What are the best male Lab dog names? It’s a very good question!
In this article, we have compiled a list of our top names for your new boy puppy.
Deciding on a name for your dog is certainly not easy.
Once picked, you have to run with it, so taking the time to think about it is a worthwhile exercise.
With all that in mind, let’s take a look at our favourites.
What should I name my male black lab puppy? What are good black lab names?
Here are the top 20 names for a black lab boy:
- Samson
- Raven
- Midnight
- Shadow
- Dusky
- Ivan
- Phantom
- Oman
- Rudy
- Idris
- Irvin
- Axel
- Agham
- Blagden
- Ciaran
- Douglas
- Kolby
- Tynan
- Colburn
- Duncan
Several of the names in this top 20 above mean black, or dark-haired.
How do you come up with a Lab name?
You’ve decided to get a puppy, you’ve done hours an
It is such an important decision.
Food, exercise, needs, costs, vets, etc. Now arguably, it is the name that you give your dog, that is the most important part of all.
The name you choose will be the one that your dog and you, have for the rest of its life. It’s what you will say, shout, whisper, even dream about, for years to come..
The name that will become part of your family and a huge part of your life. No pressure then!
So let’s have a think about the what and the why behind a personal name choice.
Once you decide on a name, let that be it! Dogs can get super confused if you change their name, especially if they have had their name for a while.
This can be seen in rescue dogs, where they have had one name to start with, a new owner comes to re-home them and then changes it. If you are getting a rescue dog, just bear this in mind.
A good tip, if you really must re-name your rescue dog, is to choose a name very closely related to their original name.
For example, if your dog is called Mr Perkins, you could go for Perkins or Perky.
How does it sound?
Another important tip is to think carefully about the names of your friends and family. You don’t want to give your dog a very similar name to one of your loved ones. Things might get confusing for everyone!
Do also bear in mind that you will have to shout and probably yell your dog’s name many times over the course of his or her life.
Choosing a name that is on the racy side – or that could be seen as offensive, is not a good idea.
Especially when you are in the middle of a park, surrounded by families on a Sunday afternoon.
It is also good to understand that dogs generally respond better to a name with hard consonants and two syllables. The hard consonants are just easier for dogs to hear and make out from other sounds.
Also, we predominantly give commands to our dogs using one-syllable words.
For example, lay, sit, come, down, etc. Therefore, a one-syllable name can just seem like a command and could be confusing, especially for a pup.
So generally, a two-syllable name is better.
However, this also works the other way. A name longer than two syllables is going to be a mouthful to shout when your dog is running off!
A long name will also be too much for your dog to process and therefore could cause issues with training and obedience. A two-syllable name is a winner!

What is the best name for a Labrador?
This is a very hard one to answer as it is such a personal thing that needs to suit your personality and tastes – as well as your lab’s.
For a male lab, we suggest picking one from this article.
If you are after a lab name for a girl, then take a look at our names here.
Unique male yellow Lab names
We think a yellow lab needs a slightly more light-hearted name than their black or brown cousins. Friends of ours just recently acquired a beautiful yellow lab pup and named him, ‘Happy,’ – a perfect name!
Here are my top 20 suggestions for unique male yellow lab names:
- Happy
- Sunny
- Yukon
- Bowie
- Xanthus
- Whiskey
- Simba
- Porter
- Peanut
- Cookie
- Pazel
- Paco
- Buddy
- Teddy
- Woody
- Waffle
- Scooby
- Caramel
- Winston
- Milo
Several of the names in our top 20 above mean yellow or golden.
Strong male dog names
Our top 10 strong male dog names are listed below:
- Buster
- Rocky
- Gunner
- Major
- Brutus
- Captain
- Magnum
- Titan
- Remo
- Econ
Unique names for black Labs
Our top 5 all-time unique names for black labs boys are below:
- Phantom
- Tynan
- Colburn
- Agham
- Blagden
What are the top 50 male dog names?
The top 50 male dog names are:
- Rocco
- Rocky
- Buster
- Phantom
- Tynan
- Colburn
- Agham
- Blagden
- Brutus
- Captain
- Titan
- Magnum
- Econ
- Remo
- Major
- Gunner
- Samson
- Raven
- Midnight
- Shadow
- Dusky
- Ivan
- Omen
- Rudy
- Idris
- Whisky
- Douglas
- Happy
- Peanut
- Pazel
- Paco
- Buddy
- Teddy
- Woody
- Bowie
- Yukon
- Simba
- Porter
- Scooby
- Milo
- Xanthus
- Cookie
- Caramel
- Waffle
- Duncan
- Irvin
- Axel
- Ciaran
- Shadow
- Rudy
Summary
Hopefully, that has given you a good list of the best male Lab dog names.
Ultimately, like choosing a name for a baby, it’s a personal choice and very much up to you.
Go with your gut feeling and it’s sure to be a great fit!
Want more? Check out our dog name section here.
Tip: Don’t forget to check out the lists of baby names (human). You can get some great ideas here too.