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Finding the perfect name for your dog can be challenging since there is almost no limit to what you can call your pup.
As you look for inspiration, it can be good to limit your options with a few parameters. Maybe, for example, you have decided to choose a dog name starting with C.
C is an excellent letter for a dog name since the sharp, distinct sound when it is pronounced like a K is easy for your dog to distinguish from background noise.
C names that start with a CH sound and even an S sound are also thought to be relatively easy for your pup to distinguish.
It is important to remember dogs don’t learn language like we do. They simply learn to recognize certain words and associate them with meanings. Being able to pick the important words out of everything you say matters.
So, if you have decided to go with a C name for whatever reason, such as it sounds nice or it combines with your own name, you are already off to a good start.
To help you find the perfect name, I have put together some inspirational lists of C names. If you don’t find exactly what you are looking for, hopefully, the lists can still inspire and point you in the right direction.
Girl Dog Names Starting With C
Are you adopting a female pup? Consider this list of girl names starting with C for female dogs.
- Cabelo – means “hair” in Portuguese
- Callie – Greek name meaning “pretty”
- Calliope – meaning “beautiful voice” in Greek
- Calypso – Greek name meaning “she who hides”
- Cami – Gaelic name meaning “crooked nose”
- Capri – after the Greek island
- Carly – German name meaning “free person”
- Cara – Gaelic name meaning “beloved”
- Carmel(a) – Hebrew name meaning “garden” or “orchard”
- Caroline – French name meaning “strong”
- Casey – Gaelic name meaning “vigilant”
- Cassidy – means “curly-headed” in Gaelic
- Cassie – short for Cassandra, a Greek name meaning “man’s defender”
- Cece – a nickname for a posh little girl
- Cedar – like the nice-smelling wood
- Chance – perfect for a lucky find
- Charli – a popular name with many fun spelling variations, including Charleigh and Charley
- Charlotte – French name meaning “petite, free person”
- Chelsea – like the wealthy London suburb and the football club
- Cheyenne – Sioux name meaning “people of a different language”
- Chica – Spanish name meaning “little girl”
- China – after the country (and the popular wrestler)
- Chloe – Greek name meaning “blooming”
- Chula – a musical song of lament (played in Capoeira Angola among other places)
- Claire – French name meaning “bright”
- Clara – German name meaning “bright” or “clear”
- Colby – for a swarthy little girl
- Copper – ideal for reddish-brown dogs
- Cora – Greek name meaning “maiden”
- Cotton – ideal for white, fluffy dogs
- Cricket – like the small insect and the beautiful game
- Crystal – the popular girl’s name
Boy Dog Names Starting With C
Adopting a boy pup into the family? Below is a list of masculine names starting with C.
- Cabo – a Spanish name for “cape;” possibly a reference to coloring
- Caesar – after the famous Roman dictator; great for assertive dogs
- Caliber – for dogs who are as fast as a bullet!
- Camper – for dogs that never leave your side
- Cannon – for unstoppable dogs
- Canyon – perfect if your canine friend has a big mouth
- Captain – for the pup that commands your heart
- Camo – great if their coat has multiple colors
- Carbon – perfect for black dogs
- Carl – a German name meaning “free man” (or, alternatively, Carlos in Spanish)
- Cayde – Irish name meaning “battle”
- Chad – means “protector” or “defender”
- Champion – great for dogs who have a competitive spirit
- Chappie – for a cheeky chappy
- Charger – for dogs that love to run
- Charles – a regal name for your little prince
- Checkers – nice for black and white dogs
- Chester – this old English name means “camp of soldiers;” nice for fierce little barkers
- Chico – Spanish for “boy” or “lad”
- Chief – for your little leader
- Chipper – perfect for happy little nippers
- Chiquito – Spanish name meaning “small”
- Chop(per) – for dogs with a fast bite
- Chomp – also for little biters
- Chubbs – ideal for dogs with a stockier build
- Chunk – for well-built little dogs
- Cinco – means five; maybe for your fifth pup?
- Clancy – Gaelic name for “son of the red warrior;” ideal for reddish dogs
- Cletus – a Greek name meaning “illustrious”
- Clifford – English name meaning “ford by a cliff;” a nice choice for swimmers
- Clutch – for dogs that never let go
- Clyde – Scottish name meaning “warm and friendly”
- Coach – perfect for a commanding pack leader
- Coal – another fitting name for black dogs
- Coby – a strong Hebrew name meaning “supplanter”
- Colt – ideal for a dog with long legs who runs like a horse!
- Colton – meaning “coal town;” also ideal for black dogs
- Connor – a handsome, traditional Irish name
- Conrad – a German name meaning “brave” or “bold ruler”
- Conway – meaning “hound of the plain”
- Coop – short for “Cooper” or a chicken coop
- Coors – just like the popular beer
- Corbin – English name meaning “raven”
- Cowboy – ideal for herding dogs
- Crew – for a pup that is part of the band
- Cruiser – especially if they love riding around in the car
- Crush – ideal for big, heavy dogs
- Curly – does your pup have a curly mane?
- Cyrus – Persian name meaning “sun”
- Czar – for your little ruler!
C Dog Names Based On Famous People & Characters
Celebrities and famous characters are often a great source of inspiration for dog names. Check out this list of people and characters starting with C.
- Cady – Lindsay Lohan’s character in Mean Girls
- Cage – like Nicholas Cage
- Cain – like the actor Dean Cain (Superman from Lois and Clark)
- Caligula – after the famous but notoriously crazy Roman emperor
- Calvin – as in designer Calvin Klein
- Camila – as in songstress Camila Cabelo
- Capone – as in criminal Al Capone
- Cardi – after singer Cardi B
- Cartier – after the luxury brand
- Casanova – for the famous heartbreaker
- Casper – after the friendly ghost
- Caspian – like Prince Caspian of the sea
- Cassius Clay – the original name of Muhammad Ali (the boxer) meaning “vain”
- Castiel – the angel of Supernatural fame
- Cato – name of a famous Roman politician; his name means “all-knowing”
- Cecil – like director Cecil Demil
- Chachi – the younger cousin of Fonzie in Happy Days
- Cedric – like Cedric Diggory from Harry Potter
- Cersei – as in Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones
- Chanel – like Coco Chanel
- Charlie Brown-like our favorite dog-owning classic cartoon character
- Cher – after the famous singer
- Chevy – like Chevy Chase
- Chewie – like Chewbacca from the Star Wars series
- Chucky – like the very scary red-headed doll
- Churchill – as in Winston Churchill
- Cinder – like Cinderella
- Cindy – as in supermodel Cindy Crawford
- Clapton – like songwriter Eric Clapton
- Clark – as in Clark Kent of Superman fame
- Claudius – after the bumbling Roman emperor
- Cleese – as in comic actor John Cleese
- Cleo – as in Cleopatra
- Clooney – after heartthrob actor George Clooney
- Coen – after the famous directing duo, the Coen brothers
- Coco – like Coco Chanel
- Conan – for strong dogs; after Conan the Barbarian
- Conner – like Terminator’s Sarah Conner
- Constantine – after the dark supernatural hero and the Eastern emperor
- Canute/Cnut – after the famous Viking King
- Cobain – as in Nirvana frontman, Kurt Cobain
- Coppola – after director Francis Ford Coppola
- Creed – like the young boxer in the Rocky follow-up movies
- Crixus – Gallic gladiator and military leader
- Crowley – like the famous wizard Aleister Crowley, the evilest man on earth
- Cruz – as in the famous actress Penelope Cruz
- Cujo – like the unfortunate dog from the film of the same name
- Cumberbatch – after actor Benedict Cumberbatch
- Cupid – after the god of love
C Dog Names Based On Foods
Your pup is probably cute enough to eat, so why not name them after one of your favorite foods starting with the letter C?
- Campbell – like the soup brand
- Candy – perfect for dogs who are a sweet treat
- Cane – for sweet pups like sugar cane
- Canela – Portuguese for “Cinnamon;” great for light brown dogs
- Cannoli – like the widely used oil
- Caramel – for delicious brown dogs
- Corona – like the beer
- Cereal – great for a dog who perks you up in the morning
- Cerveja – Portuguese for “beer”
- Chai – after the tasty, creamy tea
- Cheerio – like the popular healthy breakfast cereal
- Cheeto – like the cheese puff snack
- Cherry – like the tasty little red fruit
- Chia – as in chia seeds
- Chicken – ideal for fluffy little pups like a baby chick
- Chili – small and spicy
- Chips – the tasty fried potato snack
- Chocolate – for delicious-looking brown dogs
- Chowder – especially if they gobble down their food at every meal
- Clementine – after the juicy little citrus fruit
- Clover – a unique spice
- Cocoa – raw chocolate
- Coconut – after the tropical fruit
- Cookie – a delicious little sweet treat
- Cupcake – for a fluffy little ball of fun
- Cappuccino – tasty and energizing
C Names Based On Geography
Places around the world can have quite romantic names, many of which might feel like a good fit for your dog.
- Cadiz – the southern Spanish city
- Cairo – after the Egyptian capital
- Calcutta – after the capital of India
- Cali – short for “California”
- Cambodia – the Asian country
- Cambridge – the famous English town and university
- Camden – the cool suburb of London
- Camelot – the city of Arthurian legend
- Cameroon – the African nation
- Cancun – the Mexican party city
- Cannes – location of the famous film festival
- Canterbury – the famous English city and cathedral
- Caracas – the capital of Venezuela
- Cardiff – the Welsh city
- Casablana – the Morrocan city of movie fame
- Catalonia – the Spanish province
- Chennai – the Chinese city
- Chile – the South American country
- Cnossos – the famous abandoned Greek city
- Colorado – the American cowboy state
- Congo – the African jungle country
Unique Dog Names That Start With C
Looking for something a little different? Check out these unique dog names starting with C.
- Caleb – Hebrew name meaning “whole-hearted”
- Canelo – meaning “cinnamon tree;” nice for light brown dogs
- Canine – after your dog’s species
- Capoeira – the Brazilian martial art
- Cerberus – a Greek name meaning “flesh-devouring”
- Chaos – since you know that’s what they will cause around the house!
- Chauncey – an English name meaning “Chancellor”
- Chino – after the popular shoe
- Chulo – means “pimp” in Spanish
- Cielo – the musical instrument for a musical bark
- Cisco – a Spanish name for French dogs
- Courage – for brave little dogs
- Cobalt – German name meaning “Goblin” or “troublemaker”
- Crayon – like the coloful art supply maker
- Crockett – is an English name meaning “large curl;” perfect for curly dogs
- Chuy – an alternative Spanish name for Jesus
- Crash – for dogs that love to run into things
- Crosby – Scandinavian name meaning “at the cross”
How To Choose A Dog Name
There aren’t any strict rules for choosing the right name for your dog, but there are some guidelines to bear in mind to help you choose something today that you will be happy in the long run.
- Choose something short, ideally only one or two syllables, or something that can be shortened in an easily understandable way. It is easier for dogs to learn shorter names, which means they will be responding when you call sooner.
- Avoid names that sound too much like commands that you will use regularly, as this can just confuse your pup. Remember, while dogs are very intelligent, they don’t actually understand language in the more complex way that humans do; they are just recognizing familiar sounds. So, if their name sounds too much like a command that you use regularly, such as “sit” or “stay,” they may confuse the two words.
- Remember you will often need to use your dog’s name in public, sometimes shouting it loudly, and sometimes using it in front of children and strangers. This is why it is rarely a good idea to choose something rude or potentially offensive.
- Remember, you don’t have to give your dog a name the moment you bring them home. There is nothing wrong with taking a week or so to get to know your dog’s personality a little better first and then choosing something that better fits them later.
If you are getting a puppy, don’t forget to check out our new puppy checklist.
How To Teach Your Dog Their Name
Once you have chosen a name for your pup, you need to teach them to recognize it. This is more or less the same as teaching them a command, except the desired response when you call is more fluid.
To start off with, you should teach them to give you their attention when you say their name and reinforce this behavior through rewards.
Start with short training sessions with your dog in an attentive state and get them to turn to you when you say their name. They should pick this up pretty quickly, so you can move training them where you don’t already have their attention.
Try taking them out into the yard, on a leash, and then letting them explore. Say their name to get their attention.
If they don’t respond right away, you can say their name again and lightly pull on the leash. Always reward them when you get the desired behavior
Some dogs can learn their name within a few days, but most should have a pretty good grasp on their name within a week or two.
FAQs About Dog Names
What should you not name your dog?
It is best to avoid dog names that sound too much like other words you will want your dog to recognize and respond to, such as “sit,” “stay,” “heel,” and “no”, as your dog will want to learn all of these words separately.
Choose names that start with a hard consonant that will be easy for your dog to pick out from the background noise. Go for something short–ideally just one or two syllables.
Do dogs respond better to certain names?
Yes, dogs do respond better to some names than others. To be clear, they do not actually understand the name itself but instead are responding to a familiar and recognizable sound.
For this reason, names with two syllables are often best as they are long enough not to be confused with other words but are still short enough to grab their attention.
Is it bad to give your dog multiple names?
With the right training, your dog can be taught to respond to multiple names, and you can even change their name. But the rule with teaching your dog anything is consistency, so using one name exclusively is a bit easier.
Should you use your dog’s name a lot?
While your dog’s name is different from a command, they will still respond to it in the same way, treating it as a command for attention. For this reason, you should avoid using it out of context.
For example, you should not combine the name with other commands, especially negative commands. This way, the name will not develop negative connotations.
Want to learn more about dog training? Check out these common hand signals for dogs.
C Dog Names: The Verdict
Finding the perfect name for your dog is all about exposing yourself to as much inspiration as possible until you find something that feels right.
But there are an infinite number of potential names out there, so giving yourself some limits in your search can be helpful.
If you like C names because of their sound or how they combine with your own name, then this is a great place to start because C words tend to be easier for dogs to recognize. So go wild, and hopefully, you will find some inspiration in our lists.
Do you have any favorite C names for dogs not on our list? Share them with the community in the comments section below.
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