Labrador retrievers are the most popular dog breed in America for over two decades, and who can disagree with that? These happy, playful, energetic dogs come in yellow, chocolate, or black, are the cutest puppies you ever saw, and want nothing more than to please you (or a treat). We’ve rounded up the most popular Labrador retriever names of the year from our enormous Rover.com database of dog names nationwide. Yes, these are real names given by Lab owners coast to coast. Did your dog’s name make the list?
Looking for a dog name for your new puppy or adopted family member? Have fun, use your imagination, and be sure to check out other ideas from our wide selection of dog name lists.
The 112 Most Popular Labrador Names
From Rover.com’s database
- Bella
- Bailey / Baylee
- Charlie
- Luna
- Lucy
- Cooper
- Max
- Sadie
- Daisy
- Lily / Lilly
- Buddy
- Duke
- Bear
- Riley
- Zoey / Zoe
- Molly
- Maggie
- Tucker
- Scotty
- Stella
- Abby / Abbey
- Jack
- Harley
- Roxy
- Lola
- Shadow
- Marley
- Jake
- Rocky
- Blue / Blu
- Moose
- Scout
- Nala
- Coco
- Ellie
- Gracie
- Jax
- Murphy
- Penny
- Bentley
- Chloe
- Bo / Beau
- Cali / Callie
- Remy / Remi
- Kona
- Sophie
- Milo
- Leo
- Piper
- Hank
- Finn
- Rosie
- Toby
- Gunner
- Ruby
- Jackson
- Gus
- Oliver
- Lexi / Lexy
- Zeus
- Koda
- Sam
- Mia
- Pepper
- Lucky
- Dixie
- Layla
- Dakota
- Maverick
- Willow
- Millie
- Ollie
- Diesel
- Boomer
- Dexter
- Hunter
- Luke
- Emma
- Cody
- Ace
- Brody
- Belle
- Maya
- Winston
- Annie
- Cash
- Maddie
- Lady
- Ranger
- Henry
- Buster
- Louie
- Olive
- Oakley
- Sammy
- Hershey
- Thor
- Hazel
- Loki
- Ginger
- Ella
- Bruno
- Izzy
- Apollo
- Chance
- Tank
- Sasha
- Winnie
- Harper
- Ruger
- Otis
- Chase
Labrador Name Trends
Labs are so popular, the top names given to these dogs reflect the top names nationwide. There are some definite trends among Lab owners, however. One is that names ending with an “ee” sound are more popular for Labs, perhaps because of their playful, bouncy quality.
Human names are popular for dogs no matter the breed, but interestingly, all of the top 10 Labrador names are decidedly human. This is likely a nod to their overall popularity as family members across America and beyond.
Lab Puppy Name Advice
If you’re having trouble deciding, keep in mind that great Labrador names can come from many different sources of inspiration, such as your favorite foods, books, celebrities, your heritage, or even dog breed history. For example, your puppy might sport a mythology name like Athena or a color-themed moniker like Midnight.
Another consideration when choosing your Lab’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 Labrador 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 “Bailey, it’s time for dinner!” or “Roxy, leave it!” helps take the name out of your imagination and into reality.
All Dog Names, All the Time
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.
