120 Harry Potter Dog Names With Meanings

Written by

Kosar Koohi

Editor at Pretty Fluffy

Updated 8 October 20269 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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Picking from the wizarding world is the fun part. Narrowing it down is harder, because a name has to look right on a tag and still work shouted across a wet park at seven in the morning. The best Harry Potter dog names manage both, and all 120 below come with a note on who they belong to, so nobody names a sweet old spaniel after a Death Eater by accident. If none lands, this bigger collection of dog names for every pup casts a wider net.

They are grouped by type rather than by book order. The dog name generator is also good for breaking a tie between two favorites.

Girl Dog Names From the Wizarding World

The witches run from steady and sensible to gloriously strange. Pomona and Lily lean toward the garden, like these flower names for dogs.

Witches, Heroines and Hogwarts Staff

• Hermione - the clever, bookish one.
• Luna - Luna Lovegood. Dreamy and odd.
• Ginny - the youngest Weasley. Fierce.
• Tonks - a shapeshifting Auror. Short, punchy.
• Minerva - Professor McGonagall. Strict, secretly soft.
• Pomona - the Herbology professor. A gardener.
• Sybill - the Divination teacher. Wonderfully dramatic.
• Fleur - a Triwizard champion. Elegant, tough.
• Cho - a Ravenclaw Seeker. One syllable.
• Lily - Harry's mother. Gentle and classic.
• Molly - the Weasley matriarch. Warm, fearless.
• Poppy - Madam Pomfrey, who patched everyone.
• Hestia - an Order member. Uncommon, pretty.
• Andromeda - the Black sister who escaped.

Darker Witches With a Little Bite

For the dog who is plainly up to something. These sit close to the spookier dog names, so they work as a year round costume excuse.

• Bellatrix - the most unhinged Death Eater.
• Narcissa - cold, poised, fiercely maternal.
• Rita - Rita Skeeter. For nosy dogs.
• Dolores - Umbridge. Sugar outside, menace inside.
• Pansy - a Slytherin classmate. Sweet, sharp.
• Alecto - a Carrow sibling. Properly rare.
• Morgana - the chocolate frog card witch.
• Merope - Voldemort's mother. Tragic, oddly lovely.

Boy Dog Names From the Books and Films

Wizards, Professors and Headmasters

The Hogwarts staff room suits an older dog especially well, and there are more in this roundup of vintage old man dog names.

• Albus - Dumbledore. Wise and sweet toothed.
• Severus - Snape. Brooding and secretly brave.
• Hagrid - the gamekeeper. A gentle giant.
• Remus - Professor Lupin. The kindest teacher.
• Sirius - Harry's godfather. Becomes a dog.
• Draco - the Slytherin rival. Means dragon.
• Neville - the shy one turned hero.
• Cedric - the Hufflepuff champion. Thoroughly decent.
• Viktor - Krum the Seeker. Strong, gruff.
• Filius - Professor Flitwick. Tiny and brilliant.
• Horace - Slughorn, collector of useful people.
• Argus - Filch, who missed nothing.

Marauders and Mischief Makers

Troublemakers, every one, which makes them honest choices for a puppy. These funny dog names go further still.

• Padfoot - Sirius as a black dog.
• Moony - Lupin's nickname. Soft, wistful.
• Prongs - James Potter as a stag.
• Wormtail - the traitor. For a sneak.
• Fred - half the Weasley twins.
• George - the other twin, for pairs.
• Peeves - the resident poltergeist. Pure mischief.
• Mundungus - a thieving Order member.

Hogwarts House Names for Every Personality

A house is really a temperament, and a dog has one of those too. Sort the dog in front of you, not yourself. These anime dog names are arranged by character type.

Gryffindor Names for Bold Dogs

For the dog who meets every stranger, vacuum and much larger dog head on. Some overlap with tough guard dog names.

• Godric - the founder. Sturdy, faintly medieval.
• Gryff - short for the house. Shoutable.
• Ron - loyal to a fault. Funny.
• Arthur - Mr Weasley. Endlessly curious.
• Seamus - the classmate who exploded things.
• Dean - Dean Thomas. Steady, good company.
• Scarlet - the house color. Red coats.

Slytherin Names for Sly Dogs

Ambition in a dog looks like counter surfing. For the strategist who waits until you leave the room.

• Salazar - the founder. Grand, faintly sinister.
• Scorpius - Draco's son. A softer soul.
• Tom - Riddle's first name. Deceptively plain.
• Marvolo - his middle name. Rolling, theatrical.
• Regulus - the Black brother who repented.
• Blaise - Zabini. Cool and unbothered.
• Emerald - the house green. Green eyes.

Hufflepuff Names for Loyal Dogs

Patient, friendly, hardworking and quite uninterested in glory.

• Helga - the founder who welcomed everyone.
• Puff - short, silly, perfect for fluff.
• Newt - Newt Scamander, who loved beasts.
• Teddy - Teddy Lupin. A cuddler's name.
• Ernie - Ernie Macmillan. Earnest, faintly pompous.
• Hannah - Hannah Abbott. Kind, dependable.
• Badger - the house animal. Stocky dogs.

Ravenclaw Names for Clever Dogs

For the problem solver who opens the bin, the crate and eventually the back door. Clever dogs earn names from behavior rather than looks, like these Disney dog names show.

• Rowena - the founder. Wittiest of four.
• Raven - the house bird. Black coats.
• Xeno - short for Xenophilius, Luna's father.
• Padma - Parvati's twin, sorted into Ravenclaw.
• Myrtle - Moaning Myrtle. For vocal dogs.
• Terry - Terry Boot. Quietly clever.
• Sapphire - the house blue. Blue eyes.

Magical Creature and Familiar Names

Giants and dragons want a big presence behind them. Owls, cats and elves fit the small end of the park. Thestral and Niffler come from the woods, like these nature dog names.

Beasts, Dragons and Giants

• Norbert - Hagrid's illegal dragon, raised indoors.
• Buckbeak - the hippogriff who demanded bows.
• Fluffy - the three headed guard dog.
• Fang - Hagrid's boarhound. Huge, timid.
• Fawkes - Dumbledore's phoenix. Red or gold.
• Grawp - Hagrid's half brother. Giants only.
• Aragog - the acromantula. A brave choice.
• Basil - short for the basilisk.
• Thestral - the winged horse. For sighthounds.
• Niffler - steals anything shiny. Like puppies.

Owls, Cats and House Elves

• Hedwig - Harry's snowy owl. White coats.
• Errol - the Weasleys' crash landing owl.
• Pig - short for Pigwidgeon. Overexcited.
• Crookshanks - Hermione's grumpy half kneazle.
• Norris - from Mrs Norris, corridor patroller.
• Dobby - the free elf. Big ears.
• Winky - the elf who struggled alone.
• Kreacher - the Black family's bitter elf.

Spell, Potion and Sweet Shop Names

Spells That Carry Across a Park

Most incantations are far too long to be useful. These survive being called twice at a distance.

• Lumos - the wand lighting charm.
• Nox - puts the light out. Crisp.
• Accio - the summoning charm. Optimistic recall.
• Patronus - the guardian conjured against despair.
• Riddikulus - the charm turning fear funny.
• Reparo - the mending charm. For rescues.
• Protego - the shield charm. For protectors.
• Sonorus - the voice amplifying charm.
• Expelli - short for Expelliarmus.
• Felix - from the luck potion.

Sweets, Shops and Butterbeer Names

• Butterbeer - the warm foamy drink.
• Honey - from Honeydukes, the sweet shop.
• Bertie - from Bertie Bott's beans.
• Toffee - the joke shop sweet.
• Treacle - treacle tart, Harry's favorite pudding.
• Cauldron - the Leaky Cauldron. Cauldy.
• Pepper - after pepper imps. Breathes smoke.
• Zonko - the original joke shop.
• Ollie - from Ollivanders, where wands choose.
• Gringott - the goblin bank. Guards treasure.

Place and Object Names From Hogwarts

Brooms, balls and buildings give you names nobody else is using.

• Nimbus - the broomstick. Soft on gray.
• Firebolt - the fastest broom. One speed.
• Snitch - the golden ball nobody catches.
• Quaffle - the scoring ball. For fetchers.
• Bludger - knocks you off your broom.
• Marauder - from the troublemakers' map.
• Portkey - moves you somewhere instantly.
• Pensieve - the bowl that holds memories.
• Horcrux - a soul hidden in objects.
• Azkaban - the wizard prison. Azzy.
• Diagon - from Diagon Alley.
• Hogwarts - the school itself. For devotees.

Dogs in the Harry Potter Books and Films

Three dogs stand out in the series. Fang is Hagrid's boarhound, a huge slobbery dog who is far more timid than his size suggests. Fluffy is the three headed dog guarding the trapdoor on the third floor, and his weakness is music, which sends him straight to sleep. Padfoot is the enormous shaggy black dog that Sirius Black turns into, which makes it the natural choice for a black rescue dog.

Fang for the gentle giant, Fluffy for the hallway guard, Padfoot for the shadow at your heels. If the films are your version, this list of dog movies for every mood has plenty more good dogs in it.

How to Pick a Wizarding Name That Sticks

A name has to work out loud, in the rain, in front of other people. That rules out a lot of beautiful options, and it is why Expelliarmus never survives the first week of a new puppy routine.

Names That Clash With Training Cues

Say the name aloud next to the cues already in use and listen for collisions. Sirius sits close to sit, Nox is a step from no, and Accio is unfortunate next to a recall word. One or two syllables with a hard consonant up front cuts through best.

Whatever wins, the name should only ever arrive attached to good things. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior's guidance on name recognition is to say it brightly, reward the moment she looks up, and never use it to scold, which only teaches her to tune it out.

Matching the Name to Coat and Size

Padfoot, Raven and Sirius suit a black dog, Hedwig a white one, Nimbus gray, Toffee and Scarlet tan or red, Fawkes anything gold. Grawp and Hagrid want a dog you can lean on. Filius, Pig and Bertie fit the small end. Whichever wins gets engraved on a tag, so say it aloud while browsing collars, leashes and harnesses before committing.

Matching Names for Two Dogs

Pairs are the best part of a themed list and almost nobody uses them. Fred and George are the obvious set, the only risk being telling them apart. Padfoot and Moony suit two dogs who arrived together. Hedwig and Errol fit one graceful dog and one who falls over. Lumos and Nox are made for a light coat and a dark one.

The name that fits is whichever one comes out of your mouth without thinking on the third day. If that is Dobby rather than the carefully chosen Andromeda, the dog has decided for you, and she is rarely wrong.