Chihuahua Dog Names for Tiny Legends

Written by

Kosar Koohi

Editor at Pretty Fluffy

Updated 5 October 202611 min read

Editor · Dog Lover · Pet Expert

About Kosar

Kosar is the editor of Pretty Fluffy, a lifelong dog lover, and the proud mom of Yuki, a Maltese who has very high standards. So does Kosar. She researches everything obsessively before it ever makes it onto the page.

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Five pounds of dog, and a voice that carries three blocks. Anyone who has lived with this breed knows the gap between the size of a Chihuahua and the size of the personality inside it, which is exactly what makes choosing from the many Chihuahua dog names such a particular job. A name that would sit comfortably on a Labrador can look faintly ridiculous on a dog who fits in a coat pocket, and a name chosen purely for cuteness can age badly on a fourteen year old dog with firm opinions about the mail carrier.

The lists below are sorted by gender, by Spanish and Mexican heritage, by coat color, and by the kind of personality you are actually living with. If you want to browse well beyond this breed first, this complete guide to dog names covers hundreds more ideas across every theme.

The best Chihuahua names are one or two syllables, end in a bright vowel sound, and carry enough weight to suit a dog who genuinely believes she is large. Short names cut through noise, which matters for a breed that is often called across a busy park. Spanish names suit the breed's Mexican roots, coat color names suit a fawn or merle, and anything that rhymes with a command is best avoided.

Girl Chihuahua Names

Female Chihuahuas tend to be the ones setting household policy, so the names here run from genuinely soft to frankly imperious. Pick based on the dog in front of you rather than the puppy she will be for ten weeks.

Sweet Female Names for a Small Dog

Gentle, warm, and easy to say in a high voice without feeling silly about it. These suit the Chihuahua who sleeps under a blanket and shivers on principle. If floral names are where your head already is, the full list of flower names for dogs goes a great deal further.

• Bella
• Daisy
• Rosie
• Lily
• Mimi
• Coco
• Honey
• Bonita
• Poppy
• Olive
• Pearl
• Hazel
• Willow
• Penny
• Clover
• Peaches
• Juniper
• Maple
• Dolly
• Cherry
• Bunny
• Suki
• Pippa
• Winnie
• Gigi
• Bijou
• Lulu
• Nina
• Fifi
• Birdie

Sassy Girl Names With Attitude

For the Chihuahua who guards the sofa like a crown jewel and has strong feelings about visitors. Spooky and dramatic names work beautifully on this breed too, and the Halloween dog names list is full of them.

• Diva
• Duchess
• Queenie
• Roxy
• Harley
• Sassy
• Vixen
• Nova
• Contessa
• Khaleesi
• Cleo
• Rogue
• Zelda
• Mischief
• Trouble
• Pepper
• Scout
• Blaze
• Juno
• Ivy
• Stormy
• Rebel
• Sapphire
• Velvet
• Tequila
• Rumba
• Tango
• Paprika
• Habanera
• Mamba

Unique Female Names You Rarely Hear

Uncommon, but still easy to call and quick to shorten. That second quality matters more than the first, because every name shortens eventually whether you plan for it or not. For something drawn from landscapes and weather instead, the nature dog names list is worth a look.

• Esme
• Odette
• Calla
• Noor
• Saffron
• Linnea
• Isolde
• Fiora
• Giada
• Ilaria
• Jolie
• Seraphina
• Aurora
• Freya
• Indra
• Lumi
• Nadia
• Oriana
• Quilla
• Rhea
• Sabine
• Talia
• Ulla
• Verity
• Xenia
• Yara
• Zola
• Minka
• Liesel
• Amelie

Boy Chihuahua Names

Male Chihuahuas carry big names remarkably well. There is real comedy in a dog the size of a shoe answering to Titan, and no shame at all in leaning into it.

Classic Male Names That Age Well

Names that suit a puppy and still suit a gray muzzled senior dozing in a sunbeam. These are the safest picks on the page.

• Max
• Charlie
• Milo
• Oscar
• Louie
• Henry
• Teddy
• Frankie
• Gus
• Monty
• Arthur
• Walter
• Felix
• Hugo
• Simon
• Albert
• Edward
• Rupert
• Stanley
• Alfie
• Barney
• Chester
• Dudley
• Ernie
• Fergus
• Hamish
• Humphrey
• Jasper
• Reggie
• Wilbur

Tough Boy Names for a Small Dog

The joke writes itself, and it never stops being funny at the vet's office. Chihuahuas also take their watchdog duties seriously, which is why these guard dog names suit the breed better than their size suggests.

• Titan
• Tank
• Diesel
• Rocco
• Bandit
• Brutus
• Maverick
• Thor
• Zeus
• Ace
• Blade
• Colt
• Dozer
• Fang
• Gunner
• Hammer
• Jax
• Knox
• Mako
• Nitro
• Ozzy
• Pistol
• Ranger
• Ridge
• Sarge
• Tyson
• Vader
• Wolf
• Zorro
• Boulder

Unique Male Names That Stand Out

Less common, still short enough to shout. Say each one out loud before committing, because a name that reads well on a screen can be unwieldy across a field. If you would rather make people laugh, the funny dog names list takes that further than this one does.

• Rafferty
• Bruno
• Enzo
• Matteo
• Otto
• Finnian
• Lorcan
• Kai
• Nico
• Oakley
• Pascal
• Remy
• Soren
• Tobias
• Ulric
• Viggo
• Wendell
• Xander
• Yuri
• Alonzo
• Bellamy
• Cedric
• Dmitri
• Elio
• Fabio
• Gideon
• Hector
• Ivo
• Jovan
• Kenji

Spanish and Mexican Names for a Chihuahua

The breed takes its name from a Mexican state, and Spanish names fit it more naturally than almost any other theme. They also tend to be short, vowel heavy, and easy for a dog to pick out of a noisy room, which makes them practical as well as fitting.

Spanish Names and What They Mean

Knowing the meaning usually settles the choice, and it saves the awkward moment when a Spanish speaker at the park asks why your dog is called Skinny.

Mexican Food Names That Suit a Tiny Dog

Food names are the most popular theme on this breed by a wide margin, and the good ones are specific rather than generic. Nacho has been done. Chamoy has not.

• Nacho
• Taco
• Churro
• Salsa
• Queso
• Mango
• Lima
• Mole
• Tostada
• Elote
• Horchata
• Jalapeño
• Chorizo
• Tamale
• Guac
• Pico
• Frijol
• Arroz
• Birria
• Carnitas
• Flan
• Paleta
• Concha
• Bolillo
• Tajín
• Chamoy
• Agave
• Cilantro
• Limón
• Chile

Popular and Cute Names for a Chihuahua Puppy

Popular names are popular for a reason. They are easy to say, dogs learn them quickly, and nobody has to ask you to spell them twice. The trade off is sharing the name with three other dogs at the park, which bothers some owners enormously and others not at all.

Cute Puppy Names for a New Chihuahua

Soft, small, and slightly ridiculous. Picture it on a full grown dog before committing, because Chihuahua puppies are startlingly brief and the name is not. Once the name is settled, this new puppy checklist covers what else needs to be ready before they come home.

• Peanut
• Bean
• Pip
• Nugget
• Button
• Mochi
• Noodle
• Pickle
• Gizmo
• Squeak
• Bitsy
• Dot
• Boo
• Mouse
• Nibbles
• Jellybean
• Marshmallow
• Cricket
• Pebble
• Pumpkin
• Snickers
• Tinker
• Waffles
• Wiggles
• Biscuit

Popular Picks You Will Hear at the Park

The names that come up again and again on this breed, collected in one place so you can decide whether to join them or avoid them.

• Lola
• Mia
• Zoe
• Lucy
• Sophie
• Winston
• Ruby
• Stella
• Buddy
• Rocky
• Toby
• Oliver
• Leo
• Jack
• Bentley
• Tucker
• Bailey
• Maggie
• Sadie
• Molly
• Duke
• Cooper
• Riley
• Nala
• Ziggy

Short Names That Are Easy to Call

One syllable, one clear vowel, nothing to trip over. These are the names that work when your dog is forty feet away and thoroughly committed to ignoring you.

• Bo
• Moe
• Kit
• Rue
• Dax
• Tux
• Zip
• Pia
• Fitz
• Pez
• Nell
• Rye
• Sky
• Wren
• Fig
• Bram
• Zed
• Mac
• Rex
• Ned

Famous Chihuahuas and the Names They Made Popular

This breed has a longer screen career than most, and a surprising number of Chihuahua owners end up borrowing from it without quite realizing where the name came from.

Screen Chihuahuas From Movies and TV

Beverly Hills Chihuahua is the obvious starting point, though it is worth knowing that only three of its best known dogs are actually Chihuahuas: Chloe, Papi and the long haired Montezuma. Delgado is a German Shepherd and El Diablo is a Doberman, which has not stopped either name from turning up on Chihuahuas ever since. Elsewhere, Bruiser is the Chihuahua in Legally Blonde, played by a dog named Moonie. Tito is the fast talking Chihuahua in Disney's Oliver and Company, Pedro turns up among the pound dogs in Lady and the Tramp, and Ren Höek of Ren and Stimpy remains the least soothing Chihuahua ever drawn. For more names pulled from that studio's back catalogue, the Disney dog names list has hundreds.

Celebrity-Owned Chihuahuas

Paris Hilton's Tinkerbell did more for this breed's public profile than any marketing campaign, with the possible exception of Gidget, the female Chihuahua who starred in the Taco Bell commercials and became one of the most recognizable dogs in advertising. Borrow any of the following if you like the association.

• Chloe
• Papi
• Montezuma
• Bruiser
• Moonie
• Gidget
• Tito
• Pedro
• Ren
• Tinkerbell

Coat Colors That Make Good Names

When nothing else is landing, look at the dog. Chihuahuas come in more coat variations than almost any small breed, and the color in front of you narrows the field faster than any list can.

Fawn and Cream Coat Names

Fawn is the color most people picture when they picture this breed, and it suits warm, edible, slightly buttery names.

• Fawn
• Sandy
• Butterscotch
• Caramel
• Latte
• Toffee
• Blondie
• Goldie
• Amber
• Apricot
• Honeycomb
• Oat
• Barley
• Buff
• Champagne
• Custard
• Dune
• Ginger
• Hay
• Ivory
• Macchiato
• Nougat
• Peach
• Praline
• Sahara
• Shortbread
• Tawny
• Vanilla
• Wheat
• Marzipan

Black, Chocolate and Merle Coat Names

Darker coats and patterned merles take sharper, richer names. Merle in particular suits anything that suggests stone, speckle or scattered light.

• Onyx
• Shadow
• Midnight
• Inky
• Soot
• Cinder
• Licorice
• Raven
• Ebony
• Noir
• Cocoa
• Mocha
• Truffle
• Brownie
• Fudge
• Bourbon
• Espresso
• Walnut
• Chestnut
• Pecan
• Marble
• Speckle
• Domino
• Patch
• Dapple
• Mosaic
• Agate
• Granite
• Quartz
• Smoke

Matching Names for Two Chihuahuas

Chihuahuas are frequently kept in pairs, partly because they bond hard to their own kind and partly because one is rarely enough. Matched names are a small pleasure that pays off every single time you call them both in from the garden.

• Bonnie and Clyde
• Yin and Yang
• Gin and Tonic
• Salt and Pepper
• Thunder and Lightning
• Sugar and Spice
• Mango and Lime
• Sol and Luna
• Chip and Salsa
• Mambo and Rumba
• Pinto and Bean
• Nacho and Cheese

One word of caution with pairs. Names that sound alike are charming to say and genuinely confusing for the dogs, so keep the vowel sounds distinct even when the theme is matched.

How to Choose a Chihuahua Name That Sticks

Narrow the list to three, then say each one out loud at full volume, the way you would across a park rather than across a kitchen. Most shortlists sort themselves out at that point, because a name that feels slightly embarrassing at home feels considerably worse in public. Check how it shortens too. Every name shortens eventually, and you want to like the shortened version at least as much as the original.

It also helps to test the name on the dog. Not as a formal exercise, simply to see which one you find yourself reaching for by the end of the first week.

Names to Avoid Around Everyday Commands

This is the one practical rule worth following. Avoid names that rhyme with the cues your dog already needs to learn, because a dog who hears Kit and sit as the same word will hesitate on both. The same goes for Bo and no, Shay and stay, and anything close to down or off. Chihuahuas are alert and quick to learn, but they are also small dogs often called in loud environments, and a name that competes with a command makes both jobs harder. Research on how dogs pick their own name out of background chatter found they manage it even when the noise is as loud as the speech itself, which is a good argument for choosing something crisp and distinct rather than long and soft. The tone you use matters as much as the word, and the same marker and praise principles in this guide on how to speak dog apply directly to teaching a new name.

Renaming an Adopted or Rescue Chihuahua

Chihuahuas turn up in rescue in large numbers, often with a name that does not suit them or that nobody is quite sure of. Renaming is straightforward. Choose something with a clearly different sound from the old name, say it in a bright voice, and reward every single time the dog looks at you. Keep the sessions short and frequent rather than long, and never use the new name to scold, or it becomes a word worth ignoring. Most adult dogs respond reliably within a week or two. Older dogs and anxious ones can take a little longer, which is not a problem as long as nothing about the process feels like pressure.

If none of these has landed yet, the dog name generator will narrow it down based on your dog rather than a list, and it is a quicker route to a shortlist than scrolling twice.

Source: Mallikarjun, A., Shroads, E., and Newman, R. S. The cocktail party effect in the domestic dog. Animal Cognition, University of Maryland.