German Shepherd Names - Dog Name Inspiration

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Looking for a name for your German shepherd? Choosing the perfect name for your dog can feel like a big challenge.

You might go through hundreds of names before coming across something that feels right, but finding the perfect name really is about exposing yourself to lots of inspiration and ideas and then following your instinct.

In this article, we will share some of the most popular names for German shepherds, as well as names linked to German religion, celebrities, and language.

While you might not find the perfect name on our list, hopefully, you will find something that inspires you and points you in the right direction.

We’ll also share our top tips for sense-checking your chosen name and making sure it is appropriate before settling on your final choice.

German Dog Names

Since you are adopting a German shepherd, why not dig out your German language dictionary and see if you can find any inspiring words for naming your dog. Here are some ideas and their English translation:

Male Names

Alder – eagle
Aldo – old or wise
Alger – noble or bright
Alfred – counselor
Arnold – eagle power
Arvin – a friend to all
August – exalted and revered
Axel – peaceful
Bernard – brave as a bear
Bismark – famous German statesman
Cayden – spirit of battle
Clovis – famous warrior
Damian – the fighter
Dieter – people’s ruler
Donner – thunder
Duxi – warrior of the people
Emmett – industrious or string
Ellard – noble or brave
Felix – lucky
Ferdinand – adventurous and courageous
Franz – free
Frederick – peaceful ruler
Frido – powerful
Garin – warrior
Gunther – warrior
Hamlin – one who loves his home
Harbin – little shining fighter
Helmar – famous protector
Hendrik – home ruler
Hugo – wise man
Jaeger – hunter
Keene – bold or sharp
Klaus – the people’s victory
Leopold – a bold leader
Luther – warrior
Manfred – man of peace
Max – greatest
Meyer – bringer of light
Milo – beloved
Mozart – the famous German composer
Norbett – hero
Otto – prosperous or rich
Ozzy – divine spear
Prinz – prince
Rainer – warrior
Ritter – knight
Rowland – famous in the land
Schatzi – sweetheart
Sigrid – beautiful victory
Theobold – the boldest
Tobias – God is good
Ugo – mind, heart, and spirit
Verner – defending army
Waldo – ruler
Wilfred – determined peacemaker
Wolfgang – wolf journey
Zelig – blessed one
Zenzi – to spring up, grow, or thrive

Female Names

Ada – noble or kind
Annika – graceful
Aubrey – noble
Ava – evening
Berta – intelligent or glorious
Britta – strength
Elsa – noble
Frauke – little lady
Frieda – peaceful
Gerda – protected
Gretchen/Greta – pearl
Heidi – noble or serene
Helga – pious
Ida – hard working
Kaja – alibe
Katrin – great beauty
Leona – brave as a lioness
Liebe – love
Liesel – God is my oath
Lorelai – alluring
Lotti – little woman
Matilda – mighty in battle
Milla – industrious
Nadja – hope
Nia – bright
Olinda – protector of property
Raina – mighty army
Romey – obstinate or rebellious
Sascha – defender of mankind
Skye – sheltering
Tilli – battle maiden
Trudi – strong spear warrior
Ula – pearl
Ulrika – all-ruling or wolf ruler
Vera – faith or truth
Vala – singled out
Winifred – peaceful friend
Zelda – battle maiden

Names Based On The History Of The Breed

German shepherds, also known as Alsatians, are a medium-to-large dog breed from Germany originally used for herding and guarding.

The intelligence, trainability, and strength of the dog meant that it was soon adapted for other purposes, such as being police dogs, military dogs, and, of course, household pets.

German shepherds have a rich history, and this can offer some interesting naming options.

Beowulf – one of the first puppies of the breed, ideal for strong dogs with sweet personalities
Heinz von Starkenburg – one of the first puppies of the breed, perfect if they are sweet like baked beans
Hektor Linksrhein – after the father of the breed, a great name if you are adopting an older German shepherd
Horand von Grafrath – Horand or Grafrath after the very first German shepherd recognized at shows, the ideal name for sleeker examples of the breed
Max von Stephanitz – Max or Stephan (or Stephanie) after the founder of the breed
Phylax – after the Phylax society founded in the late 19th century to standardize the breed
Pilot – one of the first puppies of the breed, and a name for a dog that likes to take the lead on walks

Names Of German Gods And Goddesses

Pre-Christian Germanic religion is a rich and interesting culture linked closely to the Norse religion. Why not name your German shepherd after one of their fierce gods or goddesses?

Gods

Alcis – pair of young brothers worshiped by the Naharvali Germanic tribe, a great name if you have more than one pup
Balder – the god of light and the most beautiful of all the gods
Bragi – the god of poets, and perfect for a barker
Dellingr – the personification of the day, for the dog that lights up the room
Donar – the German version of Thor, the god of thunder, perfect for a barker
Forseti – god of justice, ideal for guard dogs
Freyr – fertility god, perfect for dogs that are into everything
Heimdall – the guardian who brightens the world, ideal for guard dogs
Hermod – a messenger deity, for pups that like to bark
Hodr – their name means warrior, but the god is blind so this is perfect for older German shepherds
Lodur – the god that animated mankind, ideal for a pup full of energy
Loki – the trickster, and a great name for dogs that get into everything
Mani – the moon, and a good name for dogs that stay up at night, or howl at the moon
Mimir – the rememberer and holder of knowledge, and the perfect name for dogs that learn quickly
Meili – the lovely one, ideal for your beautiful pup
Njordr – the god of the sea and fair winds, perfect for dogs that enjoy swimming
Odr – the frenzied one, like a Berserker warrior, for dogs that go from zero to 100 in no time
Tiw – linked to the Norse Tyr, the bravest and noblest of the gods, for the bravest of dogs
Tuisto – the legendary divine ancestor of the German people, and maybe German shepherds
Vali – the chosen one, for the pup you chose from the litter
Wodin – linked to the Norse god Odin, the principal deity of the pantheon, and the principal dog in our family
Yngvi – fertility god, and a great name for dogs that have lots of energy

Goddesses

Baduhenna – war goddess whose grove killed 900 Roman soldiers, ideal for feisty pups
Bil – goddess that follows the moon, ideal for dogs that stay up at night or howl at the moon
Beyla – the goddess who serves, perfect for a dog in training
Eir – Valkyrie with medical skills, ideal for a strong but caring dog
Eostre – goddess of the spring, perfect for spring pups
Freyja – goddess of love and beauty, and the perfect name for beautiful dogs
Frigg – matron and motherly goddess, a great name for older dogs
Fulla – the secret keeper, choose this name for dogs that don’t bark much
Gerdr – her name means “fenced in” so give it to a dog that can’t stand fences!
Gullveig – warrior queen of the Vanir gods, ideal for feisty pups
Hariasa – goddess with lots of hair, perfect for shedders
Idis – the well respected and dignified goddess, and pups with a royal demeanor
Ilmr – the goddess with the pleasant scent, if you love the smell of your pup
Irpa – the goddess whose name means dark brown, perfect for brown German Shepherds
Nanna – the daring one, and the perfect name for daring dogs
Nehalennia – a goddess of the sea, and a name for dogs that like to swim
Ran – her name means theft and is ideal for dogs that steal shoes
Sigyn – the victorious companion, ideal for a dog that sticks to you like glue
Skadi – goddess of snow and skiing, great if you live in colder climates
Sunna – goddess of the sun, and the name for a dog that lights up the room
Syn – goddess of defensive refusal, ideal for stubborn pups

Names Of Famous German Shepherd

If none of those seem right, maybe name your pup after one of the many famous German shepherds from history, literature, and television.

Apollo – this German shepherd was important in the 9/11 search and rescue operations
Buddy – the first seeing eye dog was also a German shepherd
Bullet – Bullet the Wonder Dog appeared regularly on the Roy Rogers Show in the 1950s
Lady Jule – the mate of Strongheart who bred many celebrity dogs
Maximillion – the bionic dog in the third season of the Bionic Woman, he had four bionic legs, a bionic jaw, and could run 90 miles an hour and bite through steel
Nemo – this dog was stationed on Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Vietnam in 1966, and when both Nemo and his handler were shot, Nemo was still able to attack the enemy and then crawl back to his handler and cover him with his body for protection
Rin Tin Tin – Saved from a war zone in WWI by Lee Duncan, the dog made 27 Hollywood films
Strongheart – originally christened Etzel von Oerigen, this German shepherd starred in man American movies in the 1920s

Celebrities With German Shepherds

Why not name your dog after one of the many celebrity German shepherd owners, or their pampered pups.

Bella Thorne – the American actress, singer, and model
Ben Affleck – the Good Will Hunting and Batman actor
Bo Derek – the sexy American actress
Claudia Schiffer – one of the original supermodels
Enrique Iglesias – the Spanish singer and songwriter
Jake Gyllenhaal – the Donnie Darko and Brokeback Mountain actor
Jennifer Aniston – Rachel from Friends
Jennifer Lopez – the Latina singer and Hustlers actress
Kristen Stewart – the Twilight and Diana actress
Meryl Davis – the American ice dancer
Michael Jackson – the king of pop
Miley Cyrus – the Hannah Montana singer
Nikki Reed – the American actress
Reese Witherspoon – the Legally Blonde actress
Shania Twain – the country music star
Tom Hanks – America’s favorite actor

Names Taken From Famous Germans

Not satisfied with American celebrities? Why not name your dog after some of the famous Germans that have made their mark on history.

Albert Einstein – the man behind the theory of relativity
Albrecht Durer – famous Renaissance scholar
Angela Merkel – the politician
Arthur Schopenhauer – created the philosophy of pessimism
Bertolt Brecht – German playwright
Boris Becker – the tennis player
Carl von Clausewitz – Prussian soldier and military strategist
Clara Schumann – composer and pianist of the 19th century
Claudia Schiffer – the supermodel
Diane Kruger – the actress
Erich Maria Remarque – 20th-century author
Frederich Nietzsche – the philosopher of supermen
Gerhard Richter – artist
Grimm Brothers – writers of fairy tales
Heidi Klum – the model and presenter
Herman Hesse – poet, novelist, and painter (plus Nobel Prize winner)
Immanuel Kant – the philosopher
Johann Sebastian Bach – the Baroque composer
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe – the great poet
Johannes Brahms – great German composer of the 19th century
Kaethe Kollwitz – the artist of grief
Karl Lagerfeld – the designer
Ludwig van Beethoven – perhaps the most famous composer of all time
Martin Luther – the founder of Protestantism
Michael Schumacher – the race car driver
Oscar Schindler – who outwitted the Nazis
Steffi Graff – the tennis player
Werner Herzog – the director

How To Choose A Name For Your Dog

While there are no strict rules for what you should name your dog, there are a few common sense things to keep in mind when making your final decision.

Keep It Short

Choose something short, ideally only one or two syllables, or at least something that can be shortened.

This is because it is easier for dogs to learn shorter names, which means they will start responding when you call sooner than if you chose a longer and more complicated name for them.

If you want to give your dog a long and complicated name such as “Sirius Black” or “Lucy Lawless”, remember that you will need a shorter nickname for daily use, like “Siri” or “Lucy”.

Considering that it is the nickname that you will be using most often and that they will recognize best, make sure you consider their nickname just as carefully as their full name.

Consider The First Letter

It is a good idea to choose something that starts with a sibilant consonant or blend consonants, such as an S or an SH, or a hard commanding consonant like a K or C.

These subtle choices will make it easier for your dog to distinguish their name from all the other ambient noise around them, which means it will also be easier for you to get their attention.

Avoid Names That Sound Like Other Important Words

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.

If their name sounds too much like a command that you use regularly, such as sit or stay, they may confuse the two words.

This will probably result in the offending command being less effective than it should be, as they won’t be sure whether you just want their attention or if you want them to do the specific task.

Consider Appropriateness

Remember that 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.

All too often, people give their dogs names that they think are funny at the time and then find they are embarrassed to use it later. Remember, everyone in your family who is responsible for your dog will also need to be able to use their name with ease.

Read our complete guide to puppy names here.

You can read our guide to teaching your dog their name here.

The Verdict

Finding the perfect name for your dog really is about exposing yourself to lots of inspiration and ideas until you come across something that feels right.

After that, you should sense-check your name to make sure it works. You wouldn’t name your child without ensuring their name didn’t rhyme with any unpleasant words, would you?

Hopefully, the lists in this article have provided you with some inspiration and our guidelines for checking a name can help you find the perfect name for your German shepherd pup.

Do you have any recommendations for the perfect name for a German shepherd?

Share them with the community in the comments section below.

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