Best Dog Names Starting With The Letter D

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In this article, you will find lists of dog names starting with D to provide naming inspiration.

How do you choose the perfect name for your dog? In most cases, it is really just a matter of exposing yourself to inspiration until you find something that feels right.

But searching around for ideas can be hard because there are just so many potential options! It is often a great idea to narrow down your choices based on an idea, a character trait, or, in this case, a letter of the alphabet.

This page is for those who have decided to choose a name starting with the letter D for their dog.

Dog Names that Start with D - man leaning in towards border collie dog.

This may be because you already have a lot of D names in your family, your last name starts with D, or you just like the sound of “D” the dog. Whatever your reason, you will find lists with various different D names below.

Maybe you won’t find the exact name that you are looking for here today, but hopefully, the inspiration provided will help point you in the right direction.

I’ll also share some “sense checking” tips for dog names at the end of the article so you can be sure you have chosen something fitting and appropriate for your newest family member.

Female Dog Names Starting With D

Bringing home a girl dog? Check out these classic female dog names starting with the letter D.

Dakota – Native American name meaning “friendly”
Dainty – for delicate little pups
Daishi – Japanese name meaning “aspire”
Daisy – after the delicate field flower
Dandelion – for the light little flower
Daphne – like the brainy one in Scooby-Doo
Darcy – a French name meaning “dark one”
Dawn – especially if they like to wake everyone up early!
Dazzle – for charismatic dogs
Deedee – perfect for smaller dogs
Delicate – for a little princess
Delicious – for pups good enough to eat
Delilah – after the song, “Hey There Delilah” by the Plain White T’s
Delta – ideal for stealthy pups
Dew (or Dewdrop) – for smaller parcels of cuteness
Diamond – for your little jewel
Diana – like Lady Diana and the amazing Amazon Wonder Woman
Disco – for sparkly dogs
Dixie – perfect for southern pups
Dior – like the famous designer and fragrance
Diva – for dogs that always get their own way
Divine – for your little goddess
Dolly – like the queen of country herself
Domino – cute for black and white dogs
Donna – for your little lady that owns the house
Dora – like Dora the Explorer
Dot – cute if they have spots on their coats
Dotty – especially if they tend to be a little clumsy
Dusky – nice for dark-colored dogs
Dusty – perfect for gray pups

Male Dog Names Starting With D

Adopting a male dog? Take a look at this list of male dog names starting with D to see if you find anything that appeals to you.

Dachs – ideal for sausage dogs, Dachshunds
Dan – means “God is my judge”
Dane – inspired by the Norsemen
Dante – for pups with a dangerous edge
Dash – ideal for runners
David – after the Hebrew King David
Declan – an Irish name meaning “full of goodness”
Delta – for stealthy dogs who love to sneak up on you
Denver – an Old English name meaning “green valley”
Dennis – for Dennis the Menace or actor Dennis Quaid
Desi – for actor Desi Arnaz, the husband of Lucille Ball
Devil – for trouble makers
Dewey – a cute name for smaller dogs
Diablo – the Spanish name for the devil
Diego – a cute Latin name
Diesel – for dogs with lots of energy
Digger – for dogs that love to burrow
Dingo – after the wild Australian dog
DJ – for dogs that love to make some noise
Doc – for intelligent dogs
Dodger – like the major league baseball team
Doge – for a little Italian lord
Dojo – nice for lover of Karate
Dolphin – after the intelligent sea creature
Dominic – means “of the Lord”
Donatello – for the artist and Ninja Turtle
Dozer – when they tend to bulldoze through everything
Drago – a Slavic name meaning “precious”
Dragon – perfect if they have a vicious bark
Drax – a unique alternative to “dragon”
Driver – for dogs that take the lead
Droopy – good for dogs with long, droopy ears or fans of the classic cartoon dog
Dug – when you know you are saying goodbye to your garden (also the dog in the Pixar movie Up)
Duke – for commanding and adventurous pups

Food-Inspired Names Starting With D

Our puppies often look and feel just as scrumptious as our favorite foods, so why not name your dog after one of these delicious D foods?

Dahl – the Indian pulse dish
Daikon – a cute little radish
Damson – the yellow plum
Dandan – spicy Chinese noodles
Danish – like the pastry treat
Dasheen – the Asian corn staple
Date – like the wrinkly dried fruit
Dauphinoise – like the creamy potato dish
Deli – for everyone’s favorite meat emporium
Dijon – as in the mustard
Dilkush – a bread dish literally called “something that makes you happy”
Dill – the tasty herb
Dolce – meaning “sweet”
Dolmas – leaves stuffed with rice
Doner – as in the kebab
Donut – round and delicious
Dosa – South Indian thin pancake
Dough – the fluffy, uncooked bread
Droewors – South African sausage
Dumpling – the delicious stuffed treat
Durian – the Malaysian fruit

D Names Inspired By Celebrities And Characters

Pop culture is always a great source of inspiration for quirky names. Check out these D names from celebrities and characters.

D’Artagnan – one of the Musketeers
Daenerys – after the blonde mother of dragons from Game of Thrones
Daffy – after the Looney Toons duck
Damon – as in Damon Salvatore from the Vampire Diaries
Dandara – a Brazilian freedom fighter
Danger Mouse – for the diminutive cartoon hero
Darcy – like Pride and Prejudice’s Mr Darcy
Daredevil – after the blind superhero
Daria – the ironic cartoon character
Darth – like a Sith lord from Star Wars
Darwin – like the scientist Charles Darwin
Data – after the Star Trek characters
Davy Jones – the devil at the bottom of the sea
Deadpool – for the superhero played by Ryan Reynolds
Dean – as in Supernatural’s Dean Winchester
Debbie – like Singin’ in the Rain actress Debbie Reynolds
Demi – for singer Demi Lovato (or actress Demi Moore)
Denzel – after actor Denzel Washington
Destiny – for the famous girl band Destiny’s Child
DeVito – for diminutive actor Danny DeVito
Dexter – like the loveable fictional serial killer
Diddy – for the American music magnate
Disney – after Walt Disney himself
Django – Tarantino’s Unchained hero
Dobby – for the House Elf in Harry Potter
Dolores – for the villainous Dolores Umbridge
Domitian – after the Roman emperor
Don Draper – after the character in Mad Men
Don Juan – the famous lover
Don Quixote – the clueless Spanish adventurer
Donald – like the famous duck
Dorian – for Dorian Gray, the famous narcissist
Doris – for musical star Doris Day
Doobie – like the American band The Doobie brothers
Doogie – like Doogie Howser M.D.
Doolittle – for the doctor who could talk to the animals
Doom – for Dr. Doom, the villain in the Fantastic Four
Donnie Darko – for fans of the mind-twisting film
Dorothy – the girl who travels to Oz
Dory – the forgetful fish from Finding Nemo
Draco – after Draco Malfoy
Drake – like the American singer
Dua Lipa – like the songstress
Dudley – after pudgy Dudley Dursley, Harry Potter’s cousin
Dumbledore – like the wizarding headmaster
Dursley – after Harry Potter’s muggle family
Dustin – for Dustin Hoffman
Dwayne – like Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson
Dylan – like musician Bob Dylan

Geographic D Names

Various places around the world have some of the most interesting names, so why not steal one of these geographical place names for your dog?

Daehan – the official name for South Korea
Dakar – largest city in Senegal
Dallas – the Texan city
Damas or Damascus – the holy city
Daniya – the Russian name for Denmark
Danube – the famous European river
Daytona – as in the Florida beach
Delphi – the Greek city of the oracle
Denmark – one of the Viking homelands
Detroit – home of the motor vehicle industry
Devon – English county
Djibouti – country located on the horn of Africa
Doha – the capital of Qatar
Dover – the white cliffs in England that overlook the channel
Dresden – a German city
Dubai – rich Arab city
Dublin – the vibrant capital of Ireland
Dutch – splitting the bill or the people of the Netherlands
Durban – the South African city

Divine Names Starting With D

Your D named dog is destined to be divine, so why not name them after a deity from around the world?

Dactyls – the Greek magician and blacksmith
Daeira – a nymph of the Eleusinian mysteries
Daemona – spirits of the air, earth, sea, and underworld in Greek myth
Dagda – Celtic god of magic, wisdom, and heaven
Dagon – the Mesopotamian god of wind and air
Daikokuten – the Japanese god of wealth, commerce, and trade
Damasen – a giant who slew a fearsome dragon
Damballah – an African god of serpents and the dead
Damia – a Greek spirit of spring fertility
Damysus – the fastest of the Greek giants
Danais – a beloved nymph
Danu – Celtic goddess of the earth
Daphne – nymph chased by the amorous Apollo
Daramulum – the Australian Aboriginal god of the sky and weather
Dazhbog – Slavic god of light
Deimus – god of terror that accompanies war
Demeter – Olympian goddess of the fertile earth
Desponia – daughter of Poseidon and Demeter
Detinos – the Filipino god of darkness
Dian – the Celtic god of violence
Diana – the goddess of the hunt
Dike – Greek goddess of justice
Dion – fortune telling goddess and mother of Aphrodite
Dionysus – god of wine and festivities
Dioscuri – two demigods that aided sailors and live among the stars as the constellation Gemini
Dodona – a Greek ocean nymphs
Dolus – the male personification of trickery and deceit
Dother – the Celtic god of evil
Dua – the Egyptian god of sanitation and (yes, really!) toilets
Dub – the Celtic god of blackness
Dryad – nymph of the trees
Dysnomia – female personification of lawlessness

Top Tips For Naming Your Dog

There aren’t any strict rules for choosing the right name for your dog, but there are some tips to bear in mind when choosing a name so you can feel confident that you have chosen something you will truly be happy with in the long term.

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. Fortunately, there aren’t too many common commands starting with D, so you aren’t likely to fall into this trap.
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.

FAQs

Is it OK to change a dog’s name?

Just like you become attached to your name, the same is true of your dog. If you have been calling them a certain name for five years, suddenly changing it for no particular reason can just cause confusion.

However, if you bring home a dog that already has a name, you can certainly change it. As long as you consistently use it and reward them when they respond appropriately to their name, they will quickly learn that the new name belongs to them.

How long does it take a dog to learn its name?

How long it will take your dog to learn their name depends on their capacity to learn commands and how much effort you put into teaching them.

Dogs can learn their names quickly with positive reinforcement training. Some dogs might already start recognizing their name within two days.

Can I give my dog a human name?

Of course, you can give your dog a human name, and many people do. However, some trainers believe that giving your dog a human name encourages you to anthropomorphize them and attribute human qualities to them.

This may undermine your ability to maintain control and discipline. However, unless you are training a dog for a specific purpose, such as working as a guide dog, this is probably not a huge concern.

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.

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.

The Verdict

Choosing the right name for a dog can feel like a daunting task. You want something that suits them, but you are just getting to know your pup when you choose.

You also want something that is going to be appropriate and make sense for as long as your dog is with you, which can be for 15 to 20 years.

Remember, when naming your dog, it may help to keep these tips in mind:

Choose something short and simple (1 to 2 syllables)
Avoid anything too similar to common commands (like “sit,” “stay,” “no,” etc.)
Avoid anything potentially rude or offensive

Hopefully, you have found some inspiration to point you in the right direction on these lists of dog names starting with D. I also hope the aforementioned top tips help you feel confident that you have made the right choice.

Do you have any top tips for naming a dog?

Share them with the community in the comments section below.

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Dog Names that Start with D - man hugging his dog

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