Best Dog Names Starting With C: Inspiration List

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Finding the perfect name for your dog can be challenging since there is almost no limit to what you can call your pup.

As you look for inspiration, it can be good to limit your options with a few parameters. Maybe, for example, you have decided to choose a dog name starting with C.

C is an excellent letter for a dog name since the sharp, distinct sound when it is pronounced like a K is easy for your dog to distinguish from background noise.

C names that start with a CH sound and even an S sound are also thought to be relatively easy for your pup to distinguish.

It is important to remember dogs don’t learn language like we do. They simply learn to recognize certain words and associate them with meanings. Being able to pick the important words out of everything you say matters.

So, if you have decided to go with a C name for whatever reason, such as it sounds nice or it combines with your own name, you are already off to a good start.

To help you find the perfect name, I have put together some inspirational lists of C names. If you don’t find exactly what you are looking for, hopefully, the lists can still inspire and point you in the right direction.

Girl Dog Names Starting With C

Are you adopting a female pup? Consider this list of girl names starting with C for female dogs.

Cabelo – means “hair” in Portuguese
Callie – Greek name meaning “pretty”
Calliope – meaning “beautiful voice” in Greek
Calypso – Greek name meaning “she who hides”
Cami – Gaelic name meaning “crooked nose”
Capri – after the Greek island
Carly – German name meaning “free person”
Cara – Gaelic name meaning “beloved”
Carmel(a) – Hebrew name meaning “garden” or “orchard”
Caroline – French name meaning “strong”
Casey – Gaelic name meaning “vigilant”
Cassidy – means “curly-headed” in Gaelic
Cassie – short for Cassandra, a Greek name meaning “man’s defender”
Cece – a nickname for a posh little girl
Cedar – like the nice-smelling wood
Chance – perfect for a lucky find
Charli – a popular name with many fun spelling variations, including Charleigh and Charley
Charlotte – French name meaning “petite, free person”
Chelsea – like the wealthy London suburb and the football club
Cheyenne – Sioux name meaning “people of a different language”
Chica – Spanish name meaning “little girl”
China – after the country (and the popular wrestler)
Chloe – Greek name meaning “blooming”
Chula – a musical song of lament (played in Capoeira Angola among other places)
Claire – French name meaning “bright”
Clara – German name meaning “bright” or “clear”
Colby – for a swarthy little girl
Copper – ideal for reddish-brown dogs
Cora – Greek name meaning “maiden”
Cotton – ideal for white, fluffy dogs
Cricket – like the small insect and the beautiful game
Crystal – the popular girl’s name

Boy Dog Names Starting With C

Adopting a boy pup into the family? Below is a list of masculine names starting with C.

Cabo – a Spanish name for “cape;” possibly a reference to coloring
Caesar – after the famous Roman dictator; great for assertive dogs
Caliber – for dogs who are as fast as a bullet!
Camper – for dogs that never leave your side
Cannon – for unstoppable dogs
Canyon – perfect if your canine friend has a big mouth
Captain – for the pup that commands your heart
Camo – great if their coat has multiple colors
Carbon – perfect for black dogs
Carl – a German name meaning “free man” (or, alternatively, Carlos in Spanish)
Cayde – Irish name meaning “battle”
Chad – means “protector” or “defender”
Champion – great for dogs who have a competitive spirit
Chappie – for a cheeky chappy
Charger – for dogs that love to run
Charles – a regal name for your little prince
Checkers – nice for black and white dogs
Chester – this old English name means “camp of soldiers;” nice for fierce little barkers
Chico – Spanish for “boy” or “lad”
Chief – for your little leader
Chipper – perfect for happy little nippers
Chiquito – Spanish name meaning “small”
Chop(per) – for dogs with a fast bite
Chomp – also for little biters
Chubbs – ideal for dogs with a stockier build
Chunk – for well-built little dogs
Cinco – means five; maybe for your fifth pup?
Clancy – Gaelic name for “son of the red warrior;” ideal for reddish dogs
Cletus – a Greek name meaning “illustrious”
Clifford – English name meaning “ford by a cliff;” a nice choice for swimmers
Clutch – for dogs that never let go
Clyde – Scottish name meaning “warm and friendly”
Coach – perfect for a commanding pack leader
Coal – another fitting name for black dogs
Coby – a strong Hebrew name meaning “supplanter”
Colt – ideal for a dog with long legs who runs like a horse!
Colton – meaning “coal town;” also ideal for black dogs
Connor – a handsome, traditional Irish name
Conrad – a German name meaning “brave” or “bold ruler”
Conway – meaning “hound of the plain”
Coop – short for “Cooper” or a chicken coop
Coors – just like the popular beer
Corbin – English name meaning “raven”
Cowboy – ideal for herding dogs
Crew – for a pup that is part of the band
Cruiser – especially if they love riding around in the car
Crush – ideal for big, heavy dogs
Curly – does your pup have a curly mane?
Cyrus – Persian name meaning “sun”
Czar – for your little ruler!

C Dog Names Based On Famous People & Characters

Celebrities and famous characters are often a great source of inspiration for dog names. Check out this list of people and characters starting with C.

Cady – Lindsay Lohan’s character in Mean Girls
Cage – like Nicholas Cage
Cain – like the actor Dean Cain (Superman from Lois and Clark)
Caligula – after the famous but notoriously crazy Roman emperor
Calvin – as in designer Calvin Klein
Camila – as in songstress Camila Cabelo
Capone – as in criminal Al Capone
Cardi – after singer Cardi B
Cartier – after the luxury brand
Casanova – for the famous heartbreaker
Casper – after the friendly ghost
Caspian – like Prince Caspian of the sea
Cassius Clay – the original name of Muhammad Ali (the boxer) meaning “vain”
Castiel – the angel of Supernatural fame
Cato – name of a famous Roman politician; his name means “all-knowing”
Cecil – like director Cecil Demil
Chachi – the younger cousin of Fonzie in Happy Days
Cedric – like Cedric Diggory from Harry Potter
Cersei – as in Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones
Chanel – like Coco Chanel
Charlie Brown-like our favorite dog-owning classic cartoon character
Cher – after the famous singer
Chevy – like Chevy Chase
Chewie – like Chewbacca from the Star Wars series
Chucky – like the very scary red-headed doll
Churchill – as in Winston Churchill
Cinder – like Cinderella
Cindy – as in supermodel Cindy Crawford
Clapton – like songwriter Eric Clapton
Clark – as in Clark Kent of Superman fame
Claudius – after the bumbling Roman emperor
Cleese – as in comic actor John Cleese
Cleo – as in Cleopatra
Clooney – after heartthrob actor George Clooney
Coen – after the famous directing duo, the Coen brothers
Coco – like Coco Chanel
Conan – for strong dogs; after Conan the Barbarian
Conner – like Terminator’s Sarah Conner
Constantine – after the dark supernatural hero and the Eastern emperor
Canute/Cnut – after the famous Viking King
Cobain – as in Nirvana frontman, Kurt Cobain
Coppola – after director Francis Ford Coppola
Creed – like the young boxer in the Rocky follow-up movies
Crixus – Gallic gladiator and military leader
Crowley – like the famous wizard Aleister Crowley, the evilest man on earth
Cruz – as in the famous actress Penelope Cruz
Cujo – like the unfortunate dog from the film of the same name
Cumberbatch – after actor Benedict Cumberbatch
Cupid – after the god of love

C Dog Names Based On Foods

Your pup is probably cute enough to eat, so why not name them after one of your favorite foods starting with the letter C?

Campbell – like the soup brand
Candy – perfect for dogs who are a sweet treat
Cane – for sweet pups like sugar cane
Canela – Portuguese for “Cinnamon;” great for light brown dogs
Cannoli – like the widely used oil
Caramel – for delicious brown dogs
Corona – like the beer
Cereal – great for a dog who perks you up in the morning
Cerveja – Portuguese for “beer”
Chai – after the tasty, creamy tea
Cheerio – like the popular healthy breakfast cereal
Cheeto – like the cheese puff snack
Cherry – like the tasty little red fruit
Chia – as in chia seeds
Chicken – ideal for fluffy little pups like a baby chick
Chili – small and spicy
Chips – the tasty fried potato snack
Chocolate – for delicious-looking brown dogs
Chowder – especially if they gobble down their food at every meal
Clementine – after the juicy little citrus fruit
Clover – a unique spice
Cocoa – raw chocolate
Coconut – after the tropical fruit
Cookie – a delicious little sweet treat
Cupcake – for a fluffy little ball of fun
Cappuccino – tasty and energizing

C Names Based On Geography

Places around the world can have quite romantic names, many of which might feel like a good fit for your dog.

Cadiz – the southern Spanish city
Cairo – after the Egyptian capital
Calcutta – after the capital of India
Cali – short for “California”
Cambodia – the Asian country
Cambridge – the famous English town and university
Camden – the cool suburb of London
Camelot – the city of Arthurian legend
Cameroon – the African nation
Cancun – the Mexican party city
Cannes – location of the famous film festival
Canterbury – the famous English city and cathedral
Caracas – the capital of Venezuela
Cardiff – the Welsh city
Casablana – the Morrocan city of movie fame
Catalonia – the Spanish province
Chennai – the Chinese city
Chile – the South American country
Cnossos – the famous abandoned Greek city
Colorado – the American cowboy state
Congo – the African jungle country

Unique Dog Names That Start With C

Looking for something a little different? Check out these unique dog names starting with C.

Caleb – Hebrew name meaning “whole-hearted”
Canelo – meaning “cinnamon tree;” nice for light brown dogs
Canine – after your dog’s species
Capoeira – the Brazilian martial art
Cerberus – a Greek name meaning “flesh-devouring”
Chaos – since you know that’s what they will cause around the house!
Chauncey – an English name meaning “Chancellor”
Chino – after the popular shoe
Chulo – means “pimp” in Spanish
Cielo – the musical instrument for a musical bark
Cisco – a Spanish name for French dogs
Courage – for brave little dogs
Cobalt – German name meaning “Goblin” or “troublemaker”
Crayon – like the coloful art supply maker
Crockett – is an English name meaning “large curl;” perfect for curly dogs
Chuy – an alternative Spanish name for Jesus
Crash – for dogs that love to run into things
Crosby – Scandinavian name meaning “at the cross”

How To Choose A Dog Name

There aren’t any strict rules for choosing the right name for your dog, but there are some guidelines to bear in mind to help you choose something today that you will be happy in the long run.

Choose something short, ideally only one or two syllables, or something that can be shortened in an easily understandable way. It is easier for dogs to learn shorter names, which means they will be responding when you call sooner.
Avoid names that sound too much like commands that you will use regularly, as this can just confuse your pup. Remember, while dogs are very intelligent, they don’t actually understand language in the more complex way that humans do; they are just recognizing familiar sounds. So, if their name sounds too much like a command that you use regularly, such as “sit” or “stay,” they may confuse the two words.
Remember you will often need to use your dog’s name in public, sometimes shouting it loudly, and sometimes using it in front of children and strangers. This is why it is rarely a good idea to choose something rude or potentially offensive.
Remember, you don’t have to give your dog a name the moment you bring them home. There is nothing wrong with taking a week or so to get to know your dog’s personality a little better first and then choosing something that better fits them later.

If you are getting a puppy, don’t forget to check out our new puppy checklist.

How To Teach Your Dog Their Name

Once you have chosen a name for your pup, you need to teach them to recognize it. This is more or less the same as teaching them a command, except the desired response when you call is more fluid.

To start off with, you should teach them to give you their attention when you say their name and reinforce this behavior through rewards.

Start with short training sessions with your dog in an attentive state and get them to turn to you when you say their name. They should pick this up pretty quickly, so you can move training them where you don’t already have their attention.

Try taking them out into the yard, on a leash, and then letting them explore. Say their name to get their attention.

If they don’t respond right away, you can say their name again and lightly pull on the leash. Always reward them when you get the desired behavior

Some dogs can learn their name within a few days, but most should have a pretty good grasp on their name within a week or two.

FAQs About Dog Names

What should you not name your dog?

It is best to avoid dog names that sound too much like other words you will want your dog to recognize and respond to, such as “sit,” “stay,” “heel,” and “no”, as your dog will want to learn all of these words separately.

Choose names that start with a hard consonant that will be easy for your dog to pick out from the background noise. Go for something short–ideally just one or two syllables.

Do dogs respond better to certain names?

Yes, dogs do respond better to some names than others. To be clear, they do not actually understand the name itself but instead are responding to a familiar and recognizable sound.

For this reason, names with two syllables are often best as they are long enough not to be confused with other words but are still short enough to grab their attention.

Is it bad to give your dog multiple names?

With the right training, your dog can be taught to respond to multiple names, and you can even change their name. But the rule with teaching your dog anything is consistency, so using one name exclusively is a bit easier.

Should you use your dog’s name a lot?

While your dog’s name is different from a command, they will still respond to it in the same way, treating it as a command for attention. For this reason, you should avoid using it out of context.

For example, you should not combine the name with other commands, especially negative commands. This way, the name will not develop negative connotations.

Want to learn more about dog training? Check out these common hand signals for dogs.

C Dog Names: The Verdict

Finding the perfect name for your dog is all about exposing yourself to as much inspiration as possible until you find something that feels right.

But there are an infinite number of potential names out there, so giving yourself some limits in your search can be helpful.

If you like C names because of their sound or how they combine with your own name, then this is a great place to start because C words tend to be easier for dogs to recognize. So go wild, and hopefully, you will find some inspiration in our lists.

Do you have any favorite C names for dogs not on our list? Share them with the community in the comments section below.

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Best Dog Names Starting With "C" - man holding yorkie by his face

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Best Dog Names Starting With “C” For Your Puppy