Do you love anime? Why don’t you give your pet some of the cutest anime dog names to honor your favorite characters?
While many people confuse anime for regular animated cartoons, there are many things that set this Japanese movie apart. All anime fans know this!
Not just that, but by giving your pet an anime dog name, you can be certain no other canine in the dog park will be called the same name. This is excellent not just for making you feel unique, but it can also help your dog know that that is his name and his name alone.
When it comes to dog breeds that originate from Japan (such as the Shiba Inu, the Akita Inu, the Hokkaido Inu, the Kai Inu, the Shikoka Inu, and the Kishu Inu), you might notice that many have similar features. The majority of them have fox-like heads, pointy ears, as well as turned-up tails.
The only feature that varies greatly is their size! These dog breeds can be anywhere from toy-sized to rather large dogs!
And, if you have wondered why so many breeds have the word Inu in them – it’s because ‘Inu’ means ‘dog’ in Japanese. In fact, Inu might also be a great anime dog name – but we won’t put it on our list today.
Without further ado, here are 100+ anime-inspired dog names for your four legged companion:
Anime Dog Names – Male
If you’re trying to find the best male dog name for your pooch, there are plenty of anime dog names to choose from. Anime is filled with male heroes and antiheroes (and even villains if that’s what you prefer!).
Here are some of the most popular male anime characters whose names you might like:
1. Aizen (Bleach)
2. Akamaru (Naruto)
3. Akira (Akira)
4. Alphonse (Fullmetal Alchemist)
5. Alucard (Hellsing)
6. Apo (Uchuu Kyoundai)
7. Armageddon (Hayate the Combat Butler)
8. Black Hayate (Fullmetal Alchemist)
9. Blue (Wolf’s Rain)
10. Bonta (Full Metal Panic!)
11. Cinnamoroll (Hello Kitty)
12. Chuck (Pokemon)
13. Cloud (Final Fantasy VII: Last Order)
14. Edward (Fullmetal Alchemist)
15. Eevee (Pokemon)
16. Ein (Cowboy Bebop)
17. Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)
18. Entei (Pokemon)
19. Eugeo (Sword Art Online)
20. Goku (Dragon Ball)
21. Guts (Kill la Kill)
22. Haku (Spirited Away)
23. Hawks (My Hero Academia)
24. Heen (Howl’s Moving Castle)
25. Hisoka (Hunter x Hunter)
26. Izuku (My Hero Academia)
27. Izumi (Horimiya)
28. Jobim (Cowboy Bebop)
29. Kaede (Shuffle!)
30. Kai (Yu Yu Hakusho)
31. Kakashi (Naruto)
32. Kazuma (Yu Yu Hakusho)
33. Katsuki (My Hero Academia)
34. Killua (Hunter x Hunter)
35. Kira (Death Note)
36. Kirito (Sword Art Online)
37. Koromaru (Megami Tensei)
38. L (Death Note)
39. Lancer (Fate/Stay Night)
40. Levi (Attack on Titan)
41. Light (Death Note)
42. Lucario (Pokemon)
43. Luffy (One Piece)
44. Maru (Gakkou Gurashi!)
45. Mello (Death Note)
46. Michio (Yu-Gi-Oh)
47. Naruto (Naruto)
48. Oboro (My Hero Academia)
49. Orochimaru (Naruto)
50. Piccolo (Dragon Ball)
51. Pluto (Kuroshitsuji)
52. Pompompurin (Hello Kitty)
53. Rem (Re:Zero)
54. Sasuke (Naruto)
55. Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII: Last Order)
56. Shachi (Gintama)
57. Shiro (Hoozuki no Reitetsu)
58. Smoker (One Piece)
59. Taromaru (Gakkou Gurashi!)
60. Tetsuro (No Guns Life)
61. Tetsuya (Kuroko no Basuke)
62. Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro)
63. Umi (Magic Knight Rayearth)
64. Wanta (Elfen Lied)
65. Yunyun (KonoSuba)
66. Yuri (Yuri on Ice)
67. Yusuke (YuYu Hakusho)
68. Zack (Final Fantasy VII: Final Order)
69. Zeke (Attack on Titan)
70. Zepile (Hunter x Hunter)
71. Zero (Vampire Knight)
Female Anime Dog Names
Do you have a female dog that you want to know how to name? Here are some female anime dog names that you might consider, as well as the series it is from:
1. Akame (Akame ga Kill!)
2. Artemis (Sailor Moon)
3. Asuna (Sword Art Online)
4. Bulma (Dragon Ball)
5. Catherine (Catherine)
6. Chi-Chi (Dragon Ball)
7. Chihiro (Spirited Away)
8. Diva (Blood+)
9. Eevee (Pokemon)
10. Eri (My Hero Academia)
11. Exodia (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
12. Foxy (One Piece)
13. Fujimoto (Ghibli)
14. Haru (Beastars)
15. Hinata (Naruto)
16. Historia (Attack on Titan)
17. Holy (One Piece)
18. Io (Acchi Kocchi)
19. Isaki (Nagi no Asukara)
20. Katsumi (Baki the Grappler)
21. Keiko (Yuyu Hakusho)
22. Kiko (Darker than Black: The Black Contractor)
23. Kira (Death Note)
24. Lu (Elsword)
25. Luna (Sailor Moon)
26. Mana (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
27. Mercury (Gate: Jieitai KanoChi Nite, Kaku Tatakaeri)
28. Misty (Pokemon)
29. Mikasa (Attack on Titan)
30. Miki (Gakkou Gurashi!)
31. Misa (Death Note)
32. Mokona (xxxHOLic)
33. Nami (One Piece)
34. Nao (Inu Neko Jump!)
35. Nina (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion)
36. Nui (Kill la Kill)
37. Okita (Imperial Capital Holy Grail)
38. O-Tama (One Piece)
39. Rik (Di Gi Charat)
40. Rin (Fate/Stay Night)
41. Riza (Fullmetal Alchemist)
42. Ruth (Ancient Magus Bride)
43. Sakura (Naruto)
44. Saya (Highschool of the Dead)
45. Sayuri (Another)
46. Sawako (Kimi ni Todoke)
47. Sinon (Sword Art Online)
48. Sora (Digimon)
49. Suzu (Nagasarete Airantou)
50. Tenten (Naruto)
51. Tifa (Final Fantasy VII: Last Order)
52. Tsuyu (My Hero Academia)
53. Wakana (Okusama ga Seitokaichou)
54. Yubaba (Spirited Away)
55. Yuho (Wanna Be the Strongest in the World)
56. Yuuki (Sword Art Online)
Names of Dogs from Anime
We’ve listed 100+ anime dog names – but what about names of canine characters from these Japanese cartoons? Many anime have dogs in them – and most of them are just adorable!
You might notice that most of these anime dog names are male. There is a reason behind this. While in Japanese culture, cats are voiced by females (and usually are of the female gender), dogs are represented by males, which is also why they are portrayed as males most of the time.
Here are 20 anime dogs that might inspire you to name your own pooch accordingly:
1. Maru
Maru, or Pedro Martinez, is an adorable stray dog from Kimi no Todoke. He was found by Kazehaya and named by his homeroom teacher. And, yes, his name was inspired by the legendary baseball pitcher, Pedro Martinez.
2. Ein
Ein is the dog companion of the crew from the Cowboy Bebop. While he cannot speak, his owner, Ed, seems to understand his barks and body language, allowing the two of them to communicate.
3. Potato
Air is one of the saddest animes out there, and Potato is the name of the adorable dog that tends to follow Kano everywhere she goes. From time to time, he loves stealing Yuko’s puppets as well.
4. Guts
Guts is the pug that appears in Kill la Kill. His name is due to his eating habits. No, he doesn’t eat guts, but ‘he eats with gusto’. Despite his cute appearance, he is mischievous and loves to steal food.
5. Armageddon
Armageddon is the white dog from Hayate no Gotoku! Cuties. He loves spending time licking Alice’s hair, which led to many humorous events.
6. Pakkun
While the Naruto series has many dog characters, no one is as well-known as Pakkun. Pakkun is Kakashi’s loyal ninja dog that looks a bit like a Pug or a Frenchie, and sports a really deep voice.
7. Tadakichi-san
Everyone who’s watched Azumanga Daioh knows Tadakichi-san. He is a white Great Pyrenees dog that Chiyo, his owner, loves to ride around on.
8. Heen
Howl’s Moving Castle (or Howl no Ugoku Shiro) is one of the most popular animated movies. Heen is the well-behaved and lazy dog of Madam Sulliman, who is always there to help Sophie.
9. Koromaru
The albino Shiba Inu from Persona 3 the Movie 1: Spring of Birth is one of the cutest dogs out there. He even knows how to use daggers to attack his foes!
10. Apo
Yet another Pug from the list, Apo is the pet of Hibito from Uchuu Kyoundai (which you might know as Space Brothers). He loves to eat hot dogs, and he wakes his owner up every morning by licking his face.
11. Shiro
Shiro is a fluffy white dog (either a Samoyed or an Akita) from Hoozuki no Reitetsu. Don’t let his appearance fool you – he works in animal hells as a punisher to all the deceased animal abusers!
12. Tetsuya #2
Tetsuya #2 is owned by Tetsuya (yes, Kuroko no Basket did make things that complicated) and serves as a cheerleader of the Seirin Team. Whenever his team scores, he jumps around from joy, cheering for them.
13. Akamaru
Akamaru is yet another famous dog from Naruto. He is owned by Kiba, and has many special abilities, which even includes cloning Kiba in battle.
14. Black Hayate
Black Hayate is the anime dog name from Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. He underwent strict military training, and he loves to defend his owner no matter what.
15. Sadaharu
Sadaharu is the white dog from Gintama that looks more like a cat than a dog. If you feed him milk and strawberries, he will grow in size and even grow people’s heads off. He also knows how to play rock-paper-scissors.
16. Tobimaru
Tobimaru is a Shiba Inu from Sword of the Stranger. He is a faithful companion of No Name and Kotaro.
17. Iggy
Iggy is a Boston Terrier from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. He came from New York, and he is a huge helping hand of the show’s protagonists. The only way to keep him calm is to give him coffee-flavored chewing gum.
18. Gin
Gin is another Akita Inu; this time, from the anime, Ginga Nagareboshi Gin. He is the brave leader of the pack organized to kill Akakabuto, the bear.
19. Menchi
Menchi is the squirrel-like dog from the Heppoko Jikken Animation Excel Saga, and the only female dog on this list. She was a stray dog until Excel decided to adopt her.
20. Kazuhito Harumi
Kazuhito Harumi was a bookworm from the third year of middle school who died after saving a girl. He was then reborn as a long-haired Dachshund.
How to Pronounce Anime Dog Names
As you’ve likely noticed, all of these names have a Japanese origin. While you likely know how to pronounce the name of your favorite anime character, some help might be useful.
First off, E sounds like ay. If you want to call your dog Chise, you’ll pronounce it as chee-say.
Next, I sounds just like ee. This is likely obvious. For example, the name Miki will be pronounced as me-kee or me-key.
U will sound like oo. Think of the word ooze – that’s what you’re going for. As a result, the name Usui would be pronounced oo-soo-ee.
A is never pronounced as it is in the words shame or band. Instead, you’d pronounce it like ah. The name Daichi would be pronounced as dah-ee-chee.
O is pronounced like oh. This one is also easy to assume. The name Naruto would be pronounced as nah-roo-toh.
You might also notice that some names have double letters in them. This usually means that there is a small break in the word right before them. If you have the name Pakkun, you’d read it as Pa-kkun (pronounced pah…koon).
If you have double Os (oo) or ou, this means that there is a long sound. In fact, these two are usually used interchangeably, together with the letter ō (which you likely won’t use when writing down your dog’s name).
For example, the name Kikyō is pronounced the same as Kikyou or Kikyoo. The final o sound is elongated – but it’s always pronounced similarly to oh; never as English oo.
While this might be a bit confusing – and it’s certainly very brief – this explanation might help you learn how to avoid some mistakes that non-native Japanese speakers tend to make. However, if you watch anime in Japanese, you likely already know all this.
These pronunciation tips might help you pick the best anime dog name for your pooch as you might not know how some of them actually sound.
Does a Dog Name Matter?
While the dog’s name might speak a lot about us, does it really matter to our four-legged best friend? Whether you choose an anime dog name or some other name you like, there are many rumors about dogs that have preferred one name over the other one. But, is there any truth to these stories?
Believe it or not, there is! In fact, there is an entire science surrounding dog names and how to pick them. Whether you choose a Japanese dog name or a Star Wars inspired one, there are some reasons why you might want to choose one name over another one.
We’ll explain.
A Dog’s Name is Essential in Training
Dogs don’t understand names the same way as we do. They won’t know that a specific word is what they are called as they don’t comprehend things as humans do.
However, a dog’s name serves a purpose, and that is to help with training. This is why it’s important to think well before choosing the best anime dog name for your pooch.
Your dog will learn that the name you’ve given him is something he needs to respond to. In other words, the name is a specific command for them. Dogs recognize their names because they know that this means something will happen afterwards.
While they don’t realize that the name is how they are called, they know that this is a word they need to react to.
This is why your dog needs to learn the name you’ve given him, and to associate it with good things. The best way to teach a dog his name is by using positive reinforcements, such as his favorite treats.
Sit next to your pup and call him by name. If he looks at you, give him a treat. Repeat this as many times as possible in order to teach him that by reacting to the anime dog name you’ve given him, he’ll be rewarded.
Once you help your pooch learn his name, this will come in handy during training. Your dog will know to come to you when you call him or to stop any action that he’s doing because he needs to focus on you. This is extremely helpful, especially during situations in dog parks or during walks when there are many distractions.
How to Choose a Dog’s Name
Some anime dog names are better than the rest. And, no, this isn’t because you love one anime over another one. Instead, some names are more dog-appropriate, and dogs will remember them better.
Many dog owners already know about the two syllables rule. The best dog names have two syllables because this is what your doggy can remember the best. Also, short and choppy sounds work the best, while long, soothing tones might not be adequate.
For example, the name Kiba might be a lot better than the names Naruto or Misa.
On the other hand, some names might sound too much like commands. For example, the name Kit might be confused with ‘sit’, while Ray sounds like ‘stay’. All of this can confuse your dog so that he won’t know how to behave.
Are Human Names a Good Idea?
Probably the most popular choices for dog names are names that are also given to humans. Even if you look at the anime dog names we’ve listed, you’ll see that most of them are names used for human characters from the said series.
However, some trainers believe that this isn’t such a good idea. This is because assigning a human name to your dog can make you attribute human traits to canines.
While essentially, this isn’t anything wrong, it can disrupt your attempts to train your dog. You shouldn’t treat your pup like your children as they will behave differently. If you associate your dog with a human, you can end up with a misbehaving pet that might even be dangerous.
Still, giving human names is a very popular practice, so this likely doesn’t concern too many dog lovers.
So, How do you Choose the Best Name?
Giving your pup the right anime dog name might be one of the hardest decisions during dog ownership. The wrong name might ruin all your attempts to train and socialize your puppy, and this isn’t something anyone wants.
Sure, some names are obvious choices. For example, no one wants to name their dog ‘Stupid’ or ‘Dumb’. On the other hand, names such as Champ or Max seem like instant winners. We all want our dogs to have names that are as positive as it gets.
However, it’s not that simple.
We’ve already briefly mentioned the two syllables rule. Still, there is much more than that when picking the best anime dog name out there.
There are some names that sound just like commands, and that is pretty obvious. However, some names aren’t that straightforward to us, but they can wreak havoc if your pup gets confused.
Sure, the name ‘Noel’ sounds like ‘No’. This is very clear. However, did you know that the name ‘Snow’ also sounds just like ‘no’ to a dog? Pronounce it and you’ll understand. The same goes for variations of the name, such as ‘Snowball’ or ‘Snowbird’.
If your dog understands the command ‘No’ (which is something every canine should understand), he’ll think that his name, Snow, also means no. The letter S before the ‘now’ part won’t do much for him.
Think about any negative sounds you use to stop your dog from doing some action. This includes ‘no’, ‘stop’, or even ‘stay’. Any similar-sounding name will confuse the dog, and he’ll either get anxious after hearing his name, or he’ll respond wrongly to the given command.
If you have several dogs, don’t give them similar names. Sure, it might be cute to call your dogs Max and Rex, but these two names are too alike for dogs to differentiate them at all times.
If you give similar names to your pets, this can cause an identity crisis. Chances are your dogs won’t know who you’re calling!
Despite the two syllable rule, if you want to give your pup a longer name – go for it! There is nothing wrong with naming your pet Sephiroth on paper. Even if you call him by his full name during conversations, this isn’t an issue. Just remember to call him by his nickname (for example, Sephy) when you want him to act a certain way.
Finally, if at any point you want to change your dog’s name, there are a few things you need to be aware of.
As mentioned, dogs don’t understand that their names identify them. If you decide to call Sasuke Kiba after realizing the latter one might be a better name, go for it.
However, if you change your dog’s name too often, you’ll confuse him. It can take a long time for a dog to forget a specific command, and the same goes for his name. If you start calling Sasuke Kiba all of a sudden, while he will learn to respond to Kiba, he’ll also respond to Sasuke.
While this might not sound like an issue, it actually can be. The more names your dog thinks he has, the bigger the chances of him responding to the wrong one while at the dog park. Not to mention that this will stress not just your dog out, but you as well.
Still, if you’ve adopted a puppy called Buddy, and you want to give him a great anime dog name, go for it! First off, dogs likely haven’t stayed at shelters long enough to actually learn to respond to their names.
Secondly, as mentioned, dogs will learn to react to the new name you give to them. Your dog will stay with you for many years to come, and you want to feel comfortable while calling him.
While we’re speaking about comfort, it’s essential that the name is comfortable for you, too. Don’t give your pup a name that you’ll feel embarrassed about. Not everyone will think your anime dog name is ‘cool’ – and while this shouldn’t bother you, some people might not want to stand out that much.
Not just that, but you’ll likely be saying that name dozens of times during the day. This means that the name needs to roll out of your mouth naturally without any issues.
To determine whether this is the case, try standing in front of the mirror and saying that name several times in a row. If the name is easy to pronounce and you enjoy saying it – then chances are you might’ve found the right name for your dog.
Are Anime Dog Names a Good Idea?
Anime dog names might sound funny to people who aren’t familiar with the series or other Japanese dog names. However, this shouldn’t refrain you from picking the name you like, especially if you’d like to honor a character you love.
In fact, some anime dog names might be perfect as many sound just like you’d want a dog name to sound. They are short, sharp, and don’t sound like many English words you’d use as commands.
Of course, the most important thing is how you want to call your dog. Canines can even learn names that aren’t perfect according to the expert’s standards. Sure, it might take them a bit longer to understand what to respond to, but it isn’t impossible.
In fact, there is one important advantage if you decide to pick a dog name from an anime. Chances are, not many dogs in the park will be called the same name, and if you lose your dog (especially if he’s microchipped or with a tag), you’ll increase your chances of being reunited with him.
In the end, you should be the one who’ll decide how to name your pet since you’re the one who will be using it the most. If the name is good enough for you – it is bound to be amazing for your best friend.
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