German shepherds are one of the most popular dog breeds, and for good reason. These dogs are loyal, intelligent, athletic, and striking to look at. While picking your perfect pooch might have been easy, selecting the best German shepherd name might be more of a challenge. Here are some great names for German shepherds, including girl names, boy names, auto-inspired names, and unique names.
What is the cutest name for a PuppyTop German Shepherd Names
- Rocky
- Heidi
- Moose
- Aldo
- Annika
- Arvin
- Astrid
- Blitz
- Schnitzel
- Ranger
- Hansel
- Gretel
Tips for Naming Your German Shepherd
Choosing the right name for your German shepherd is no small task. You want a name that matches your dog’s persona and power but isn’t too lengthy or complicated. Remember, you’ll need to give this name to the vet, tell it to all your friends, or shout it in the dog park.
You already know you have a big dog on your hands with a GSD, but is your dog more rough-and-tumble or sweet-as-sugar? Thinking about your dog’s personality can help you find a just-right name that will suit your pooch for the years to come. You can also play on popular German exports—like beer or automobiles, or name your GSD after a famous German, such as Einstein or Bach.
What breed of dog is the most protective
Girl German Shepherd Names
Pick a strong but feminine name with one of these popular options for your furry fräulein (which means ‘little miss’ in German).
- Beatrix
- Britta
- Elke
- Fräulein
- Frieda
- Fritzi
- Gisela
- Greta
- Heidi
- Helga
- Hessia
- Ilse
- Ingrid
- Katrin
- Marta
- Mischa
- Nadine
- Nia
- Petra
- Sabine
- Sabrina
- Susanne
- Zelda
Boy German Shepherd Names
For a male German shepherd, look no further than these Bavarian names that are perfect for boy dogs.
- Bruno
- Dieter
- Franz
- Fritz (an old nickname for Friedrich)
- Frederik
- Günter
- Hans
- Hermann
- Kasper
- Klaus
- Kurt
- Luther
- Manfred
- Otto
- Wolfgang
Auto-Inspired German Shepherd Names
Germany is known for their love of the open road and their luxury vehicles. If you’re a car buff, then pick an auto-inspired name for your German shepherd.
- Adler
- Audi
- Axel
- Beemer
- Benz
- Diesel
- Mercedes
- Porsche
- Opal
- Alpina
- Gumpert
Unique German Shepherd Names
To draw even more inspiration for German shepherd names, consider these unique options that refer to Bavarian life and culture—including one of Germany’s most well-known exports, beer.
- Deutsche: The word for ‘German,’ in the German language.
- Donner: Means ‘thunder’ in German.
- Hansel: Popular nursery rhyme character from German fable; the brother of Gretel.
- Gretel: Popular nursery rhyme character from German fable; the sister of Hansel.
- Heinz: Translates to ‘ruler of the home’ and is similar to the English name ‘Henry.’
- Hund: The German word for ‘dog.’
- Jaeger: Translates to ‘Hunter’ in German. While you’re shepherd is more of a herder than a hunter, the name is a popular choice for GSDs.
- Kaiser: A German term meaning ‘ruler.’
- Schnapps: Spirits, in German
- Bock: Type of lager-style beer
- Dunkel: Describes a dark German beer
- Beck: German brewery in the city of Bremen
- Stein: A traditional German beer mug
Famous German Shepherd Names
There are a number of famous Germans—both canine and human—that might inspire the perfect name for your dog. Some were famous for their real-life accomplishments, like Rin-Tin-Tin or Bullet (the first seeing eye dog) and others were famous for on-screen antics, like Bullet of the Roy Rogers show. Germany also had many famous composers, musicians, and scientists that might make the perfect name for your German shepherd.
- Rin-Tin-Tin
- Bullet
- Buddy
- Charlemagne
- Beethoven
- Bach
- Einstein
- Mozart
- Handel
- Brahms
- Dirk (Nowitzki)
- Waldo
A to Z German Shepherd Names
A to B
- Adler
- Aldo
- Alpina
- Annika
- Arvin
- Astrid
- Audi
- Axel
- Bach
- Beatrix
- Beck
- Beemer
- Beethoven
- Benz
- Blitz
- Bock
- Brahms
- Britta
- Bruno
- Buddy
- Bullet
C to F
- Charlemange
- Deutsche
- Diesel
- Dieter
- Dirk (Nowitzki)
- Donner
- Dunkel
- Einstein
- Elke
- Franz
- Fräulein
- Frederik
- Frieda
- Fritz (an old nickname for Friedrich)
- Fritzi
G to H
- Gisela
- Greta
- Gretel
- Gumpert
- Günter
- Handel
- Hans
- Hansel
- Heidi
- Heinz
- Helga
- Hermann
- Hessia
- Hund
I to L
- Ilse
- Ingrid
- Jaeger
- Kaiser
- Kasper
- Katrin
- Klaus
- Kurt
- Luther
M to P
- Manfred
- Marta
- Mercedes
- Mischa
- Moose
- Mozart
- Nadine
- Nia
- Opal
- Otto
- Petra
- Porsche
R to Z
- Ranger
- Rin-Tin-Tin
- Rocky
- Sabine
- Sabrina
- Schnapps
- Schnitzel
- Stein
- Susanne
- Waldo
- Wolfgang
- Zelda
Other German Shepherd Name Ideas
For more German shepherd name ideas, check out: