If you’re anything like me, you want to name your dog something unique and fun that has a positive meaning.
And since dogs are supposed to be man’s (or, in my case, woman’s) best friend, we thought we’d share some of our favorite names that mean “friend” or something similar.
Check ’em out below and don’t forget to share your favorite friend-related doggo names in the comments!
Dog Names Meaning “Friend”
We’ll dive into some variations on the friend theme in a bit, but let’s get started with the basics.
We’ll break them down into popular and rare names as well as gender-neutral, male, and female versions (but obviously, you should feel free to pick from whichever list you like — your pooch won’t care).
Popular Dog Names Meaning “Friend”
Many common canine names fit “man’s best friend” in meaning too. Check out these puppy class favorites with friend-themed meanings.
- Alvie: “Noble friend”
- Arya: “Faithful friend”
- Buddy: A mega-popular choice for best fur friends
- Dakota: Native American origin name meaning “friendly one”
- Damon: Famous friend from Greek mythology
- Darwin: “Dear friend” — I know a really nice beagle with this name.
- Eddy: “Wealthy friend, wealthy guard”
- Kadan: “Companion, friend”
- Khalil: Name of Arabic origin meaning “friend”
- Koda: “Friend” of Native American origin
- Marvin: “Sea friend”
- Oscar: “Deer friend” — Yes, as in the hoof-footed forest dweller.
- Texas: Native American name meaning “friend”
- Wendy: “Friend” moniker with English roots
- Winnie: “Gentle friend” (also make sure to check out our list of dog names that mean “gentle”)!
- Yumi: Japanese origin name meaning “friend” or “reason”
Rare Dog Names Meaning “Friend”
Helping your four-footer stand apart is helpful when calling your pup at the dog park. Browse these unique dog names with a friendly side.
- Amice: “Friend,” of Latin origin
- Aneesa: “Friendly, good company”
- Benigno: “Friendly, kind”
- Emre: “Friend, brother”
- Filia: “Friendship” of Greek origin
- Goodwin: “Good friend” of English origin
- Hartwin: German origin “strong friend”
- Irvette: “Sea friend”
- Jalees: “Companion, friend” of Arabic origin
- Jed: “Friend of God” nickname of American origin
- Lacara: “Beloved friend” of Latin roots
- Lefwin: “Dear friend”
- Lidwina: “People’s friend”
- Merwyn: “Sea friend”
- Meydad: “Friend” of Hebrew roots
- Norwin: German origin name meaning “north friend”
- Odakota: Sioux Native American origin name meaning “friend”
- Philando: Greek origin name meaning “friend of man.” (How fitting!)
- Sigwin: “Friend, victory” of German origin
- Wina: German origin name meaning “Friend”
Gender Neutral Dog Names That Mean “Friend”
Some names work great on male or female dogs. Check out these unisex dog names meaning “friend.”
- Alden: “Old, wise friend”
- Auden: English origin name meaning “old friend”
- Bellamy: “Beautiful friend” of French origin
- Bly: “Friendly”
- Connelly: “Love, friendship”
- Drury: “Love, friendship” with English roots
- Elwyn: “Elf friend” of English roots
- Gatlin: “Companion” of English origin
- Kavi: “Wise friend, poet”
- Lakota: “Friend to us”
- Mica: “Loved friend”
- Mitali: Indian origin name meaning “friendship”
- Nakotah: “Friend to all” of Sioux origin
- Rei: Japanese name meaning “my companion”
- Rin: “Companion” of Japanese origin
- Takoda: “Friend to everyone” with Native American history
- Taffy: “Beloved friend” (Too cute!)
- Wynn: “Friend” of English origin
Male Dog Names That Mean “Friend”
Looking for a masculine moniker with a chummy meaning for your beloved friend? You might like one of these awesome male dog names.
- Adalwin: “Noble friend”
- Aimes: “Friend” of French origin
- Aldrik: “Noble friend”
- Alvin: “Elf friend”
- Ames: “Friend”
- Amit: “Friend” of Hebrew origin
- Arduino: “Brave friend”
- Armin: “Eagle friend”
- Arvin: “People’s friend”
- Baldwin: “Brave friend”
- Bonamy: “Good friend”
- Corwin: “Heart’s friend”
- Durwin: “Dear friend”
- Edwin: “Wealthy friend” of English origin
- Eldin: “Old friend”
- Emilien: “Friendly”
- Hedwin: “Friend in war”
- Honi: “Friendly”
- Irwin: “Boar friend” of English origin
- Irving: “Green river, sea friend”(Maybe for a water breed? That would be cute!)
- Jeb: “Beloved friend”
- Jedidiah: “Friend of God” of Hebrew origin
- Kelvin: “Friend of ships”
- Levin: “Dear friend”
- Livingston: “Dear friend’s place”
- Medwin: “Powerful friend” of German origin
- Melvin: “Counseling friend” of Irish origin
- Nadim: “Friend”
- Nasir: Arabic origin name meaning “Friend, helper”
- Nelwin: “Bright Friend” of English origin
- Orvin: English origin “spear friend”
- Rafiq: “Friend”
- Ruel: “Friend of God” with Hebrew roots
- Sadiq: Arabic origin name meaning “friend”
- Sahir: “Friend”
- Samir: “Friend to talk with in the evening”
- Sherwin: “Bright friend”
- Sinley: “Friendly” name with Anglo-Saxon origins
- Theophilus: “Friend of God” (His nickname could be Theo!)
- Winfred: “Friend of peace”
- Winthrop: “Friend’s village” of English origin
- Yuta: Name of Japanese origin “one with many friends”
Female Dog Names That Mean “Friend”
Naming a new lady canine? Check out these female dog names with friendly meanings.
- Ahuva: Hebrew origin name meaning “friendship”
- Alvina: “Friend of elves”
- Amity: “Friendship”
- Amy: “Beloved”
- Cara: “Dear, friend”
- Caraid: Irish origin name meaning “friend”
- Damica: “Open spirited, friendly”
- Edwina: “Wealthy friend”
- Elvi: “Noble friend”
- Elvina: “Elf friend”
- Enise: “Friend”
- Faunia: “To befriend”
- Hetal: “Friendly”
- Idina: “Rich/prosperous friend”
- Jamala: “Friendly” name of African origin
- Khalilah: “Friend” of Arabic origin
- Lalasa: “Love, friendship”
- Mitra: “Angel”
- Nasira: “Friend, helper” of Arabic origin
- Nefartari: “Beautiful companion”
- Netis: Native American origin name meaning “friend”
- Nita: “Friend, to bear”
- Novia: “Girlfriend”
- Orva: “Special friend”
- Raya: “Friend”
- Reuelle: “Friend of God”
- Rowena: “White spear or famous friend”
- Ruta: “Good friend”
- Ruthie: “Compassionate friend”(I knew a nice mini schnauzer named Ruthie)
- Safiyah: African origin name meaning “friend”
- Sameria: “Friend at night”
- Sigyn: “Victory, friend”
- Sumitra: “Good friend” of Sanskrit origin
- Tomoka: Japanese origin name meaning “brilliant friend”
- Tomomi: “Friend, beautiful”
- Winfrey: “Peaceful friend”
- Winola: “Charming friend”
Names That Mean “Friend” in Other Languages
Some of the coolest mutt monikers come from abroad. Travel the world and see if any of these words meaning “friend” fits your new pupper.
- Ami: French origin
- Amica: Latin origin
- Amiga: Spanish origin (female)
- Amigo: Spanish origin (male)
- Arkadaş: Turkish origin
- Bạn bè: Vietnamese origin
- Barátja: Hungarian origin
- Chingu: Korean origin
- Dost: Hindi origin
- Druh: Ukrainian origin (pronounced like Drew)
- Fílos: Greek origin
- Freund: German origin (male)
- Freundin: German origin (female)
- Kanca: Javanese origin
- Mik: Albanian origin
- Rafiki: Swahili origin
- Sāthī: Nepali origin
- Tomodachi: Japanese origin
- Vän: Swedish origin
- Venn: Norwegian origin
- Vinur: Icelandic origin
- Vriend: Afrikaans origin
- Ystävä: Finnish origin
- Zanmi: Haitian-Creole
Dog Names That Are Synonyms for Friend or Friendship
Expanding our scope a bit, here are some names that are synonyms for friend. We also include a few family-themed names.
- Ally
- Beau
- Brother
- Bud
- Chap (Or Chappy!)
- Chico
- Chica
- Chum
- Compadre
- Comrade
- Crony
- Cuz (As in cousin)
- Fellow
- Gramps
- Grammy
- Hobnob
- Kin
- Mate
- Mama
- Mama Bear
- Mijo
- Mija
- Miss Thing
- Missy
- Mister
- Mum
- Mummy
- Musketeer
- Partner (Or, as we say in Texas, “Pardner.”)
- Pal
- Papa
- Papa Bear
- Pops
- Sidekick
- Sis
- Sissy
- Sister
- Skipper
- Son
- Sonny
- Squire
- Tio
- Tia
I particularly like the familial names. I often call dogs I’m training and friendly with “Sister” or “Brother.”
In the horse world, it’s common to call your horse “Mama” or “Pops.” I adore calling little old dogs Gramps, Grampy, or Grammy. It feels like they are part of my family tree after all.
Famous Dogs Who were Darn Good Friends
Movies, novels, and history books often feature dogs who were awesome friends for their people. Check out some of our favorites!
- Balto: The Siberian husky who saved a town from a diphtheria outbreak.
- Beethoven: A great St. Bernard from the movie of the same name. Admittedly, he got into some mischief, but he also loved his family and saved his kid from the pool!
- Benji: The stray who saves two kidnapped kids, from the movie Benji.
- Blue: Star of Blues Clues
- Chance: The excitable American bulldog in Homeward Bound.
- Clifford: He’s big, and he’s red.
- Copper: The hound dog in Fox and the Hound.
- Gromit: Wallace’s canine companion in the Wallace and Gromit series.
- Lady: As in Lady and the Tramp.
- Lassie: The world’s most useful collie.
- Nana: The St. Bernard in Peter Pan.
- Pongo: The dad Dalmatian in 101 Dalmatians.
- Rin Tin Tin: The silent film star.
- Sandy: The mixed breed that Little Orphan Annie finds.
- Scooby-Doo: “Ruh Roh!”
- Shadow: The golden retriever in Homeward Bound.
- Snoopy: Need I say more?
- Toto: “There’s no place like home, There’s no place like home!”
- Wishbone: From the children’s show on PBS of the same name.
- Yeller: The yellow Lab who protected his human from Old Yeller.
The fun thing about famous names is that they evoke instant recognition and feeling from strangers. If I introduce my dog as Snoopy, everyone understands. Or with historically pertinent names, you get to honor great dogs of the past.
Famous Sidekicks That Make Great Names for Your Beloved Friend
Famed sidekicks in popular media are chockfull of amazing monikers for your new buddy. Browse these well-known sidekicks and see if any suit your sniffer.
- Bender: Futurama’s resident robot and Fry’s friend.
- Chewbacca: The hairy alien co-pilot from Star Wars.
- Ethel: Lucy’s laugh-inducing friend in I Love Lucy.
- Garth: The bespectacled bud of Wayne in Wayne’s World.
- Goose: Maverick’s buddy in Top Gun.
- Igor: The henchman and constant companion of Dr. Frankenstein.
- Piglet: The best buddy of Winnie the Pooh.
- Robin: Batman’s famous masked buddy.
- Silent Bob: Jay’s quiet counterpart in Jay and Silent Bob.
- Watson: Sherlock’s right-hand man in the Sherlock Holmes series.
- Willow: Buffy’s bestie in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Dog Names That Sound Friendly
These don’t literally mean “friend,” but they sure do evoke the right sentiment. Then again, maybe it’s just my Texan upbringin’?
- Ace
- Amore
- Angel
- Babe
- Baby
- Babydoll
- Bebé
- Boo
- Boss
- Bub
- Bubba
- Buck
- Bucky
- Buckaroo
- Buttercup
- Cookie
- Cutie
- Cherie
- Cupcake
- Darlin’
- Dear
- Dearie
- Doll
- Doodlekins
- Dreamboat
- Dulce
- Dumplin’
- Handsome
- Honey
- Honeybunny
- Hot Stuff
- Jefe
- Keeper
- Key (Like the key to your heart)
- King
- Lil’ Bit
- Little One
- Love
- Lovey
- Loyal
- Loyalty
- Muffin
- Mon Cher
- Peach
- Peaches
- Peachy
- Pie
- Poppet
- Precious
- Prince
- Princess
- Puddin’
- Pumpkin
- Schatzi
- Scout
- Snookums
- Snugglebug
- Sparky
- Sport
- Sprite
- Sprout
- Star
- Sugar
- Sugarplum
- Sweetheart
- Sweetie
- Sweet Pea
- Sweetie Pie
- Sweets
- Sweetums
- Tootsie
- Tot
- Treasure
- True
- Trust
- Trusty
- Truth
- Whiz
- V.I.P. (Very Important Pupper)
Please remember any of these can be mixed together to make it all the more friendly, like “Sugar Darlin’” or “Puddin’ Pie?” Or “Bucky Buckaroo.”
Personally, when naming a dog, I think of nicknames associated with their “formal” names, since nine out of ten times I call them by that anyway. Why not just start there?
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When naming a dog, there is a lot to consider. Is it fun to say? Is it comfortable to pronounce? Does it have awesome nicknames associated with it that you can make into ridiculously cute tongue twisters and obnoxious chants to sing to your dog?
If you’re looking for more naming inspiration, make sure to also check out our article on dog names meaning “love,” dog names meaning “lucky,” as well as some of our other favorite cool dog names!
Hopefully, we’ve give you some friendly doggo name ideas above. Do you have any great, friendly dog names? Feel free to post them in the comments below!
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