 60s, and more. He was also a military officer. In addition, his entire acting career spanned 80 films that he made between 1935 and 1991.

18). Nehru: this is the name of a type of jacket that was popular in the 60s. In fact, it was a type of jacket that was even used by the Beatles and another group called the Monkees.

19). Garfunkel: this name is inspired by a singer, poet, and actor named Art Garfunkel. He formed a singing duo called Simon & Garfunkel with Paul Simon. They were very famous for their folk-rock music.

20). Gomer: this name comes from the main character in a TV show called Gomer Pyle. Gomer was played by actor Jim Nabors. The character was famous for being naïve and gentle, and for his deep singing voice.

21). Bopper: this name is inspired by the Big Bopper (real name Jiles Perry “JP” Richardson Jr.). He was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and dj. He was famous for singing “Chantilly Lace” and “White Lightning.”

22). Brando: this name is inspired by Marlon Brando, who was an American actor and film director. His career spanned 60 years. And he won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice in his long career.

23). Frank: this name is inspired by Frank Sinatra, who was an American singer, actor, and producer. He’s considered one of the most influential singers from the 20th century and is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with over 150 million records sold around the world.

24). Yogi: this name is inspired by Yogi Bear, the main character in many animated TV shows and films.

25). Desi: this name is inspired by Desi Arnaz (real name Desiderio Alberto Aranaz y de Acha III). He was a Cuban-American actor, musician, bandleader, comedian, film and TV producer. He was married in real life to Lucille Ball, and together they developed the I Love Lucy TV series.

Retro Names for Female Dogs

Here are some nostalgic names for girl dogs!

26). Lucille: this name is inspired by the actress Lucille Ball (real name Lucille Desiree Ball), who was married to Desi Arnaz. They both worked together on the I Love Lucy TV series.

27). Edith: an old french name.

28). Wilma: was one of the main characters on the animated TV series The Flintstones. She was married to Fred, and their daughter was Pebbles.

29). Janis: this name is inspired by Janis Joplin, who was an American singer and songwriter. She was famous for singing rock, soul, and blues. She was one of the most well known and successful rock stars in the 60s.

30). Blondie: this name’s inspired by one of the main characters from the American comic strip of the same name. She’s married to Dagwood.

31). Trixie: this name is inspired by the Trixie Belden book series. She’s the main character in the books and is a teenage detective.

32). Ginger: this name is inspired by the famous American actress, dancer, and singer Ginger Rogers (real name Virginia Katherine McMath). She’s also famous for dancing with Fred Astaire.

33). Maude: this name is inspired by the character who first appeared in the TV series All in the Family. Maude was a cousin of Edith (the main character). Maude later got her own TV show.

34). Rhonda: this name is inspired by the hit song “Help Me, Rhonda,” which was sung by the Beach Boys.

35). Marilyn: this is a name inspired by actress Marilyn Monroe (real name Normal Jeane Mortenson). She was also a model and singer.

36). Barbie: this name comes from the fashion doll, which was made by the American toymaker Mattel. Barbie was first launched in 1959 and became extremely popular. She’s still popular today!

37). Hula: this name is inspired by a toy called the hula hoop. It was worn around the waist and then twirled by moving the body. They’re still popular today.

38). Hayley: this name is inspired by the actress Hayley Mills.

39). Doris: this name is inspired by the American actress, singer, and welfare activist Doris Day (real name Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff).

40). Nova: this name comes from the car manufactured by Chevrolet, which was called the Nova.

41). Twister: this name comes from a very popular game of the same name. It was put out by the Milton Bradley Company. This is a game that’s played on a map that has rows of colored circles. A spinner lets players know which colored circles to place their hands and feet on, creating a tangle of game players.

42). Annette: this name comes from an American actress and singer name Annette Funicello. As a child, she appeared on the Mickey Mouse Club.

43). Peyton: this name comes from a TV series called Peyton Place. It was a popular soap opera that ran from 1964 to 1969.

44). Maxi: this is a type of dress that goes all the way to the floor or ankle, and is formfitting at the top, then drops to become loose and flowing at the bottom.

45). Veronica: this name comes from one of the main characters in the Archie comics—Veronica Lodge.

46). Connie: this name is inspired by the singer Connie Francis (real name Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero). She’s a popular American pop singer and actress.

47). Bea: this was the name of one of the main characters on The Andy Griffith Show. Aunt Bea was played by Frances Bavier.

48). Brenda: this name is inspired by Brenda Lee (real name Brenda Mae Tarpley), who is an American singer.

49). Gladys: is an American singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman, and author. She’s famous for singer soul, pop, R&B, and more.

50). Cher: this name is inspired by Cher (real name Cherilyn Sarkisian), who is an American singer, actress, and TV personality.

There you have it! We hope you’ve enjoyed this little bit of time travel to remember the greats of yesteryear! And we hope you’ve found a great retro name for your dog!

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Kyoko

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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