200 Boston Terrier Name Ideas
A trainer's list of Boston Terrier names, grouped by dapper gentleman, tuxedo markings, Boston pride, cute, comical, and coat color, plus the one test that tells you a name will actually work.
They didn’t nickname this breed the American Gentleman by accident. A Boston shows up wearing a tuxedo, so the naming almost writes itself, and half the fun is deciding whether your dog is a dapper little Gatsby or a snoring, farting clown named Meatball. Both fit. That’s the Boston.
Before you fall for a name because it looks sharp on a bone-shaped tag, run it through one test: can your dog pick it out of a noisy room? That’s the whole job of a name. Twenty-five years of training and a lot of fosters later, I can tell you the names that stick share three things. They’re short, one or two syllables. They land on a bright or hard sound, a “k,” an “o,” a “z,” a “t,” something that carries. And they don’t sound like anything you’ll shout in the same breath. Bostons are bright and quick to learn, which I get into in the training guide, so a clean name pays off fast on this breed. Keep that test in your pocket while you read.
Dapper and gentleman names
Lean into the tuxedo. These suit the polished, well-dressed side of the breed, and most of them call clean. Gatsby, Tux, Dapper, Duke, Earl, Baron, Winston, Chaplin, Alfred, Jeeves, Bond, Beau, Gentry, Sterling, Preston, Reginald, Chester, Pierce, Franklin, Bogart, Rhett, Vander.
Tuxedo and markings names
A Boston’s white blaze and chest hand you an easy shortcut, and these play off the black-and-white coat. Oreo, Domino, Panda, Sox, Boots, Patch, Freckles, Bowtie, Penguin, Cufflink, Dice, Marbles, Checkers, Pepper, Inky, Spot.
Boston and New England names
The breed was born in Boston, so a nod to the city and the region is fair game and often sounds great across a park. Boston, Beacon, Fenway, Bean, Brady, Bruin, Sully, Revere, Quincy, Emerson, Copley, Cabot, Chowder, Salem, Berkshire, Ortiz, Adams, Locke.
Classic American names
Nothing wrong with a name that’s been working on good dogs for generations. These age well and they call easy. Buddy, Max, Charlie, Cooper, Rocky, Rex, Buster, Scout, Bandit, Ace, Gus, Hank, Sam, Jake, Buck, Moose, Chip, Tucker, Ranger, Rusty.
Cute and little names
A Boston is a small, big-eyed goofball, so the soft, little names fit better here than they would on a mastiff. Most of these still pass the yard test. Pip, Peanut, Button, Pixie, Gizmo, Bug, Boo, Nugget, Dot, Bitsy, Cricket, Bumble, Squirt, Pickle, Momo, Poppy.
Comical and clownish names
Here’s my one warning. The really long joke names belong on the vet paperwork and the Instagram bio, not on the recall, because nobody gets a fast sit out of “Sir Snores-a-Lot.” Pick a short version for the training. That said, this breed earns a funny name, snoring and all. Bruiser, Tank, Meatball, Goober, Bubba, Biggie, Wiggles, Snorlax, Chewie, Chunk, Toot, Beans, Chonk, Diesel, Waffles, Nacho.
Names by coat color
A Boston comes in three tuxedo colors, black, brindle, and seal, and if you’re not sure which one your dog is, the colors guide shows you the tells in sunlight. For a black or a dark seal, I lean Onyx, Jet, Shadow, Coal, Midnight, Ink, Ebony, Raven, Guinness, or Bear. For a seal that throws that red cast in the sun, or a brindle with its warm striping, try Cola, Espresso, Mocha, Bruno, Tiger, Tigger, Whiskey, Bourbon, Nutmeg, or Marble.
Food and treat names
Food names are funny on a dog this size, and they run short, which I like for training. Say one at dinner and you’ll get a tail going. Waffle, Taco, Pretzel, Biscuit, Cookie, Bagel, Olive, Miso, Pesto, Churro, Mochi, Pancake, Dumpling, Pickle.
Popular boy names
These are the ones I hear most on the little males coming through, and there’s a reason. They’re crisp and they land. Milo, Leo, Otto, Finn, Ollie, Louie, Teddy, Jasper, Bentley, Murphy, Frankie, Remy, Cosmo, Walter, Oscar, Benji, Rocco, Ziggy.
Popular girl names
Same idea for the girls. Soft enough for a sweet-faced pup, sharp enough to call across the yard. Luna, Rosie, Ruby, Lola, Stella, Nala, Winnie, Mabel, Millie, Gracie, Piper, Cleo, Nova, Hazel, Belle, Zoe, Daisy, Roxie.
A few unisex picks
If you haven’t met the puppy yet, or you just don’t care about pink and blue, these go either way. Riley, Sunny, Quinn, Sage, Bailey, Dakota, Juno, Blue, Ash, Marley.
How to test a Boston Terrier name before you commit
Once you’ve got a shortlist, do this before it goes on a tag. Stand across a room and say each name once, in a normal happy voice, the way you’d actually call the dog. The right one feels easy in your mouth and cuts clean. The wrong one makes you raise your voice or say it twice, and that’s your answer. Then say it back to back with the words you’ll be using all day: “no,” “sit,” “stay,” “come,” and “down.” If it clashes or blurs with any of them, cross it off. “Beau” and “no” are a coin flip across a kitchen. “Kit” and “sit” blur. “Shay” sits right on top of “stay.” A muddy name makes both your recall and your cues harder, which is a rough start on a breed whose recall you’ll be working hard anyway.
Naming a second dog in the house? Keep the two names different in sound, not just spelling. “Bailey” and “Hailey” are a mess across a yard; “Pip” and “Otto” are clean. And if you’ve taken on an older rescue Boston with a name you don’t love, you can change it. This breed is food-motivated and desperate to please, which is exactly the wiring that makes a name swap easy. Pick the new one, pair it with treats for a week or two, and even an adult learns to answer fast.
Whatever you land on, the name only earns its keep when the dog comes running to it. Choose the one you like, then spend the first week saying it once and paying up with a treat or a scratch every single time, never burning it as a scold. Don’t repeat it five times when the dog ignores you, and don’t use it to summon the dog for something it hates, like a nail trim. That happy sound is the first brick in a recall, which is the real work with this breed.
For everything else about living with one, start with the full Boston Terrier breed guide, and pair it with the training guide where that bright, easy-to-call name pays off in recall. Still deciding between the flat-faced companions? The same short-and-bright naming rule works just as well on a pug, and you can browse the rest of the Non-Sporting Group if you’re weighing your options.
What are good Boston Terrier names?
Short, easy-to-call names suit them best, like Tux, Gatsby, Oreo, or Luna. Bostons are the tuxedo-wearing American Gentleman, so dapper, tuxedo-marking, and Boston-themed names all fit, as long as the name carries across a room and doesn’t sound like a command.
What should I name a black and white Boston Terrier?
The tuxedo coat is a gift here. Oreo, Domino, Panda, Sox, Patch, Penguin, Checkers, and Dice all play off the black-and-white markings, and a dapper pick like Tux or Gatsby suits the American Gentleman look.
Should a Boston Terrier's name be one or two syllables?
Yes, keep it to one or two. A short name is easier for the dog to hear and pick out of background noise, and it makes recall training faster than a long name you’ll end up shortening anyway.
Can I change my Boston Terrier's name?
You can, and most rescue situations work out fine. Pick the new name, pair it with treats for a week or two, and a food-motivated, eager-to-please Boston learns to answer to it quickly, even as an adult.
What names should I avoid for a puppy I want to train?
Skip names that sound like commands. “Beau” blurs with “no,” “Kit” with “sit,” “Shay” with “stay,” and “Brown” with “down,” which muddies both your recall and your cues. Also avoid names that rhyme with your other pets’ names.
Aaron has trained hundreds of dogs, fostered more than 50, and volunteered with rescues across Northern California. Every grade on The Pet Zone comes from hands-on experience, not a content brief.