Dogs often give us a knowing expression that tells us they’re thinking very deep thoughts, even if those deep thoughts are mostly about treats and snuggles. What’s more fitting than a literary-inspired name for our smartypants dogs?
Now more than ever, pet parents look for a dog name that reflects what’s important to them. For book-loving dog owners, the wide world of literature can be a fantastic source of dog naming inspiration. There’s enough variety to fit any dog, from a tiny Pip to a zany Huckleberry or an elegant Galadriel.
This list of literary dog names is crafted just for book lovers and the dogs who love them. We handpicked these book-inspired dog names by digging through our Rover.com database of dog names nationwide. We also found inspiration from famous authors, cultural trends, and dog-themed children’s classics. Many of these names quite unique, while a few appear in the top 100 dog names.
This is only the beginning, of course. Use your imagination, have fun, and be sure to check out our other dog name articles for more ideas.
68 Top Literary Names for Dogs
- Anais (as in Nin)
- Antonia (My Antonia)
- Argos (The Odyssey)
- Arya (Game of Thrones)
- Atticus (To Kill a Mockingbird)
- Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale and many more)
- Baldwin (Another Country and many more)
- Balzac
- Beckett (Waiting for Godot)
- Bingley (Pride and Prejudice)
- Blanche (A Streetcar Named Desire)
- Bram (Dracula)
- Bronte (as in the sisters)
- Byron (as in Lord)
- Clifford (The Big Red Dog)
- Cullen (Twilight)
- Dalloway (Mrs. Dalloway)
- Dante (The Divine Comedy)
- Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)
- Dashiell (author Hammett)
- Elena (author Ferrante of the Neapolitan novels)
- Ellison (Invisible Man)
- Elinor (Sense and Sensibility)
- Eloise (Eloise at the Plaza)
- Esmeralda (The House on Mango Street)
- Fable
- Francie (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn)
- Galadriel (Lord of the Rings)
- Gandalf (The Hobbit)
- Gatsby (The Great Gatsby)
- Gulliver (Gulliver’s Travels)
- Harper (as in Harper Lee)
- Harry (Harry Potter—for more see 70 Most Unique Dog Names)
- Haruki (famed author Murakami)
- Hermione (Harry Potter)
- Holden (The Catcher in the Rye)
- Homer
- Huckleberry (Adventures of Huckleberry Finn)
- Isabel (The House of Spirits and many more)
- Juliet (Romeo and Juliet)
- Katniss (The Hunger Games)
- Keats
- Kerouac (On the Road)
- Lorca (poet Federico García)
- Lyric
- Marlowe (The Big Sleep)
- Matilda (Matilda)
- Maya (as in Angelou)
- Merlin
- Mowgli (The Jungle Book)
- Novella
- Ophelia (Hamlet)
- Pablo (as in the poet Neruda)
- Pippi (Pippi Longstocking)
- Poe (as in Edgar Allen)
- Rhett (Gone With the Wind)
- Rip Van Winkle (Rip for short?)
- Rumi (the poet)
- Sherlock (as in Holmes)
- Sherman (as in author Alexie)
- Sonnet
- Story
- Tennyson (the poet)
- Truman (In Cold Blood)
- Ulysses
- Whitman (Leaves of Grass and more)
- Wilder (The Little House on the Prairie)
- Zora (Their Eyes Were Watching God)
More Dog Names
- Unique Dog Names
- Romantic Dog Names
- Harry Potter Dog Names
- 100 Top Puppy Names
- Plus top cat names—in case there’s a new kitty in your life, too.
