350+ Great Names for German Shepherds

Choose a name as striking as their personalities

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Updated on 10/28/22

German shepherd dog laying on outdoor seating furniture — The Spruce / Kristie Lee

German shepherds are one of the most popular dog breeds because they are loyal, intelligent, athletic, and striking to look at. Not only do they make wonderful pets, but these hard-working canines often have jobs as service dogs, with the military or police, or in security. Your German shepherd deserves a name that is as bold, strong, and unique as it is.

While picking your perfect pooch might have been easy, selecting the best German shepherd name might be more of a challenge. You might want a name that reflects your dog's heritage, size, strength, courage, or intelligence. Or you might just want a unique or even a whimsical name for your canine. Whatever your preference, there's inspiration ahead.

Here are more than 350 German shepherd names to suit your dog's personality, heritage, strength, courage, and more.

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Top German Shepherd Names

Aldo
Annika
Apollo
Arvin
Astrid
Bear
Gretel
Hansel
Heidi
Blitz
Moose
Ranger
Rocky
Schnitzel
Thor

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.

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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
Freya
Frieda
Frigg
Fritzi
Gisela
Greta
Heidi
Helga
Hera
Hessia
Ilse
Ingrid
Katrin
Lina
Lise
Luna
Marta
Mischa
Nadine
Nia
Petra
Sabine
Sabrina
Schnitte
Susanne
Zelda

Boy German Shepherd Names

For a male German shepherd, look no further than these Bavarian names that are perfect for boy dogs.

Albert
Axel
Bruno
Dieter
Dirk
Emil
Franz
Frederik
Fritz
Günter
Hans
Heinz
Helmut
Hermann
Jakob
Jurgan
Karl
Kasper
Klaus
Kurt
Leon
Lukas
Luther
Manfred
Otto
Rainer
Rudolph
Torsten
Wilhelm
Wolfgang

Auto-Inspired German Shepherd Names

Germany is known for its love of the open road and its luxury vehicles. If you’re a car buff, then pick an auto-inspired name for your German shepherd.

Adler
Alpina
Artega
Audi
Axel
Beemer
Benz
Diesel
Gumpert
Maybach
Melkus
Mercedes
Opel
Porsche
Wiesmann

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.

Beck: German brewery in the city of Bremen.
Bock: Type of lager-style beer.
Deutsche: The word for ‘German,’ in the German language.
Donner: Means ‘thunder’ in German.
Dunkel: Describes a dark German beer.
Gretel: Popular nursery rhyme character from German fable; the sister of Hansel.
Hansel: Popular nursery rhyme character from German fable; the brother of Gretel.
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 your shepherd is more of a herder than a hunter, the name is a popular choice for GSDs.
Kaiser: A German term meaning ‘ruler.’
Rasch: Translates to 'fast.'
Schnapps: Spirits, in German.
Stark: Translates to 'strong.'
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.