The Most Popular Golden Retriever Names of 2017

Golden Retrievers are one of the most popular dog breeds for families today. You see them often and they are unmistakable with their long, golden hair and sweet faces. The breed was originally bred as hunting dogs, acting as the retrievers for their owner. Their natural love of water made it easy for them to retrieve water fowl, and their high intelligence makes it easy to train this breed. They are fiercely loyalty dogs and love their family. Retrievers are not only great with children, but the elderly and even other pets. They are such sweet dogs with loving, gentle dispositions that they are often seen working as therapy dogs for the blind, along with other medical and behavioral conditions. Because this breed has so many great qualities, each one deserves a name that stands out and is fitting for him or her. Choosing a name for your Golden Retriever is exciting, but you may need some ideas on what’s popular for the breed, so here are some tips for not only naming your pup, but a list of the most popular Golden Retriever names of 2017.

Simple

You want to keep a name for any breed of dog, short and simple so that your dog easily recognizes their name and responds to your command. Not only are long, difficult names harder for dogs to understand, but they are harder for you to say quickly. A part of dog obedience is saying your dog’s name, followed by the command you want your dog to follow, which means that you will be using your dog’s name often. If you give your dog a long or difficult name to say, you’ll find that it becomes difficult to say his name quickly, followed with the task you want him to do: sit, stay, come, down, so keep the name short and simple, one or two syllables is recommended. Anything above two syllables becomes more challenging for you to use and for him to understand.

A name that is fitting for the size and breed of dog

Can you imagine a great big, tough dog, such as a Doberman, named something more fitting for a little Chihuahua or other little lap dog breed? It’s hard to picture a Doberman named Tinkerbell, or a St. Bernard named Fifi. And as big and fluffy as Malamutes are, can you imagine if you came across one that was named, Fluffy? Choosing a name that is fitting for the type of breed and the size of your dog makes more sense and is more respectful to the breed.

Characteristics

Every dog has its own characteristics that stand out. You can often find a cool name by observing your pup’s characteristics, his personality and traits. Does your puppy seem to have a bit of a skip in his gait? You might derive the name Skippy from his cute little skip. Or the beautiful gold streaks in your pup’s fur might spark the name, Goldie. You never know what characteristic will stand out enough that it brings a name to mind, so spend a couple days watching out for little tell-tell details that might make for a cool name.

Cool names are all around you

Dogs’ names can be found all around you. Words we use in our everyday language are often used for a canine name; Buddy, Rusty, or Basil, are a few examples. And things found in the environment and nature are commonly used for names; such as River, Brook, Bear, Daisy, Blue, and so many more. If you have a favorite slice of nature that is fitting for a dog’s name, why not give him or her a beautiful name that reminds you of nature.

Naming after historical person or someone you know

Do you have someone in your life you look up to, admire, want to remember and pay tribute to. Maybe there’s a strong, historical figure that you admire and want to honor by naming your dog after them. Or maybe, it’s just a cool name that you think would make a great dog’s name. There are some cool names floating out through, historical and those we personally know, that make great dogs’ names, however, if you plan to name your Retriever after someone you know, it’s always a good idea to ask them if they would mind you using their name. After all, not everyone would feel honored to have a dog named after them.

Be respectful, not rude

Some people may think it’s funny to name their dog something that sounds rude or ugly, but keep in mind that this is your dog who you will have around for many years. It may sound like a good idea at first, but over the years, it may not be so funny anymore and it is hard to change a name your pet has gotten used to. You want a name that you are proud to use and call to, and proud for your Golden Retriever to respond to.

Give it a try for a couple days

Yes, put your name or a couple of names to the test for a couple days. You can see how well your dog reacts to your name choice(s) and see how they respond to it. Your dog may be more receptive and seem to listen to one name better than another, so before you make a final decision, try a few names out for a couple of days. You may see that even your dog prefers one over another.

If you’d like to see what other Golden Retriever owners are naming their dogs, we have a list of the most popular names used this year, and here they are:

Female Golden Retriever names

  • #10. Sunny
  • #9. Daisy
  • #8. Brandy
  • #7. Bailey
  • #6. Lucy
  • #5. Sandy
  • #4. Sadie
  • #3. Ginger
  • #2. Molly
  • #1. Maggie

Male Golden Retriever names

  • #10. Bear
  • #9. Duke
  • #8. Cody
  • #7. Bailey
  • #6. Sam
  • #5. Bentley
  • #4. Rusty
  • #3. Jake
  • #2. Max
  • #1. Buddy

Once you’ve chosen the perfect name for your Golden Retriever, the more you use the more you will see that that is the name that he or she was meant to have. You won’t be able to picture your dog having any other name, so have fun with choosing a name and give your dog something you both can be proud of.

Save

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.