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.
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)
- 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
Here at Rover, we find dog names absolutely fascinating, and we love searching through 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 dog name data each year. You can also check out our list of unique dog names or take a look at our list of celebrity-inspired dog names!
The Dog Name Generator
Check out our Dog Name Generator if you still can’t decide what to call your new dog! We’ll delve into our huge Rover database of dog names and based on the information you provide, we’ll give you some dog-name-related intel. We’ll tell you the two most popular dog names for your dog’s breed and gender, and if you’re looking for a name that stands out from the pack, you’re in luck! We’re throwing in a third, decidedly random option that’s just for fun. That’s right, we won’t just give you one result, we’ll give you three whole dog names to choose from! Then we’ll leave it up to you to decide if your new addition is more of an Audrey or a Princess Porkchop.
Good luck and have fun choosing the perfect name for your new doggy.
