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Pit bulls are well-known dogs that usually refer to the American pit bull terrier, American bully, American Staffordshire terrier, and the Staffordshire bull terrier, according to Bronwen Dickey, author of Pit Bull: The Battle Over an American Icon. Whatever you call them, pit bulls are fast overcoming negative stereotypes to become popular companion animals known for their gentle demeanor. We’ve rounded up the most popular pit bull names of the year from our enormous Rover.com database of dog names nationwide. Yes, these are real names given by pit bull, pit mix, American bully, and staffy owners. 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.
Pit Bull Flower Power by Sophie Gamand, Adam (Courtesy of the artist)
The 101 Most Popular Pit Bull Names
From Rover.com’s database
- Bella
- Luna
- Scotty
- Blue / Blu
- Roxy / Roxie
- Lucy
- Nala
- Zeus
- Lola
- Lily / Lilly
- Stella
- Daisy
- Max
- Rocky
- Zoe / Zoey
- Bailey / Baylee
- Duke
- Diesel
- Charlie
- Harley
- Sadie
- Buddy
- King
- Coco
- Jax
- Cali / Callie
- Molly
- Mia
- Riley / Rylee
- Penny
- Athena
- Tank
- Remy / Remi
- Rocco / Rocko
- Tyson
- Cooper
- Rosie
- Thor
- Diamond
- Ace
- Beau / Bo
- Ruby
- Bentley
- Layla
- Leo
- Jack
- Chloe
- Nova
- Apollo
- Marley
- Maggie
- Kane / Cane
- Bruno
- Chance
- Gracie
- Bear
- Ellie
- Hazel
- Loki
- Kilo / Kylo
- Sasha
- Kona
- Piper
- Lexi / Lexie / Lexy
- Milo
- Sophie
- Gunner / Gunnar
- Dexter
- Roscoe
- Hank
- Lady
- Xena / Zena
- Princess
- Moose
- Koda / Kota
- Tucker
- Buster
- Bruce
- Shadow
- Louie
- Maya / Maia
- Honey
- Cash
- Titan
- Oliver
- Jackson
- Lucky
- Pepper
- Lulu
- Storm
- Rex
- Olive
- Izzy
- Ginger
- Petey
- Simba
- Willow
- Bubba
- Dixie
- Toby
- Oreo
Top 10 Female Pit Bull Names
Names with an asterisk (*) are not in the top 10 for all dogs nationwide
- Bella
- Luna
- Roxy / Roxie*
- Lucy
- Nala*
- Lola
- Lily / Lilly*
- Stella
- Daisy
- Zoe / Zoey*
Top 10 Male Pit Bull Names
Names with an asterisk (*) are not in the top 10 for all dogs nationwide
- Scotty
- Blue / Blu*
- Zeus*
- Max
- Rocky
- Duke
- Diesel*
- Charlie
- Harley*
- Buddy
Rover.com’s Priscilla and her pit bull puppy, Atlas
Pit Bull Name Trends
Proportionally speaking, the name Blue (or Blu) is much more popular for pit bulls than for other dogs, probably due to the lovely coloring of the blue-nosed pit bull. Bluebell shows up more than usual among the top 1000 pit bull names, too! That distinctive coloring also accounts for the popularity of Shadow and variations of Gray and Grey.
Names related to strength show up more often among pit bulls, too (as well as all bully breeds), with Rocky, Diesel, Tank, Tyson, Zeus, and Athena ranking much higher in this dog group than in the general population of dogs.
Then again, flower names and “sweet” names are popular pit bull monikers, too. Daisy, Lily, and Rosie are common pit bull names. Perhaps more than with other types of dogs, pittie parents are sensitive to the connotations of different names. Shane, a Rover user and pit mix owner in San Francisco, explains, “I named her Honey because it isn’t what people expect from a pit bull.”
Make It Personal
Playing with the expectations of pit bulls can add to the naming fun: maybe contrast your dog’s tough name with a bright and goofy customized dog tag or suit up your cuddly pitty with a personalized and sophisticated leather collar.
Pit Bull Name Advice
If you’re having trouble deciding, keep in mind that great pit bull 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 Hercules or a color-themed moniker like Bluebell.
Another consideration when choosing your pit bull’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 pit bull 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 “Mia, it’s time for dinner!” or “Rex, 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.
