Picking a Dog Name: Famous Dogs from Film & TV

Choosing a name for your dog can be tough, as there are so many options. One way to go is by honoring one of the great fictional dogs that have graced movie and TV screens for years. Here are some famous fictional dog names and what made them special. These are all great names for a dog – are any of them right for yours?

Lassie

Possibly the most famous fictional dog, Lassie was a Rough Collie known for her exceptional intelligence and good deeds. The character was a star in the movies, on television, and in radio, and even got her own video game, released for PlayStation 2 in 2005.

Benji

Benji is an adorable little mixed-breed dog who was the subject of several movies, starting with the 1974 film Benji.

Marmaduke

The cartoon strip by Brad Anderson about the enormous, goofy, and loveable Great Dane was started in 1954 and was later made into a movie in 2010.

Rin Tin Tin

This German Shepherd was a bona fide superstar back in the day. A real dog named Rin Tin Tin starred in dozens of movies in the 1920s and his son, Rin Tin Tin Jr., carried on the family legacy in the 1930s.

Beethoven

A series of 90s family films introduced us to Beethoven, a St. Bernard who wreaks family-friendly havoc on the Newton family. They call him Beethoven because he barks along to some Beethoven the daughter Emily plays on the piano.

Buddy

This is the famous Golden Retriever who’s an ace at basketball, football, soccer, baseball, and volleyball, and who spawned a series of spin-offs featuring real-life superstar dog Air Buddy. It’s an adorable name but a lot to live up to!  

Hooch

Hooch is the famously slobbery Dogue de Bordeaux from the Tom Hanks 1989 movie Turner & Hooch. Sadly, things don’t end so great for Hooch, but his name is still great!

Wishbone

Wishbone is the Jack Russell Terrier from the PBS Kids television show of the same name. With his big imagination, he took viewers into a classic work of literature each episode, embodying the main character.

Ren

The surprisingly avant garde 90s cartoon Ren & Stimpy gave us the wild and unpredictable chihuahua Ren.

Clifford

Clifford the Big Red Dog is seriously big – bigger than a house big – and lives with his owner, 8-year-old Emily Elizabeth, and her family. Author Normal Bridwell based the children’s books on a dog he owned. It’s not clear what breed Clifford is, exactly.

Scooby Doo

The second Great Dane on this list, Scooby Doo is of course famous for being friends with Shaggy, Fred, Velma, and Daphne, as the cartoon gang solve mysteries and travel around in their groovy van, the Mystery Machine.  

Pongo

Pongo is the bachelor Dalmatian at the start of One Hundred and One Dalmatians. He meets another Dalmatian, Perdita (bonus name!), and together they get tangled up in Cruella De Vil’s evil plot to steal dogs to make fur coats.

Cujo

Okay, it’s not likely many people want to name their dog after the rabid St. Bernard of the horror film Cujo, except for die hard Stephen King fans. But it’s still a cool name.