Whether you have Australian heritage, an Australian dog breed like an Australian Shepherd, cattle dog or kelpie, or you’re just a fan of everything “Down Under,” an Australian dog name can be a great way to reflect your passion for this wild and beautiful place.
Dogs of Australia, a dog lifestyle brand based in Brisbane, reports that most popular names in “Oz” include Ruby, Toby, Luna, Nala, Max, Tilly, and Shadow.
Quirky names for a pair of pups include “Crackers and Cheese,” “Gin and Tonic,” “Turbo and Charger,” and “Stormie and Sunny.”
Nicknames include the usual “mate” and “dude,” and it’s common to switch between the short and long forms. Think “Tilly” for Matilda—casual most of the time, but full-on Matilda when it’s time to get serious.
So how do you find the perfect Australian dog name? Rover has you covered.
We selected our favorite dog names from Australia through a combination of outside research and digging through our Rover.com database of dog names nationwide. Many of these names aren’t heard very often at the dog park, while others show up on the list of top 100 dog names.
iStock/Julia_Siomuha
Best Australian Dog Names
- Acacia (also known as wattle trees)
- Adelaide
- Alice
- Amarina (rain)
- Apples
- Arvo (Aussie slang for ‘afternoon’)
- Aussie
- Banjo (Paterson – an Australian poet)
- Barbie (barbecue)
- Baz (as in Luhrmann)
- Bikkie (cookie)
- Bitzer (mixed-breed dog)
- Bluey
- Blaze
- Bondi (beach)
- Bonzer (great!)
- Boonie (safari hat)
- Bradbury (Australian Olympic speed skater)
- Brisbane
- Brumby (wild horse)
- Byron (bay)
- Canberra
- Cassia
- Cate (as in Blanchett)
- Chiko (egg snack)
- Choccy (chocolate)
- Copper
- Coral
- Crikey (surprise)
- Croc
- Daku (means ‘sand hill’ in the Diyari language)
- Darwin
- Didgeridoo
- Dingo
- Dundee
- Emu
- Grommet (slang for young surfer)
- Hobart
- Irwin
- Jaffa (popular candy)
- Jedda (1955 Australian film)
- Kakadu
- Kalinda (as in author Ashton)
- Kirra (means ‘leaf’ in the Yugambeh language)
- Koala
- Kolya (winter)
- Kookaburra
- Lamb
- Lowanna (meaning ‘girl’ in an Aboriginal language of New South Wales)
- Macadamia
- Mandu (the sun)
- Mate
- Matilda (as in Waltzing)
- Melbourne
- Miki (moon in Aboriginal language)
- Myrtle
- Nut
- Orchy (juice brand)
- Oz
- Ozzie
- Pavlova (yummy meringue cake!)
- Perth
- Sheila
- Talia (coastal town)
- Tasmania
- Tillie
- TimTam (Australian cookie)
- Toni (as in Collette)
- Toowoomba (large city)
- Trek
- Uluru
- Victoria
- VoVo (biscuit)
- Wallaby
- Wombat
- Yellowtail (wine)
View this post on Instagram
Top 5 Most Popular Female Australian Dog Names
In Rover’s top 1000 dog names database:
- Sydney
- Kiwi (a term for a New Zealander)
- Roo
- Kylie (boomerang)
- Bindi (Steve Irwin’s daughter’s name; means ‘butterfly’ in the Nyungar aboriginal language)
Top 5 Most Popular Male Australian Dog Names
In Rover’s top 1000 dog names database:
- Ace
- Boomer
- Joey (baby kangaroo)
- Ranger
- Taz
Aboriginal-Inspired Dog Names
Pay homage to the indigenous peoples of Australia with one of these names.
- Arilla – dancing ground
- Keli – dog
- Kinta – laughter
- Mirrhi – little girl
- Muma – ghost
- Narwee – the sun
- Omeo – mountains
- Paripi – river
- Ponto – little brother
- Puku – child
- Wunbi – puppy
- Yuku – tree
View this post on Instagram
Australian Celebrity Dog Names
- Hugh (Jackman) – Actor
- Heath (Ledger) – Actor
- Nicole (Kidman) – Actor
- Margot (Robbie) – Actor
- Kylie (Minogue) – Singer
- Keith (Urban) – Singer
- Olivia (Newton-John) – Singer
- Greg (Norman) – Golfer
Choosing the Perfect Australian Dog Name
Still not satisfied? The best Australian dog names might come from history, art, celebrity culture, fashion, fine dining, and even your family tree. Most of all, be sure it’s a good fit for you and your pet because you’ll be saying it…a lot. Your little heeler or labradoodle pup could be named Matilda, sure, but something completely different, like Rhubarb or Raquel, might work just as well. It’s all about your taste and your dog’s personality.
Naming your dog is just the beginning of your journey together! Use your imagination, have fun, and test out your favorite choices with your new dog to see which one sticks. Sometimes it simply comes down to that: no more, no less.
