165 Old man Dog Names:  What's Old is New Again

Old Man Names for Dogs by Janice Jones  |Published 07-05-2021

Call them Old-Fashioned, classic or Vintage, some names seem to come and go, but many are making a comeback.

Some ancient boy names are just as popular today as they were 4 or 5 centuries ago.  Consider John, William, Andrew, George, or Henry.  Some names just seem to stand the test of time. 

Others come in and go out of favor as the centuries march forward.  But what if you want a unique name of a dog rather than your human son?  Some of those names that seem to be lost to history can quickly be revived by naming your male puppy an old man's name.

Sounds odd?  Well, maybe it's not as unusual as you might think.

Why Old Man Dog Names?

Undoubtedly a significant inspiration for dog names in recent names is the need by many pet parents to make their dog stand out in a crowd. 

Consider a typical dog park where there are multiple numbers of dogs. Isn't it easier to shot out the name Beauregard instead of Rover? 

Dog parents what something more unusual, rare, or even unique to their extraordinary four-legged child.   

Suppose you anticipate the arrival of your newest boy puppy. In that case, you might also want to choose a remarkable name for that fur friend. 

You know, Something that your friends never imagined. 

Something that just rings true to your own individualism.  Perhaps you want to turn the old new again by choosing an old man name for your dog.

Or,

Perhaps, you just like the sound of the names of your grand or great-grandparents.  Some are unquestionably dated.  Those rather antique names may resonate in your mind. 

Or,

Are you a history buff?  A lover of historical fiction?  A binge-watcher of historical dramas such as Netflix's Bridgerton or Outlander?  

You'll find that many historical boy names have stood the test of time.  Think John, William, or Charles if you are among those of English-speaking nations.  Those names never seem to go out of fancy. 

But, there are other just as ancient names that may not be as popular today as they were 1000 years ago.  These are the names that many people chose for their new fur babies.

A Brief History of Names

Many names in Colonial American were borrowed from the country from which people originally immigrated.  Since there was such as large population coming from England, most names were predominately English, Scottish, or Irish in origin.

Each new century brought new ideas to naming their babies.  For example, in Victorian times, Biblical names, as well as names from literature, history, mythology, royalty, and military heroes, were quite popular, especially in the United States.

Where did we find these Old Man Dog Names?

Many came from my own head or those of my family, but I'll admit, I had some help. 

As you read down the list of names, you will notice that many of them are Hebrew in origin and can be found in the Bible. 

Some are taken from the names of former U.S. Presidents.  Many come from English, Scottish, and Irish historical documents from the 19th, 18th, 17, and 16th centuries. 

Some reflect names from the colonial period of American history.

I will also admit that I love historical fiction. I'm also an amateur historian, so many of the names popped into my head from the resources I encountered.  I also have quite a few relatives with names that fit the bill as well.

These names are listed below alphabetically, but any 21st-century reader will recognize most of these names because they have been used in current and popular culture, either in print or the big screen.  All these names have a decidedly old tone and would make great dog names for a male puppy.

What You Won't Find on this list

There are some very old boy names that won't appear on this list.  Names such as John, James, Charles, and William are traditional but still used frequently today.  I deliberately left them out, even though they would make good dog names.

Old Man Dog Names

-A-

1. Alvin

2. Abbott

3. Abner

4. Abner

5. Abraham

6. Adolf

7. Albert

8. Amos

9. Angus

10. Archibald

11. Archie

12. Arthur

13. Artie

-B-

14. Bartholomew

15. Baxter

16. Beauregard

17. Benedict

18. Bernie

19. Boss

20. Bubba

21. Buck

-C-

22. Calvin

23. Casper

24. Cecil

25. Chester

26. Clarence

27. Claude

28. Cleveland

29. Clifford

30. Clyde

31. Cornelius

32. Cyrus

-D-

33. Darius

34. Darrell

35. Dexter

-E-

36. Earl

37. Earnest

38. Ebenezer

39. Ebert

40. Edgar

41. Edmund

42. Eli

43. Elmer

44. Enoch

45. Ezekiel

46. Ezekiel

-F-

47. Felix

48. Fletcher

49. Floyd

50. Francis

51. Franklin

-G-

52. Garfield

53. Gerald

54. Gideon

55. Grover

56. Gus

-H-

57. Hamlet

58. Harrison

59. Herman

60. Herbert

61. Homer

62. Horace

63. Howard

64. Hubert

65. Hugh

66. Hugo

-I-

67. Ira

68. Ives

-J-

69. Jasper

70. Jemima

71. Jethro

-K-

72. Kirk

-L-

73. Lancelot

74. Laurence

75. Leo

76. Leon

77. Leonard

78. Leopard

79. Leroy

80. Levi

81. Linus

82. Lister

83. Lloyd

84. Ludwig

85. Luther

-M-

86. Maddok

87. Marmaduke

88. Marvin

89. Marshall

90. Martin

91. Mason

92. Maurice

93. Maurice

94. Maxwell

95. Merritt

96. Millard

97. Monty

98. Mortimer

99. Moses

Still More Old Man Dog Names

-N-

100. Napoleon

101. Nathaniel

102. Nigel

103. Norman

-O-

104. Orville

105. Oscar

106. Oswald

107. Oswald

108. Otis

109. Otto

-P-Q-

110. Pablo

111. Pappy

112. Percy

113. Phineas

114. Quintin

-R-

115. Ralph

116. Randolph

117. Raymond

118. Reuben

119. Rhett

120. Roland

121. Royce

122. Rudolph

123. Rudy

124. Rufus

125. Rupert

-S-

126. Seymour

127. Sherman

128. Sigmund

129. Silas

130. Silvester

131. Simon

132. Solomon

-T-

133. Thaddeus

134. Theodore

135. Thorton

-U-

136. Ulysses

137. Vincent

-V-

138. Vernon

139. Victor

140. Wilbur

141. Willy

142. Virgil

-WXYZ-

143. Waldo

144. Wallace

145. Walt

146. Walter

147. Wilbur

148. Willard

149. Wilson

150. Woodrow

151. Wyatt

Different Ways to Say Grandfather

152. Poppy

153. Papa

154. Gramps

155. Peepaw

156. Pop-Pop

157. Pépé (French Canadian)

158. Papi (French)

159. Opa (German)

160. Saba (Hebrew)

161. Baba (Japanese)

162. Abuelo (Spanish)

163. Papu (Greek)

164. Nonno (Italian)

165. Lolo (Philipines)

Helpful Sources & References for Old Man Dog Names

Very Well Family

Ideas for Names

Old Man Dog Names:  Pin for Future Reference

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