Adding a dog to your family may not be as tricky as Colin and Marina’s relationship in Bridgerton, but it can be more complex than you first thought. You might want a name that sums up their personality, nods to the noble tradition of dog ownership, and showcases your pup’s politeness. But how do you balance this with needing to shout their name across a park?
Luckily, some of the century’s most popular and well-loved shows, like Bridgerton and Downton Abbey, provide a rich tapestry of family names, classic English monikers, and historical context to help inspire your dog’s new identity. Whether they’re an astute Hyacinth or more of an airy Colin, you can try these names out for size and see how the tiara fits.
Dog Names Inspired by Bridgerton and Regency Characters
Regency shows and novels provide a host of noble, swoon-worthy, and powerful characters with names reflecting love, devotion, and complexity. Two of the top climbers this year are Daphne and Colin, but Bridgerton’s Lady Penelope is way out in front. Violet is another of 2024’s trending Bridgerton dog names, but it might also refer to Dame Maggie Smith’s character from Downton Abbey, which may be gaining popularity after her tragic passing this year.
Corgis, Lord Snowdon and Honey at Roverton House, a Regency-inspired doghouse, unveiled by Rover in London’s Victoria Park. Photo credit: David Parry/PA Media Assignments
Shows like The Crown also pull directly from English royalty and nobility, so if you want to give your hoity-toity, fussy pup the regal treatment, royal names are also up for grabs.
- Albert (Victoria)
- Anna (Downton Abbey)
- Anthony (Bridgerton)
- Benedict (Bridgerton)
- Branson (Downton Abbey)
- Brianna (Outlander)
- Cora (Downton Abbey)
- Clara (Sanditon)
- Claire (Outlander)
- Cora (Downton Abbey)
- Daphne (Bridgerton)
- Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)
- Diana (The Crown)
- Dougal (Outlander)
- Edith (Downton Abbey)
- Elinor (Sense and Sensibility)
- Eloise (Bridgerton)
- Elizabeth (Pride and Prejudice/The Crown)
- Esther (Sanditon)
- Feodora (Victoria)
- Fergus (Outlander)
- Fitzwilliam (Pride and Prejudice)
- Fred (Call the Midwife)
- Harriet (Victoria)
- Jamie (Outlander)
- Jane (Pride and Prejudice)
- Jenny (Call the Midwife)
- Laoghaire (pronounced “Lee-ree,” Outlander)
- Leopold (Victoria)
- Lydia (Pride and Prejudice)
- Margaret (The Crown)
- Marianne (Sense and Sensibility)
- Mary (Downton Abbey)
- Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)
- Murtagh (Outlander)
- Patsy (Call the Midwife)
- Penelope (Bridgerton)
- Philip (The Crown)
- Simon (Bridgerton)
- Sister Julienne (Call the Midwife)
- Sister Monica Joan (Call the Midwife)
- Sidney (Sanditon)
- Sybil (Downton Abbey)
- Trixie (Call the Midwife)
- Violet (Bridgerton/Downton Abbey)
- Willoughby (Sense and Sensibility)
- Winston (The Crown)
Dog Names Based on Castles & Estates
Bridgerton and similar shows are famous for their beautiful, sprawling estates and grand castles. While a dog crate with a plushy blanket might not be Sanditon House, give your dog a sense of place, history, and identity by naming them after a beautiful manor from a Regency show.
- Aubrey (Hall, Bridgerton)
- Balmoral (The Crown)
- Barton (Barton Cottage, Sense and Sensibility)
- Belvoir (Historical Castle)
- Blenheim (Historical Castle)
- Buckingham (Buckingham Palace, Victoria)
- Leoch (Castle Leoch, Outlander)
- Chatsworth (Historical Castle)
- Clarence (Clarence House, The Crown)
- Downton (Downton Abbey)
- Fraser (Fraser’s Ridge, Outlander)
- Hastings House (Bridgerton)
- Hatfield (Historical Castle)
- Highclere (Downton Abbey)
- Kensington Palace (Victoria)
- Lallybroch (Outlander)
- Longbourn (Pride and Prejudice)
- Netherfield (Pride and Prejudice)
- Norland Park (Sense and Sensibility)
- Osborne House (Victoria)
- Pemberley (Pride and Prejudice)
- Ranger’s House (Bridgerton)
- Rosings (Pride and Prejudice)
- Sanditon House (Sanditon)
- Trafalgar House (Sanditon)
- Versailles (Outlander)
- Windsor Castle (Victoria)
Fancy Dog Name Inspiration from Noble Titles
Your dog no doubt considers themselves the upper crust around your household, and many carry themselves with an air of nobility and grace that only the most elegant names will produce. Duke, Lady, and Prince are among the highest-ranking dog names for popularity this year, as they were last year. However, Lord is having a great year, with nearly eight times as many dogs called Lord entering our database as in 2023.
Outlander has also produced names from Scottish nobility, like Chieftain or Laird, for dogs carrying themselves with a more rugged air. And don’t forget the wait staff, either: Butler is the 13th-highest climber this year.
- Baron (General title)
- Butler
- Chieftain (Outlander)
- Colonel (Pride and Prejudice)
- Countess (General title)
- Duke (General title)
- Duchess (General title)
- Earl (General title)
- Lady (General title)
- Laird (Outlander)
- Lord (General title)
- Marquess (General title)
- Prince Regent (Historical figure)
- Queen Charlotte (Bridgerton)
- Viscount (General title)
Historical Events & Themes to Inspire Your Dog’s Name
Some history buffs fans attach particular significance to events or crucial periods throughout the Regency era. Whether they’ve shaped the events of their favourite shows and characters, sculpted their local town or area, or are simply interesting in their own right, your dog’s name could serve as tribute to the most poignant historical events for you.
- Commonwealth (The Crown)
- Coronation (The Crown)
- Culloden (Outlander)
- Empire (Victoria)
- Highlander (Outlander)
- Jakey (Jacobite, Outlander)
- Pemberley (Pride and Prejudice)
Dog Names Inspired by Regency Fashions and Clothing
For dapper dogs, you can’t go far wrong with a name fashioned after the most dashing Regency adornments and costumes. Some of the most impressive elements of these shows are the gowns and period details. Plus, your dog might have characteristics like a long-haired chihuahua’s neck ruffles or a cocker’s “tiara” of floof that are just asking for a Regency-attire-themed name.
- Cravat (Bridgerton)
- Tiara (Dowager’s Tiara, Downton Abbey)
- Kilt (Outlander)
- Modiste (Bridgerton)
- Petticoat (Bridgerton)
- Ruffles
- Sporran (Outlander)
- Tails (Downton Abbey)
- Tiara (General Fashion)
- Tartan (Outlander)
Dog Names Inspired by Regency Balls, Galas, & Social Events
For swanky, sociable pups, few names exude class like those inspired by high-end parties or galas.
- Debutante (Bridgerton)
- Danbury (Danbury Ball, Bridgerton)
- Featherington (Featherington Ball, Bridgerton)
- Fête (Bridgerton)
- Lady Rose (Downton Abbey)
- Masquerade (Bridgerton)
- Smythe-Smith (Musical, Bridgerton)
- Soiree (Bridgerton)
slowmotiongli via iStock
Historical Figures & Aristocrat Inspiration for Your Dog’s Name
The Regency shows and novels are full of real historical figures from whom you can draw inspiration for your dog’s name. From renowned Lords and Ladies to royalty to Prime Ministers, give your dog the sense of self-importance and status they deserve with these aristocratic names.
- Beau (Brummell, historical figure)
- Bonnie Prince Charlie (Outlander)
- Byron (Pride and Prejudice, Historical figure)
- Disraeli (Victoria)
- Florence/Nightingale (Victoria)
- Jane Austen (Sense and Sensibility, historical figure)
- George III (King, Bridgerton)
- Louis (King Louis XV, Outlander)
- Lady Emma Hamilton (Historical figure)
- Lady Jane Grey (Historical figure)
- Lord Byron (Pride and Prejudice, historical figure)
- Mary Shelley (Historical figure)
- Mountbatten (The Crown)
- Prince Albert (Victoria)
- Queen Victoria (Victoria)
- Wallis Simpson (The Crown)
- Wellington (Historical figure)
- Winston Churchill (The Crown)
Famous Ships & Naval Ideas for Dog Names
Does your pup love water? From navy ranks to glorious seafaring vessels, you can go from sails to tails by taking dog name inspiration from one of the Regency era’s many nautical themes.
- Admiral (General naval rank)
- Artemis (Outlander)
- Britannia (The Crown)
- Commodore (General naval rank)
- Cutter (General naval ship)
- HMS Victory (Historical ship)
- Nelson (Historical figure)
- Porpoise (Outlander)
- Trafalgar (Historical naval battle)
Dog Names Based on Regency Art and Literature
To make sure you and your dog have the best of times AND the best of times, to deliberately misquote Dickens, why not tap into the great minds and characters of the era? From writers to poets, these names might suit the more pensive dogs or book-obsessed pet parents.
- Austen (Sense and Sensibility)
- Byron (Pride and Prejudice)
- Dickens (Victoria)
- Emma (Sense and Sensibility)
- Rococo (Historical Art Style)
- Shelley (Pride and Prejudice)
- Tennyson (Victoria)
- Wordsworth (Pride and Prejudice)
David Parry/PA Media Assignments
Dog Names that Use Regency Family Names & Lineages
Your dog is a family member, and family inheritance and lineage play vital roles in most Regency and Royal dramas. From traditional Scottish names to fictional and real historical English names (with some, like Basset, lending themselves perfectly to particular breeds), here are some family names that can work very well as your dog’s moniker of choice.
- Basset (Bridgerton)
- Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)
- Bingley (Pride and Prejudice)
- Bridgerton (Bridgerton)
- Cavendish (Historical family)
- Collins (Pride and Prejudice)
- Crawley (Downton Abbey)
- Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)
- Featherington (Bridgerton)
- Fraser (Outlander)
- Grantham (Downton Abbey)
- Hastings (Bridgerton)
- Howard (Historical family)
- MacDonald (Outlander)
- MacKenzie (Outlander)
- Mountbatten (The Crown)
- Pelham (Historical Family)
- Spencer (The Crown)
- Talbot (Historical Family)
- Windsor (The Crown)
Seasonal and Outdoor Themes
Dogs love the outdoors now as they did in Regency times. Sweeping vistas of the British countryside and magnificent country gardens provide the most appropriate backdrop for the romance and intrigue of Bridgerton, Outlander, and Downton Abbey. Flowers, such as the Scottish thistle or the Tudor Rose of the Houses of York and Lancaster, also carry cultural significance throughout British history. Your dog could have a name that portrays beauty, nature, and history all in one.
- Hawthorn (Historical symbol)
- Heather (Outlander)
- Kensington (The Crown)
- Kew (Historical garden)
- Marigold (Downton Abbey)
- Regent’s Park (Bridgerton)
- Rose (General plant)
- Rowan (Outlander)
- Thistle (Outlander)
If you’re still rummaging for inspiration, give our fun Dog Name Generator a go. You can also tap into our UK database of dog name data for an idea of what’s trending nationwide.
