153 Christmas dog names, with meanings

Most Christmas dog name lists give you a word and nothing else. We wanted the story behind each one, because a name you'll say ten thousand times should mean something. So every name here links to where its meaning comes from: Behind the Name for given names, Wiktionary for words, the Library of Congress and Project Gutenberg for the songs and books. We left out film and cartoon characters on purpose, the famous red-nosed reindeer included: those names belong to a studio or a licensing company, and every other list has them anyway.

A practical note before you pick. The American Kennel Club suggests a call name of one or two syllables, ideally ending in a vowel, and nothing that sounds like a cue: Kit sounds like "sit", and Joe sounds like "no". So Blitzen can be the name on the vet's chart and Blitz the one you shout at the dog park.

What are the most popular Christmas dog names?

Holly, by a long way. In 2013 the UK pet insurer Petplan searched its customer database and found about 32,000 pets with Christmas names; Holly led with 14,424 dogs, cats and rabbits, more than the next eight on its list put together (VetClick, reporting Petplan's data). When Agria Pet Insurance ran the same count on its live dog policies in December 2021, Holly was still first, with more than double the dogs of the name in second place.

These are the names that turn up again and again across both lists, plus a few more from Petplan's count that are just as easy to call:

• Holly. From the English word for the holly tree, ultimately Old English holen. Behind the Name
• Angel. From the Greek angelos, "messenger". Petplan counted 3,789 pets called Angel. Behind the Name
• Star. Third on Petplan's list (2,380 pets) and third for dogs on Agria's. VetClick
• Snowy. Petplan's fourth, with 2,194 pets, and sixth on Agria's dog list. Agria
• Brandy. Fifth for Petplan (2,093), the spirit that sets the Christmas pudding alight. VetClick
• Grace. Sixth on Petplan's list, with 1,582 pets. VetClick
• Twinkle. 1,108 pets, seventh for Petplan. VetClick
• Cracker. Named for the British Christmas cracker; 585 pets. VetClick
• Pudding. 554 pets for Petplan, and seventh for dogs on Agria's 2021 list. Agria
• Goose. Fifth for dogs on Agria's list; it's the bird the Cratchits eat in A Christmas Carol. Agria
• Santa. Nearly 100 of Petplan's pets, and two dogs on Agria's books: a Portuguese Water Dog and a Toy Poodle. Agria
• Sprout. 154 pets named after the Christmas vegetable, Petplan found. VetClick

Reindeer names from the 1823 poem

Santa's reindeer got their names in one poem. "Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas" ran unsigned in the Troy Sentinel on December 23, 1823, and its St. Nick calls eight reindeer by name (New York State Library). The last two have changed spelling more than any reindeer should. They began as Dunder and Blixem, close to Dutch for thunder and lightning; an 1837 reprint made them Donder and Blixen, and Clement Clarke Moore's own 1844 book changed Blixen to the German Blitzen (Clements Library, University of Michigan). All ten spellings work for a dog, and the poem is long out of copyright.

• Dasher. One who dashes: a fast runner. Made for a whippet. Wiktionary
• Dancer. Second in the 1823 roll call, for the dog who spins at the door. The 1823 text
• Prancer. Third in the roll call, for the dog who high-steps through snow. The 1823 text
• Vixen. A female fox, from Old English fyxe. A good name for a red, sharp-faced girl dog. Wiktionary
• Comet. From Greek komētēs, "long-haired", for a star with a tail. Perfect for a long-coated dog. Petplan counted 123 pets called Comet. Wiktionary
• Cupid. Latin Cupido, "desire", the Roman god of love. Behind the Name
• Donder. Dutch for thunder, the spelling Moore kept in his own 1862 handwritten copy. Wiktionary
• Donner. The German form, which caught on after a 1949 reindeer song reached No. 1. New-York Historical
• Blitzen. German Blitz, "a bolt of lightning". Shorten it to Blitz for a call name. Wiktionary
• Dunder. The 1823 spelling of Donder, close to the Dutch for thunder. Merry Coz, 1823 Troy Sentinel
• Blixem. The 1823 original of Blitzen, near Dutch bliksem, lightning. Merry Coz, 1823 Troy Sentinel

Santa names and North Pole names

Santa is a Dutch Saint Nicholas in an American coat, and the names on this list come from every country that put its own twist on him. The Scandinavian ones are the most fun for a dog: a tomte or nisse is a small farmstead guardian, which is close to a job description for a terrier. If you'd rather name your dog after one of Santa's helpers, our Christmas elf names list has nearly two hundred more, from Iceland's Yule Lads to the classic workshop elves.

• Nicholas. Greek Nikolaos, "victory of the people"; Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century bishop from Anatolia. Behind the Name
• Klaus. German short form of Nicholas, now a name of its own. Behind the Name
• Claus. The variant spelling, and the half of Santa's name you can call out loud. Behind the Name
• Kringle. From Pennsylvania Dutch Christ-kinkle, German Christkindl, the Christ Child who brings gifts in German-speaking Europe. Wiktionary
• Kris. The other half of Kris Kringle, and a short form of Kristian. Behind the Name
• Sinterklaas. Dutch Saint Nicholas, from Middle Dutch Sinter Clâes. Wiktionary
• Tomte. Swedish farmstead guardian, from tomt, "site, lot"; linked with Santa since the 19th century. Wiktionary
• Nisse. The Danish and Norwegian tomte, a pet form of the name Niels; now tied to Christmas. Wiktionary
• Krampus. The horned beast of Alpine folklore who punishes naughty children. For a dog with a wicked side. Wiktionary
• Jolly. The 1823 poem calls St. Nick "a right jolly old elf". The 1823 text
• Frost. As in Jack Frost, the old personification of frosty weather. Wiktionary
• Sleigh. From Dutch slee, the same word family as sled and slide. Wiktionary
• Stocking. From stock, "to cover"; the one hung by the chimney with care in the 1823 poem. Wiktionary
• Yule. From Old English ġeōl, the Christmas season, the twelve days from December 25. Wiktionary

Winter and snow names

Weather names suit a dog who loves the cold, and the snow words from other languages are short enough to call twice. Most of them also work in July, which is the test every holiday name has to pass.

• Flurry. A light, brief snowfall; perhaps a blend of flutter and hurry. Wiktionary
• Blizzard. A snowstorm with strong winds; the origin is unknown. For a white dog who never stops. Wiktionary
• Icicle. From Old English īs, ice, plus gicel, a small piece of ice. Wiktionary
• Snow. From Old English snāw. Behind the Name
• Winter. From Old English winter; it ranked #426 as a US baby name in 2025. Behind the Name
• Ember. From Old English æmerge, the glow left in the fire. For a red dog. Behind the Name
• Boreas. The Greek god of the north wind and of winter. Theoi
• Aurora. Latin "dawn", the Roman goddess of the morning, and half the name of the northern lights. Behind the Name
• Yuki. Japanese 雪, "snow" (or 幸, "happiness"). Behind the Name
• Lumi. Finnish for snow. Wiktionary
• Neve. Italian for snow, from Latin nix. Wiktionary
• Nieve. Spanish for snow, from the same Latin root. Wiktionary
• Sneachta. Irish for snow. Sneachta for the papers, Snack for short. Wiktionary

Christmas food and treat names

Food names suit dogs because dogs are mostly about food. Most of these spices and sweets have long histories, and a few hide a surprise: cocoa is a misspelling Samuel Johnson's dictionary made popular, and marzipan may go back to the name of a Burmese port.

• Nutmeg. Medieval Latin nux muscata, "musky nut". Wiktionary
• Cinnamon. Through Latin from Greek kinnamōmon, which Herodotus said came from Phoenician. Wiktionary
• Clove. From French clou, Latin clavus, "nail", for the bud's shape. Wiktionary
• Ginger. Traced via Latin zingiber back to Old Tamil iñcivēr, "ginger root". Wiktionary
• Cocoa. From Spanish cacao, from Nahuatl; the "cocoa" spelling came from confusion with coco. Wiktionary
• Eggnog. American English from about 1775; the "nog" half is still argued over. Wiktionary
• Fudge. Probably from fadge, "to fit together". Wiktionary
• Toffee. An alteration of taffy. Wiktionary
• Sugarplum. A small boiled-sugar sweet; the poem's children dream of them. Wiktionary
• Chestnut. From obsolete chesten, the chestnut tree, plus nut. For a red-brown dog. Wiktionary
• Marzipan. Via German from Italian marzapane, possibly from Arabic for a spice box named after the port of Martaban. Wiktionary
• Pfeffernuss. German "pepper nut", a spiced Christmas biscuit. Pepper for short. Wiktionary
• Panettone. Milanese panaton, a big loaf. A good name for a round dog. Wiktionary
• Cranberry. From Low German Kraanbeere, "crane berry", adapted into English in the 1640s. Wiktionary
• Peppermint. Pepper plus mint, a cross of watermint and spearmint. Wiktionary
• Figgy. From figgy pudding, which doesn't have to contain figs at all. Wiktionary

Christmas carol and song names

The carol itself started as a dance: a round dance with singing, long before it meant a Christmas song. These names come from the carols, the songs and the ballet people still go out to see every December.

• Carol. Old French carole, a round dance accompanied by singing. Wiktionary
• Noel. English form of French Noël, "Christmas", from Latin natalis [dies Domini], "birthday of the Lord". Behind the Name, Wiktionary
• Nowell. The spelling in "The First Nowell", an old variant of noel. Wiktionary
• Gloria. "Glory", the long-held word in the chorus of "Angels We Have Heard on High". Behind the Name
• Wenceslas. English form of Czech Václav, a Slavic name built on slava, "glory"; the good king of the carol. Behind the Name
• Wassail. Old Norse ves heill, "be healthy!", a toast. Wiktionary
• Jingle. An imitation of the sound itself. "Jingle Bells" was published in Boston in 1857 as "The One Horse Open Sleigh". Library of Congress
• Fannie. In the song's second verse, Miss Fannie Bright rides in the sleigh before it tips into a snowbank. Hymns and Carols of Christmas
• Clara. Latin clarus, "clear, bright"; the girl who's given the nutcracker in Tchaikovsky's ballet, first danced on December 18, 1892. American Ballet Theatre
• Fritz. Clara's brother, a part danced by a real child at the 1892 premiere. Wikipedia
• Drosselmeyer. Herr Drosselmeyer brings the nutcracker to the party. A grand name for a small dog. American Ballet Theatre
• Nutcracker. For the dog who chews everything. Cracker, for short, is already on Petplan's list. American Ballet Theatre

Names from A Christmas Carol

Dickens published A Christmas Carol in 1843, and its names are some of the best in English for a dog: short, odd, and impossible to mistake for anyone else's at the dog park. All of these come from the full text on Project Gutenberg.

• Scrooge. For the dog who guards every toy he's ever owned.
• Ebenezer. Hebrew Even Haʿazer, "stone of help"; Dickens gave it to Scrooge. Behind the Name
• Marley. Jacob Marley, Scrooge's late partner, who arrives in chains.
• Jacob. Marley's first name, from Hebrew Yaʿaqov. Behind the Name
• Fezziwig. Scrooge's first employer, who throws the best party in the book.
• Cratchit. Bob Cratchit, Scrooge's clerk.
• Tim. Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit's son. Tiny Tim for a toy breed. Behind the Name
• Fred. Scrooge's nephew, who keeps inviting him to Christmas dinner anyway.
• Topper. Fred's friend, who cheats at blind man's buff at the party.
• Fan. Scrooge's little sister, "little Fan", who comes to bring him home.
• Belle. The woman Scrooge once meant to marry; also French for "beautiful". Behind the Name

Nativity names

The nativity names are among the oldest Christmas names there are, and several still rank as baby names, so a dog called Jasper or Gabriel will rarely get a second look. The three kings' names don't appear in the Bible; Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar were assigned to them by later tradition.

• Gabriel. Hebrew "God is my strong man"; the archangel who carries the news. Behind the Name
• Emmanuel. Hebrew "God is with us". Behind the Name
• Joseph. Hebrew Yosef, "he will add". Behind the Name
• Mary. From Hebrew Miryam; the meaning isn't known for certain, and may be Egyptian. Behind the Name
• Caspar. Latin variant of Jasper, one of the three kings. Behind the Name
• Jasper. From Latin Gaspar, perhaps from Hebrew gizbar, "treasurer". Behind the Name
• Gaspard. The French form, for a dog with some dignity. Behind the Name
• Melchior. Possibly Hebrew "king" and "light"; by medieval tradition a king of Persia. Behind the Name
• Balthazar. From Akkadian Bel-sharra-usur, "Bel protect the king". Behind the Name
• Myrrh. One of the three gifts; the Semitic root means "bitter". Wiktionary
• Bethlehem. Hebrew bēṯ lɛ́ḥɛm, "house of bread". Bethie for short. Wiktionary
• Stella. Latin "star", for the star over the stable. Behind the Name
• Advent. Latin adventus, "arrival", the four weeks before Christmas. Wiktionary
• Epiphany. Greek epiphaneia, "manifestation", the feast on January 6. Wiktionary
• Natalie. From Latin natalis, "birthday", which gave it a second meaning: Christmas Day. Behind the Name

What is Christmas in other languages?

Almost every European word for Christmas comes from one of two roots: Latin natalis, "birthday", or the old Germanic midwinter feast that gave English Yule. Both make good dog names.

• Navidad. Spanish, from Latin nativitas, "birth". Wiktionary
• Natale. Italian, from Latin natalis [dies Domini], "birthday of the Lord". Wiktionary
• Nollaig. Scottish Gaelic and Irish, from Latin natalicia, a birthday party. Wiktionary
• Nadolig. Welsh, from the same Latin root. Wiktionary
• Joulu. Finnish, borrowed from early Norse, the same word family as Yule. Wiktionary
• Kalikimaka. Hawaiian, the English word Christmas fitted to Hawaiian sounds. Wiktionary
• Tannenbaum. German "fir tree", from the carol. Tanner for short. Wiktionary
• Hygge. Danish coziness, from an Old Norse verb meaning "to think". Wiktionary
• Noëlle. The French feminine of Noël, and the English Noelle. Behind the Name

Christmas plant and decoration names

Holly and ivy are the oldest Christmas greenery names, and both were given names long before anyone named a dog. Spruce has a surprise in it: it comes from Pruce, the Middle English name for Prussia, a word used for goods brought from there.

• Hollis. From Middle English holis, "holly trees": a surname for someone who lived near them. Behind the Name
• Ivy. From Old English ifig; #9 as a baby name in England and Wales in 2025. Behind the Name
• Mistletoe. The evergreen hung up at Christmas. Missy for short. Wiktionary
• Poinsettia. Named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the 19th-century US minister to Mexico. Poinsett for a boy dog. Wiktionary
• Juniper. From Latin iuniperus; #100 as a US baby name in 2025. Behind the Name
• Amaryllis. Greek amarysso, "to sparkle"; a shepherdess in Virgil before it was a flower. Behind the Name
• Spruce. From Middle English Pruce, Prussia. Wiktionary
• Pine. From Latin pinus. Wiktionary
• Tinsel. Middle English, a cloth woven with gold or silver thread, probably from Old French. Wiktionary
• Garland. Old French garlande, a decoration of plaited flowers or leaves. Wiktionary
• Wreath. Middle English wrethe, a coiled or rounded shape, a decorative garland. Wiktionary
• Bauble. Old French baubel, a trinket or child's toy, probably from Latin bellus, "pretty". Wiktionary

Christmas dog names for girls

These are our picks for a girl dog, a mix of names from the lists above and a few that only fit here. Most work as human names too, so they age well.

• Noelle, Holly, Ivy, Stella, Clara, Natalie and Gloria, all above.
• Natalia. The Latin form of Natalie, "Christmas Day". Behind the Name
• Joy. From Norman French joie, Latin gaudium. Behind the Name
• Merry. Old English myrġe, "pleasing, delightful". Wiktionary
• Eve. For Christmas Eve, the day before; from even, evening. Wiktionary
• Lucia. From Latin lux, "light"; St. Lucy's Day on December 13 is marked with candlelit processions in Sweden. Behind the Name, Britannica
• Bianca. Italian for white, for a white Christmas or a white dog. Behind the Name
• Blanche. French "white, fair-coloured". Behind the Name

Christmas dog names for boys

For a boy dog, the kings, the saint and the reindeer do most of the work. A few more:

• Jasper, Caspar, Nicholas, Klaus, Gabriel, Blitzen and Ebenezer, all above.
• Christopher. Greek Christophoros, "bearing Christ". Kit is out (it sounds like "sit"), so try Topher. Behind the Name
• Timothy. Greek "honouring God", and Tiny Tim's full name. Behind the Name

Funny Christmas dog names

These are puns, so there's no dictionary to cite: they're ours, and you're welcome to them. The rule for a joke name is that you'll be shouting it in public for twelve years, so pick one you'll still find funny in March.

• Kris Kibble
• Jingle Bones
• Fleas Navidad
• Mutt Cracker
• Ruff Kringle
• Saint Sniffolas
• Mistlepaw
• Tinsel Tail
• Snow Paws
• Chewletide
• Figgy Pawdding
• Howliday

Christmas names for big dogs and small dogs

Some names fit a size. A Great Dane called Sprout is a good joke; a chihuahua called Krampus is a better one. If you want the name to match the dog instead:

Names for big dogs

Krampus, Balthazar, Boreas, Blizzard, Wenceslas, Tannenbaum, Spruce and Chestnut all sound like a dog that takes up most of the sofa.

Names for small dogs

Sprout, Tim, Nutmeg, Clove, Jingle, Bauble, Sugarplum and Twinkle suit a dog you can carry. So does Mince, from Old English minsian, "to make smaller" (Wiktionary).

Names for a puppy given at Christmas

If the dog itself is the present, give it a name that means gift. Several do, and they're ordinary enough to wear well. Dorothy and Theodore are built from the same two Greek words, doron (gift) and theos (god), in opposite orders.

• Dorothy. English form of Dorothea, Greek "gift of god". Behind the Name
• Theodore. Greek Theodoros, "gift of god". Theo for short. Behind the Name
• Doron. Greek doron, "gift", used as a name in Israel. Behind the Name
• Matthias. Greek form of Hebrew Mattithiah, "gift of Yahweh". Behind the Name
• Nathaniel. From Hebrew Netanʾel, "God has given". Behind the Name
• Jesse. From Hebrew Yishai, which may come from shai, "gift". Behind the Name

One more thing about Christmas puppies. The UK charity Dogs Trust coined A dog is for life, not just for Christmas in 1978, and it still runs every December for a reason. If the puppy is a surprise for someone else, make sure the whole household has said yes first; a name is the easy part.

Can a Christmas name work all year?

Yes, if you pick from the right lists. A name like Jasper, Juniper, Hollis, Clara or Ember never sounds seasonal, while Mistletoe, Eggnog or Kalikimaka will raise eyebrows at the vet in July. Petplan found nearly 100 pets called Santa, and their owners presumably made their peace with calling Santa in the park all summer. A good test is to say the name the way you'll actually use it: "Fudge, drop it", "Good girl, Ivy", "Blitz, come". If it still sounds right in a sentence like that, it'll last.

Once the name's settled, you can give it a portrait. Our Christmas pet portrait paints your dog from one photo in a chunky knit sweater and a Santa hat, with string lights and the tree behind. You see a free, watermarked proof first and nothing prints until you approve it; then it can be a ceramic ornament for $29, a canvas from $59, a fleece blanket from $59 or a puzzle from $59. There's more in our personalized pet gifts for Christmas guide, and our dog quotes post has a line for the card.

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