Black and white dogs are a stunning bunch, from the feisty Boston terrier to the striking Alaskan malamute, the pointer, the border collie, or any lovable mixed breed dog that landed the black and white coat genes. So how do you find a great name for your new black and white dog? Consider size, look, and personality. This list has options to fit any dog, from a lovely Cupcake to a strong Obsidian. We handpicked these choices by consulting dog name trends and our huge Rover.com database of dog names. Those with an asterisk (*) rank among the top 100 most popular dog names.
Many of these are gender-neutral. A female black and white dog can easily go by Jazz, for example, while a male black and white dog could sport Swirl.
- Almond Joy
- Audrey
- Aurora
- Barcode
- Bessie or Bess
- Betty (Boop)
- Blot
- Boggle
- Butler
- Chanel
- Chaplin
- Charlie*
- Chess
- Chester*
- Coco
- Cookie*
- Cookies n’ Cream
- Cupcake
- Dabble
- Dapple
- Dice
- Domino
- Dotty
- Drake
- Freckles
- Garbo (black and white film star)
- Greta
- Groucho
- Hemera (Greek goddess of day and night)
- Holstein (the cow)
- Inkblot
- Inky
- Jack*
- Jasper*
- Jazz
- Junior Mint
- Keys
- Kiss (the band)
- Lucky*
- Luna*
- Magic
- Magician
- Magpie
- Maverick*
- Marble
- Mickey*
- Minnie*
- Mittens
- Moon
- Moo (or MooMoo?)
- Motley
- Mottle
- Nigel
- Noir
- Nova
- Nyx (God of the night)
- Obsidian
- Odette or Odile (the black and white swans from Swan Lake)
- Onyx
- Orca
- Oreo*
- Panda
- Parfait
- Patches
- Peanuts (in honor of Snoopy!)
- Penguin
- Pepper*
- Perdita (the mother of 101 Dalmatians)
- Piano
- Pinwheel
- Pixel
- Pongo
- Puffin
- Puzzles
- Raven
- Rebel
- Retro
- Rocky (Raccoon!)
- Rorschach
- Salt n’ Pepper
- Scrabble
- Shadow*
- Shady
- Shamu
- Silhouette
- Skunk
- Smudge
- Snoopy
- Sprinkles
- Socks or Sox
- Storm or Stormy
- Stripey
- Sushi
- Swan
- Swirl
- Sylvester
- Thor*
- Tiger
- Trooper
- Tuxedo (Tux)
- Vega
- Vintage
- Whoopie (pie)
- Ying-Yang
- Zebra
- Zigzag (Ziggy)
- Zorro
Do Black & White Dogs Need a Themed Name?
Sure, a black and white dog named Oreo or Panda is pretty cute. But you don’t have to go that route. Some of the names on Rover’s list are inspired by your dog’s color, but not all! You don’t have to give your new puppy a name that has anything to do with their coat if you don’t want to.
Here are some other considerations when choosing your new black and white dog’s name.
People Names for Dogs
Do you like the sound of a human baby name on a puppy? If so, you’re not alone. It used to be that most of us agreed on a good name for a dog. Fido, Rex, Lady: we expected generic choices. Now, however, you’re more likely to hear human names on dogs.
Our data shows that each year, dog owners increasingly turn to human names for their pets. This reflects the larger cultural trend that embraces dogs as full-on family members who deserve their own special place in our homes and hearts. Our dog love runs deep.
Dog Naming Advice
If you’re having trouble deciding, keep in mind that a great black and white dog name can come from many different sources of inspiration, such as your favorite foods, books, celebrities, your heritage, or even dog breed history. For example, an Italian greyhound puppy might sport a fashionista name like Chanel, while a husky mix could carry a name like Zorro.
Another consideration when choosing your dog’s name? Dog training. This is of particular importance for puppies. When you’re teaching your new dog to respond to commands like sit, stay, or come, you’ll want to be sure their name isn’t a source of confusion. In other words, avoid puppy names that sound like a common dog training cue, such as “Bit,” which could easily be misheard as “sit.”
Of course, what matters most is that the dog name you choose rolls off your tongue. The best names will make you happy. We’re fans of the “backdoor test” for dog name selection. It’s pretty much what it sounds like: stand at the back door and call out your new dog‘s potential name. Saying “Marble, it’s time for dinner!” or “Snoopy, leave it!” helps take the name out of your imagination and into reality.
The Bottom Line
Good luck, have fun and be sure to check out our other dog name coverage. As dog lovers through and through here at Rover, we find dog names absolutely fascinating, and we love searching our data on the topic to discover hot trends, quirky choices, and unique twists on classics. Over the years, we’ve compiled plenty of names for you to peruse—and we keep our lists updated with new data each year.
To start, check out our list of the most popular names of 2018, and then jump over to unique dog names to see the contrast. But that’s only the beginning. We’ve got articles covering top Irish choices, male dog names, female dog names, and popular names for hunting dogs, small dogs, white dogs, Huskies, German shepherds, and many more.
