Black Dog Names

Choosing a name for your black dog that highlights their stunning dark coat can be a wonderful way to celebrate their unique appearance. Black dogs have a special elegance and mystique that can inspire many creative naming options.

Why Choose a Name Inspired by Your Dog’s Black Coat?

Black dogs have a distinctive, sleek appearance that can inspire names reflecting their color, the night sky, precious stones, or powerful natural elements. These names not only acknowledge your dog’s beautiful appearance but can also reflect qualities like strength, mystery, and elegance that are often associated with the color black.

How to Choose the Perfect Name for Your Black Dog

When selecting a name for your black-coated companion, consider these factors:

Your dog’s specific shade - Is their coat pure black, or does it have hints of brown or gray?
Your dog’s personality - Is your black dog mysterious and independent, or playful and outgoing?
Name length - Shorter names are typically easier for dogs to learn
Cultural references - Consider names from mythology, literature, or nature that relate to darkness or night

Most Popular Black Dog Names

Here’s our carefully curated list of the best names for black dogs, along with their meanings and origins:

Name	Meaning	Origin	Emoji	Popularity
Shadow	Dark silhouette	English	🌃	96
Onyx	Black gemstone	Greek	🪙	89
Midnight	Darkest time of night	English	🌃	87
Coal	Black fossil fuel	English	🪨	83
Raven	Black bird	Old English	🦅	91
Jet	Deep black gemstone	French	🪙	85
Ebony	Dark black wood	Egyptian	🪨	88
Pepper	Black spice	English	🌃	86
Slate	Dark gray stone	English	🪨	82
Obsidian	Volcanic black glass	Latin	🪨	84

Black Dog Names Inspired By Nature and Elements

If you pause and look around, the Earth is full of inspiration for black dog names. The following names are based on nature and other elements and make strong, sophisticated options.

Name	Meaning	Origin	Emoji	Popularity
Amaya	Night rain	Japanese	🌧️	88
Ash	Remains after fire	English	🔥	85
Carbon	Element in all living things	Latin	⚗️	82
Charcoal	Burnt wood	English	🪵	84
Cinder	Partially burnt material	English	🔥	80
Dusk	Evening twilight	English	🌆	83
Ember	Glowing coal fragment	English	🔥	87
Graphite	Form of carbon	Greek	✏️	79
Inky	Dark as ink	English	🖋️	81
Opal	Can be black gemstone	Sanskrit	💎	86
Pearl	Can be black gemstone	Latin	🦪	89
Sable	Very dark fur	French	🦊	84
Soot	Black carbon deposit	English	🏭	78
Steel	Strong metal alloy	English	🔩	83
Stormy	Dark weather condition	English	⛈️	85
Thunder	Sound during storms	English	⚡	87
Twilight	Soft light before darkness	English	🌆	86

Food-Inspired Black Dog Names

Another excellent place for ideas for black dog names is food and drinks. Many edible items are black, making for fun and playful dog names.

Name	Meaning	Origin	Emoji	Popularity
Bailey	Bailey’s Irish Cream	Irish	🥃	88
Bean	Black bean	English	🫘	82
Blackberry	Dark berry fruit	English	🫐	85
Bosco	Chocolate syrup	Italian	🍫	79
Brandy	Dark liquor	Dutch	🥃	84
Brownie	Chocolate dessert	English	🍫	87
Coco	Cocoa	Spanish	🍫	90
Coffee	Dark beverage	Arabic	☕	89
Espresso	Strong Italian coffee	Italian	☕	86
Godiva	Chocolate brand	Belgian	🍫	83
Guinness	Famous dark beer	Irish	🍺	85
Hershey	Chocolate brand	American	🍫	86
Kahlua	Coffee liqueur	Mexican	🥃	82
Licorice	Black candy	Greek	🍬	80
Mocha	Chocolate espresso	Arabic	☕	88
Olive	Dark fruit	Greek	🫒	84
Oreo	Black and white cookie	American	🍪	91
Pepper	Black spice	Latin	🌶️	86

Black Animals

Dogs aren’t the only creatures that can be black. Many other animals sport dark-colored coats, providing inspiration for your dog’s name.

Name	Meaning	Origin	Emoji	Popularity
Bear	Large black mammal	English	🐻	89
Crow	Black bird	English	🐦	83
Falcon	Bird of prey	Latin	🦅	85
Jaguar	Black big cat	Portuguese	🐆	87
Panther	Black big cat	Greek	🐆	90
Penguin	Black and white bird	Welsh	🐧	86
Puma	Mountain lion	Quechua	🐆	84
Raven	Black bird	Old English	🦅	91
Spider	Eight-legged arachnid	English	🕷️	82
Wolf	Wild canine	English	🐺	88

Black in Other Languages

For a more sophisticated and subtle name, consider translating “black” and similar words to another language.

Name	Meaning	Origin	Emoji	Popularity
Kuro	Black	Japanese	🇯🇵	87
Nero	Black	Italian	🇮🇹	86
Noir	Black	French	🇫🇷	89
Schwarz	Black	German	🇩🇪	83
Preto	Black	Portuguese	🇵🇹	82
Zwart	Black	Dutch	🇳🇱	81
Musta	Black	Finnish	🇫🇮	80
Dunkel	Dark	German	🇩🇪	82
Buio	Dark	Italian	🇮🇹	81
Eleʻele	Black	Hawaiian	🌺	84

Space-Inspired Names

The vast expanse of space has many dark elements that serve as cool dog names for black pups.

Name	Meaning	Origin	Emoji	Popularity
Cosmo	Universe	Greek	🌌	88
Galaxy	System of stars	Greek	🌌	87
Eclipse	Blocking of light	Greek	🌑	86
Jupiter	Largest planet	Roman	🪐	85
Luna	Moon	Latin	🌙	92
Mars	Red planet	Roman	🔴	84
Meteor	Space rock	Greek	☄️	83
Moon	Earth’s satellite	English	🌙	86
Nebula	Cloud in space	Latin	🌌	85
Nova	Exploding star	Latin	💥	87
Star	Celestial body	English	⭐	88
Venus	Planet	Roman	🪐	84

Characters Who Wear Black

Many famous characters in film and television wear all black, providing inspiration for your black dog’s name.

Name	Meaning	Origin	Emoji	Popularity
Batman	DC superhero	Fiction	🦇	90
Bond	James Bond	Fiction	🕴️	87
Cash	Johnny Cash	Music	🎵	86
Darth	Darth Vader from Star Wars	Fiction	🎭	88
Elvira	Mistress of the dark	Fiction	👻	83
Knight	Black Knight	Fiction	🏰	85
Neo	The Matrix character	Fiction	🕶️	87
Ninja	Stealthy warrior	Japanese	🥷	89
Poe	Edgar Allan Poe	Literature	📚	84
Storm	X-Men character	Fiction	⚡	86
Vader	Star Wars villain	Fiction	🎭	88
Zorro	Masked vigilante	Fiction	🎭	85

Spooky and Magical Black Dog Names

Black dogs often have a mystical quality that can be celebrated with names based on magic and mystery.

Name	Meaning	Origin	Emoji	Popularity
Echo	Repeating sound	Greek	🔊	84
Enigma	Mystery	Greek	🔍	85
Fang	Sharp tooth	English	🦷	86
Hex	Spell or curse	Greek	🧙	83
Jinx	Brings bad luck	English	🍀	82
Magic	Supernatural powers	Greek	✨	87
Merlin	Legendary wizard	Welsh	🧙‍♂️	88
Midnight	Darkest hour	English	🌃	89
Mystery	Something unexplained	Greek	🔍	84
Phantom	Ghost or apparition	Greek	👻	85
Salem	Witch trials location	Hebrew	🧹	86
Shadow	Dark silhouette	English	🌑	90
Spooky	Eerie or scary	English	👻	83
Voodoo	Magical practice	West African	🪄	82
Warlock	Male witch	Old English	🧙‍♂️	84

Caring for Your Black Dog

Black dogs have some special considerations:

Sun exposure - Black coats absorb more heat, so provide plenty of shade in hot weather
Photography tips - Use good lighting to capture your black dog’s features in photos
Grooming - Regular brushing helps maintain the shine in black coats
Health awareness - Gray hairs may be more noticeable as your black dog ages

A name that celebrates your dog’s beautiful black coat can be a wonderful way to honor their unique appearance. We hope our extensive list helps you find the perfect name that captures both your dog’s looks and personality!

Name	Meaning	Origin	Emoji	Popularity
Shadow	Dark silhouette	English	🌃	96
Onyx	Black gemstone	Greek	🪙	89
Midnight	Darkest time of night	English	🌃	87
Coal	Black fossil fuel	English	🪨	83
Raven	Black bird	Old English	🦅	91
Jet	Deep black gemstone	French	🪙	85
Ebony	Dark black wood	Egyptian	🪨	88
Pepper	Black spice	English	🌃	86
Slate	Dark gray stone	English	🪨	82
Obsidian	Volcanic black glass	Latin	🪨	84