35 Best Gray Dog Names (What Should I name my Gray Dog?)

Choosing the name of your dog is a crucial decision. The name that you select needs to reflect who the dog actually is. You also need to be happy with calling your dog by that name for years and years to come.

You also shouldn’t be embarrassed to shout your puppy’s name in the dog park!

If you are struggling to come up with names for your gray dog, we hope this list helps. We racked our brains, to come up with a brilliant list of suggestions of actually good gray dog names.

We hope that you find something that you like, or at least we hope that this list gets you into a slightly more creative frame of mind!

Gandalf

This is probably one of the more ‘obvious’ names to give your furry friend. If you have ever seen Lord of the Rings, then you will know that before his untimely death, Gandalf goes by the name ‘Gandalf the Grey.’

If you are a fan of one of the best fantasy novels of all time, then this really has to be a name you want to consider.

A lovely bonus is that if your gray dogs coat lightens over time, you can transition into Gandalf the White without switching name!

Earl (Gray)

If you want your dog to have a slightly more formal name, then consider Earl. Sure, this does mean that your dog will be named after a blend of tea, but we are sure that we can all agree that Earl Gray tastes absolutely fantastic. 

Cloud

Gray clouds are not always a good thing (though personally I love rain and so does my Labradoodle Puppy Max! Some people get worried when they see rain on the horizon.

It means that the weather is veering towards the wet side of things. However, give the name to your dog, and gray clouds will always end up bringing a smile to your face!

Nickel

Nickel is a gray/silver metal. This is a great name to go for if your dog seems to be leaning more towards the silvery side of things.

Steel

Pretty much the same reasoning as Nickel on this one. It is a gray/silver metal. We find that steel is a name that seems to work brilliantly for those ‘tougher looking’ dogs.

Although, feel free to use it on any dog you like. You are the one choosing the name, after all.

Smoke

You could also go for smoky here. Smoke is gray, and this is a fantastic name for a dog. Sure, it is a widespread name, but it is common for a reason!

Flint

We are back to the gray-colored rocks with this one. Flint is a beautiful rock to look at, so this is a name that works exceedingly well with those dogs with more luxurious, beautiful coats.

Brain

Do you have a dog that seems really intelligent? Then call it brain! You don’t see many dogs that rock this name, but we love it. It is pretty thematic too. Brains are gray colored.

Dumbo

This gray, loveable creature is one of the most popular Disney characters of all time. Your dog will probably be honored to be named after something so cute.

This name works exceptionally well if you have a gray dog with ears that touch on the larger side of things.

Luna

Of course, Luna means ‘moon.’ We are pretty positive that you already know how unique this name is. This name works incredibly well for female dogs. 

Andorian

Is your gray dog leaning a bit towards blue/silver? Are you a fan of sci-fi shows? Fantastic!

Andorians are a classic alien from Star Trek. It is a pretty unique name too, which means you probably won’t find many other dog owners using it.

Dorian

If you want to show off your knowledge about the world of literature, then why not name your dog Dorian?

Book lovers will know that this name comes from Dorian Gray, a classic book written by Oscar Wilde quite a while ago.

Bullet

Have you got a dog that runs incredibly fast? Is the dog a bit on the slower side, but you want to make it feel good? Name it bullet! Of course, this name has its routes in silver ammunition.

Yes. We know that a lot of it is bronze too, but we have seen so many gray dogs rocking the name Bullet that we just had to tell you about it.

Tramp

No. This doesn’t mean that you are looking down on your dog. In fact, you are going to be naming them with the utmost respect. Tramp is, of course, the name of the gray dog featured in the classic Disney flick ‘Lady and the Tramp.’

Why not show that movie to your dog when it grows up? We are sure that they will love to know their namesake! Also, you get the benefit of watching a fantastic movie, so that is always a plus, right?

Ash

When Ash has been burned entirely through, it takes on a gray color. This is also going to be a pretty cool name for the dog.

Sure, it isn’t going to be that unique. You may find a few dogs kicking around that dog park that has the name, Ash. However, it is still a great name and one that we urge you to consider.

We suppose that if you are not a fan of Ash, then you can choose Ashley instead!

Houndoor

If you enjoy Pokemon, then you will have likely heard of Houndoor (he evolves into Houndoom, but that name is probably a bit crazy for a dog).

This is a very, very unique dog name. Most people probably wouldn’t even consider naming their dog after a Pokemon.

However, we know you are sensible. If your dog seems to have a fiery, fun streak to it (this is a fire-type Pokemon), then Houndoor is perfect for them!

Poochy

Poochyena is another popular gray dog Pokemon. We probably wouldn’t suggest naming your dog Poochyena, though.

It is a bit too much to say. There are far too many syllables. Thankfully, this is a name that shortens down well to just Poochy. Classic dog name, right?

Nelly

One of the best ‘punk rock’ songs of all time is Nelly the Elephant. Elephants are, of course, gray animals (we already mentioned Dumbo, didn’t we?).

Why not shorten the name of the song down to just Nelly? It is a typical dog name, but we find that it still works well.

You will probably want to be using this one if your dog has big and floppy ears. It is a shame that most people won’t get the reference, though. 

Foggy

Pretty obvious this one. When the fog rolls in, it is going to be gray outside.

Misty

This is pretty much on the same level as foggy. Mist is still grey but a little bit less dense than fog. If spelling is critical to you when you are naming your dog, you could name it Mysty. It is pronounced exactly the same way, but it does look like a far cooler word, doesn’t it?

Hairo

If you are a Japanese fan, you will know that the Japanese word for Gray is ‘Haiiro.’ So, what better tribute to your love of something than to name your dog after it?

It is one of only a few Japanese words that seems to work well for dogs too. We have seen some other suggestions for Japanese names for dogs, but many of them can be tricky to pronounce. 

Slate

Is your dog tough? Do they rock a fantastic gray coat? Great! Slate is an excellent name for them. Of course, this is named after the rock.

Phantom

This may be a little bit ‘out there’ as we know that there are many people who will see phantoms as white (or purple Lycra from the decades old comic strip). But, hey, if you can let that slide, this is an excellent name for a dog. Probably awesome if your dog is the silent type – or is very powerful and fast. 

Mouse

Mice are gray. This is a name that works well for the quieter dogs out there. Probably would be a touch confusing if you do own mice, though. You wouldn’t know where to look when somebody says, “where’s the mouse?”.

Wolf

A couple of reasons for this one. Wolfs are gray. Werewolves are also associated with the moon. This means that you have double the number of reasons to go for this one!

Artoo (R2-D2)

Yeah R2-D2 is mostly white – but he does have silver panels! This is a name that we saw frequently online for gray dogs that have white patches. Add a blue collar and you have an Artoo!

Check out the ultimate list of actually good Star Wars dog names we compiled.

Nyx

Nyx is a Greek goddess heavily associated with nightfall when, of course, the moon comes out. (See our Yoga inspired dog names list)

Best Gray Dog Names Conclusions

Sadly, we are at the end of our list of gray dog names. We hope that you found one or two that you liked, or if you didn’t find one that you liked, maybe you discovered just how far you could think outside of the box when it comes to coming up with dog names!

This means that you can get a little bit creative yourself.

Just remember, all you need to do is make sure that you come up with a name that you are happy about. Even the ASPCA spends plenty of time picking the correct names for dogs that will be rehomed. You are going to be saying it a lot for the next few years.