Over 60 Popular German Male Dog Names

German Male Dog Names A-D

german dog names boy: emil — Despite their small size, German Dachshunds are quite assertive. They were bred to drive badgers and foxes out of their burrows, so they have to be brave and steadfast.
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Alfred

The name Alfred comes from Old High German and developed from the old German name Alfrad. This name derived from two Old High German words: alb and rad. Alb means nature spirit and the word rad stands for advisor. Thus, the name Alfred is suitable for dogs that like to go for a walk in nature and outdoors and know how to give a hint to their master from time to time.

Anton

Anton is considered a short form of the name Antonius, therefore has a Latin origin. The masculine given name Anton means “one originating from the family of the Antonians”. Anton is currently one of the most popular names for newborn boys in Germany.

Ari

Ari is a masculine given name used in different cultures and languages. In the North Germanic language, Ari was the word for eagle.

Aron

Aron is a German as well as a Hebrew male given name. The name gained popularity through the Old Testament, where Aron is found as the older brother of Moses.

The name means hero, fighter or the enlightened one. Thus, Aron is especially suitable for brave and strong dogs.

Baldur

The name Baldur comes originally from Scandinavia. From there it spread to other Germanic countries, such as Germany or Austria. Baldur is a form of Balder or Baldr, in Norse mythology one of the sons of the god Odin and the goddess Frigg. Translated, the name means something like prince or lord. Baldur was described as a light figure and personification of the sun.

Balto

The name Balto comes from Scandinavia and is commonly translated as the brave or the peaceful one.

Becks

Becks means brook in old German. The name is also common as surname in Northern Germany and there is a popular German beer named after the family Becks.

Boris

It’s not quite clear where the origin of the name Boris lies, but it is probably a short form of the Slavic name Borislaw. In its Slavic form it means “(glorious) fighter”. It became very popular in Germany in the 1980s, when tennis player Boris Becker became the first German to win the Wimbledon singles title.

Bruno

The male given name Bruno has an Old High German origin and is derived from the name stem Brun (meaning brown or bear). Thus Bruno is well suited for dogs with a brown coat.

Brutus

Brutus is a masculine given name that comes from Latin. It can be translated either with heavy or as dull-witted. Accordingly, this name is particularly suitable for male dogs, which may not be endowed with the greatest intelligence, but with strength, willpower and perseverance. It’s a popular choice amongst German male dog names for large, muscular dogs.

Castor

The name Castor is a male given name whose roots can be found in ancient Greek. In ancient mythology, Castor was one of the twin sons of Zeus. The Gemini constellation was named after the twin sons and two of the stars included in the constellation bear their names Castor and Pollux.

Dirk

Dirk is a masculine given name and means “the powerful ruler of the people”. Dirk is the Low German short form of the old German name Dietrich.

Dominik

The male first name Dominik translates as “the one who belongs to the Lord”. Dominic goes back to the name Dominicus and therefore has a Latin origin. The name refers to today’s “Sunday”, which according to biblical tradition refers to the resurrection day of Jesus.

German Male Dog Names E-G

Egon

The name Egon is a short form of the masculine first name Eginhard. Ego means terror or the sword, so it’s appropriate for strong, brave dogs.

Emil

Emil comes from the Latin name “Aemilius” and means “the eager one”. Emil is an excellent name for a small, cheeky dog.

Erich / Erik

Erich is the more common form for Erik or Eric in Germany. The name Erik is derived from the Scandinavian name Eiríkr or Airikr, which are composed of the Old Norse words “aen” and “rikr”. “Aen” is the Old Norse term for “alone” and “rikr” can be translated as “ruler” and “prince”. Thus, the name Erik refers to its bearer as “the sole ruler” or “the powerful prince”.

Erwin

Erwin is a male name whose roots can be found in the Old High German language as Herwin. The name Herwin is composed of the two Old High German words “heri” and “wini”. The word “heri” can be translated as “army” or “warrior”. “Wini” is the Old High German term for “friend”. So Herwin / Erwin means “friend of the warriors” or “friend of the army”.

Fabian

Fabian is a very popular name for boys in Germany. Originally it comes from ancient Rome, where it was affiliated with the noble family of the Fabians. In Latin, “fabis” means noble. So it would be a good choice for an elegant dog.

Falco / Falko

The male first name Falco or Falko comes from the Old High German and means “the falcon”, but was also a designation for tribal princes. It has been in use since the Middle Ages and is especially common in the German-speaking world. For the ancient Germanic people, the falcon was associated with their sun god. The falcon is a symbol for power and strength, so it’s a good name for a powerful dog.

Fiete

The name Fiete is more common in the northern parts of Germany. It is composed of the two old German words “fridu” (peace) and “rihhi” (rich, powerful). The name therefore stands for “the peaceful, the protector, the rich”.

Frank

The meaning of the name Frank can be derived either from the Old High German term “franko”, which can be translated as “free” and “brave”. The old German tribe of “the Franks” were very powerful and moved to the west during the Migration Period, where they eventually formed the nation known today as France.

Franz

Franz is a masculine given name with Italian / Latin origin. It is a nickname for the German given name Franziskus. The name Franziskus is in turn a Latinized form of the Italian first name Francesco.

Fritz

Fritz is a masculine given name and a short form of the name Friedrich. The name is composed of the Old High German terms “fridu” and “rihhi”. There are a number of possible translations, for example “the ruler”, “the peaceful” or “the protector”. A number of famous German kings bore the name Friedrich.

Gil

Gil is the short form of the old Germanic name Gilbert, meaning “the shining offspring”.

The dogs known as “Great Danes” in English speaking countries are called “Deutsche Dogge” in Germany. Actually there are minor differences between the two. So, depending on size and color, your Great Dane might be German after all… – Image by Jürg Roth from Pixabay

German Male Dog Names H-L

Hannes / Hans

Hannes and Hans are both short versions of the Hebrew name Jochanan and its Latinized form Johannes. The name is composed of Jahwe“ and chanan. Jahwe means God and channa stands for grace. So the name means “grace of god”. When a male dog has a kind and loving nature, you could give him the name Hannes, thereby reflecting his personality.

Ingo

Ingo is a male first name with Germanic roots. It derives from the name “Ingwio”, a tribal deity of the Germanic people of the Ingväonen.

Kai

Kai is a masculine given name, which is particularly common in the German-speaking world. The name comes from the old Frisian word “kempe” and means fighter or warrior.

Karl

Steming from Old High German “karal”, which translated means “the man” or “the husband”. Another popular interpretation of Karl is “the free man”.

Leopold

Combined name from the two Old High German words “liut” (the people) and “bald” (bold, courageous). So Leopold means “the bold one from among the people.”

Ludwig / Lutz

Ludwig has its origin in the Old High German words “hlut” (loud, famous) and “wig” (wrestling, the fight), so Ludwig is a famous fighter. The name has often been borne by German kings. Lutz is a shortened version of Ludwig.

Luka / Lukas

Lukas refers to the ancient Greek word “leucos” or the Roman “lux”, which both mean “light” or “bright”. The most popular interpretations of Luka / Lukas are therefore “the light-bringer” or “the shining one”.

German Male Dog Names M-O

Mathis

Mathis is the nordic variant of the name Matthew, with Matthew being one of the 12 apostles and one of the four evangelists. The name Mathis cannot be directly assigned a meaning, but it is known that the original form Matthew means something like “the gift”, “the gift” or “gift of God”. Mathis is therefore the ideal name for rather introverted, quiet and calm dogs with a friendly nature.

Max

The male given name Max is a short form of the name Maximilian, which can be traced back to the Latin Maximilianus. It translates as “the greatest”.

Moritz

The name Moritz is a Germanized variant of the Latin Mauritius. Moritz can be traced back to the Latin word “maurus” for dark-skinned. This meaning suggests a use of the name for dogs with darker fur.

Oswald

The name Oswald originally comes from Old High German. It is composed of the words “ans” (= deity) and “waltan” (= to rule, to reign). So Oswald means “the one who rules by God”.

Otto

In Old High German “ot” meant possession, wealth, or inheritance. Accordingly, Otto was a name popular with nobilty in the Middle Ages.

german male dog names for rottweilers — Even Rottweilers are cute when they are still puppies — Image by kim_hester from Pixabay

German Male Dog Names P-R

Paul

Derived from the Latin “paulus”, which stands for “small” or “little”. Based on this translation, Paul is a suitable name for smaller puppies from a litter.

Per

A German short form of Peter, meaning “the rock” in ancient Greek.

Peter

Peter is based on the ancient Greek word “petros,” which translates as “the rock” or “the stone”. Known as the name of St. Peter the Apostle.

Rex

Rex used to be one of the most popular German male dog names, especially for German Shepherds. In recent years it has lost some popularity, though. Rex means king in Latin.

Robert

The name Robert has an medieval Old High German origin. It can be translated as “the glory” and “shining”, which when put together gives the meaning “the graceful” or “the radiant”. In the Middle Ages it was especially popular among noble men and rulers.

Rudi / Rudolf

The first name Rudi comes from the Old High German and is the short form of Rudolf. The name is derived from the words “hruod” (the glory) and “wolf” (the wolf).

Rufus

In ancient Latin Rufus was an epithet for gingered haired persons. So it is well suited for dogs with a ginger fur.

Rupert

The name Rupert is composed of the two old German words “hrod” (= the glory) and “beraht” (= shining). So Rupert means “the one shining with fame”.

German Male Dog Names S-U

Sachso

A rare name derived from the Germanic tribe of the Saxons, who in turn had their name from their typical weapon, the Seax, a single-edged sword.

Sarolf

An ancient Germanic male name meaning “the armored wolf.”

Sascha

An originally Russian nickname for Alexander, which became very popular in Germany as a boys name.

Schorsch

A pet name for Georg, which is popular in Southern Germany and Austria. Famous by St. George (3rd/4th c.) (the dragon slayer), patron saint of England.

Seet

Seet is of Frisian origin and means “little sun”.

Sepp

Sepp is the Bavarian / Austrian short form for Joseph.

Sven

Sven has an Old Norse origin and refers to the word “sveinn”, which translates as “young warrior” or “young man”.

Tassilo

Tassilo is the West Germanic pet name for “Tasso” (the badger).

Tillmann

Tillmann is a masculine given name whose origins lie in the Middle Ages. It is formed through the combination of the Old High German words “thiot” (people) and “man”. Thus the name means “man of the people.” This can be associated with attributes such as caring or kind, but also someone with an open nature.

Tilo

Stems from the old High German word for “the people.”

Tristan

Tristan comes from the Celtic and derives from the word “drest” (noise, tumult). So it is a good fit for a lively dog.

Ulf

Ulf is the old nordic word for wolf. So it’s a good choice for large dogs like the Irish Wolfhound.

Uli / Utz

Uli and Utz are both pet name forms of the male given name Ulrich. This is formed from the Old High German words “uodal” (inheritance) and “rihhi” (ruler). Meaning Ulrich is the “ruler of the property”, meaning it is an apt name for a guard dog.

german dog names doberman — The German Doberman was specifically bred as companion and guard dog. — Image by patstatic from Pixabay

German Male Dog Names V-Z

Waldi

Waldi is the short form of Waldemar, an old German and Slavic name meaning ruler or sovereign. It has been a long-standing favorite amongst male German dog names, especially of Dachshund owners in Germany. The mascot of the Olympics games in 1972 was a dachshund named Waldi.

Wilhelm

The name Wilhelm comes from Old High German words “willio” (the will, the determination) and “helm” (the protection). The most popular interpretations of Wilhelm are therefore “the resolute protector” and “the strong-willed”. The name has been common with many German kings and rulers since the Middle Ages.

Xaver

A variation from the Spanish Javier, which is very popular in Bavaria and Austria, but rarely used in other parts of Germany.

Zwier

Frisian name, meaning “strong army” from “swith” (strong) and “heri” (Army).

Ok, this was our article on “German Male Dog Names”. We hope our selection of German dog names boy helped you to find a great name for your four-legged friend!