35 Best White Dog Names [Male and Female White Puppy Names]

When my childhood neighbor got their standard white Poodle many years ago, I remember it being a distinctly difficult decision for them to come up with a good name for him. Ghost? Milo? Coco?

While naming a dog might not be as serious as naming a child, it’s still an important decision. You’ll have to live with whatever name you pick and say it many times a day (especially when your dog is still a puppy).

In the end, they landed on Ozzie, a name I still love for white dogs. If you’re unsure what to name your white dog, you’re in luck! In this article, I’ll break down a dog naming guide with you and then go into some of the best white dog names for any dog.

Choose A Name That’s Easy and Quick

Your dog’s name should be quick to say and easy to pronounce. This will be especially important when they’re a puppy, as you’ll be saying your dog’s name very often. In fact, teaching your dog its name is a process of its own.

From a practical point of view, you want to be able to quickly blurt out your pet’s nom de plume in a flash – if, for example, you want to distract it or call it to you when danger is coming around the bend in your local neighborhood park. 

So, what do you do if you’re attached to a long and complex name, like “Polycrates of Ephesus” or “Saskatchewan” or “Hubert Blaine Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorff?”

Jamie Dunbar of the Dunbar Academy suggests giving your dog two names.

Choose A Name You Won’t Mind Yelling In Public

Remember, there will be situations (for example, at the dog park) when you need to call your dog by name. Choose a name that isn’t too embarrassing to yell out to a crowd of strangers for your own sanity.

Avoid A Name That Is Too Close To A Potential Command

Maybe you’re a fan of a particular plucked string instrument originally from the Indian subcontinent. That’s well and good, but naming your dog “Sitar” would be a disservice to you and the dog — that is, if you intend on teaching your dog how to “sit.”

Dog Name Recommendation: Best Male White Dog Names

Here are some of the best white dog names for your boy pup.

Ghost

Ghost is a fun name for a pup with a Fall birthday. Ghost is a catch-all name that works with the elegant and reserved dogs just as well as with the outgoing, goofy ones.

Casper

The friendly ghost, Casper, can be a fun name for your white dog. This name seems more fitting for a rambunctious, gregarious dog than for a more laconic one. 

The name Casper is originally Slavic and means “treasure bearer.”

Specter

For a more stately name than “ghost,” lovers of the supernatural can name their dog Specter. Unlike Casper, Specter has connotations of a frightening apparition. Consider this name carefully if you like the sound of it.

Cotton

Cotton is a cute name that goes well with a bubbly personality for all your small white dog fluffballs.

Belarus

The name Belarus would be nice for a large dog, potentially a white German Shepherd or a Great Dane. Why Belarus? If your family has Slavic origins, naming the family pet might be an excellent way to pay homage to your history, and the name Belarus means “White Russia.” 

Polar

For your big huggable bear-like dog, Polar is a fun name. Channel Panserbjørn in The Golden Compass, but with more licking and (hopefully) less biting.

Bones

Another spooky name for a Halloween pup, Bones is especially a fitting name when a dog grows older and more composed. 

Coconut

For your quirky dog, Coconut is a great name. It fits dogs of all sizes, though personality has a lot to do with whether or not a dog is a “Coconut.”

Brie

Smooth, silky, and iconic, Brie cheese is beloved the world over. Brie can be a ubiquitous name for your white dog, one that covers all kinds of dogs of all kinds of sizes. Additionally, people tend to be surprised at this very unusual name.

Marshmallow

For your ball of puff, Marshmallow is a cute and squishy name for your adorable and squishy dog. This name works with small dogs especially well, for example, an all-white Shar-Pei.

Dog Name Recommendation: White Dog Girl Names

Here are some of the best white dog names for your female pup.

Dove

A sweet name that suggests peace and good tidings, Dove might be a good name for your Christmas pup or just for a loving addition to the family.

Swan

Swans mate for life, and dogs love their owners for life too. Swan is a great name that pays homage to this and suggests the tranquility of an English park.

Angel

For the newest angel in your life, Angel is a dog name fitting for medium and small dogs with a sweet and reserved temperament.

Astrid

Astrid is an old Scandinavian name meaning “divinely beautiful,” but there is also some real power in this name. 

Hilda

For your big female dogs who have the spirit of a warrior, select a name like Hilda. From the Norse word for “battle,” Hilda now means “female warrior.”

Eva

From the biblical “Eve,” a dog named Eva can suggest the lushness of the Garden of Eden while reminding us of EVE from Wall-E.

Bella

While waning in popularity since the conclusion of the Twilight series, Bella remains a very popular dog name. While meaning beauty, Bella also has another connection to the white dog: Bela means “White” in Slovakian.

Helpful Guidelines When Choosing A Dog Name

In a study a few years ago, researchers concluded that dogs’ processing of human language (including their names) is more neurologically complex than a “low-level Pavlovian response.” 

In other words, many dogs go beyond just recognizing sounds and expecting the phenomena that typically result from these sounds. They have a picture of our language and what (or who) is meant by the word “Rover.” 

What does this mean as we begin to decide on a name for our dog? It means that a dog can learn its name, not just in specific contexts but for all foreseeable contexts. 

Properly teaching your dog can help you keep it safe and call it to you in dangerous situations, as well as allow you to connect with it on an emotional level.

Therefore, when choosing a dog name, think carefully about a name that will be easy to say, easy for your pet to hear, and simultaneously fitting for your dog. Here are some dog naming tips.

Multiple Names?

“It’s hard enough to teach my dog a single name! Let alone two!” you might be thinking. But giving your dog two names (or, more conveniently, a proper name and a nickname) can be beneficial in training.

Think of it this way: most of the time, when we tell our dog something, it’s not highly pressing that our dog follows our commands. During sit and stay training with puppies, for example, the dog can quickly lose focus and stop obeying our commands. 

It would only bring the owners grief if they expected their dog to always be on the alert, constantly responding to the slightest command.

Most of the time, our commands are more like suggestions. However, there are times when dogs must differentiate between the “suggestion” type commands and the “orders” type commands. An example is when there is danger, and we need our dog to follow our commands immediately.

The Dunbar Academy suggests using the dog’s proper name when a command must be called. It’s like as a teenager when your parents used your first, middle, and last name — you knew you had to get your ducks in a row. Dogs are the same.

Maybe your dog’s name is Alex. If things are serious, you might train it to respond to “Alexander.”

For simple commands, though, a short and convenient name like “Alex” is the most appropriate.

Best White Dog Names Takeaways

So, what did we learn in our discussion of the best white dog names? Most importantly, you need to choose a name that speaks to you, that speaks to your dog’s personality, and that is easy to say. 

Are you after some other dog name inspiration? Check out:

207 Actually Good Dog Names Ending In I or E

The very fun Yoga Dog Names

And two favorites of mine, Old Man Dog Names and dog names inspired by FIRE!