Barbara Fitzgerald is an AKC Breeder of Merit and author of the column "Conversations with Champions" for the BCSA magazine, Borderlines.

From puritans to beatniks to goths, black has always been, and will forever remain, the penultimate fashion statement. Give your new black puppy a unique name that celebrates his or her darkness!

Dog Names That Mean Black

These dog names, which are synonyms for the world black, come to us from the artist's palette. In art and life black and dark gray shades of black represent importance, dignity, formality, and often solemnity. From priests to judges to witches, black robes confer the wearer with awesome respect and elevated power. Choose one of these names for your pup for a sophisticated nod to his or her inky coat.

• Ash
• Carbon
• Caviar
• Charcoal or Coal
• Coke or Coki
• Crow
• Dark Mirage
• Diablo
• Diesel
• Domino
• Ebony
• Farrow
• Inky
• Ivory
• Jade
• Jet
• Lunar
• Midnight
• Obsidian
• Onyx
• Pebbles
• Pepper
• Perylene
• Pitch
• Raven
• Sable
• Seal
• Slate or Slade
• Smoke or Smokey
• Spider
• Suede
• Swan
• Tapa
• Tundora

Sweet Tooth Candy Names for Black Dogs

These tasty dark treats make cute names for black dogs of all sizes.

Anise - Licorice flavored herb from the star anise seed.

Forest - Black Forest Cherry-torte is made with layers of the darkest chocolate cake.

Frazer - Frazer Tyrish Peber, Finnish for Frazer Turkish Pepper licorice. This is a salty, spicy licorice; it makes an ideal name for a mischievous black male dog.

Fudge

Junior - Junior mints are made with the darkest chocolate covering a refreshing mint creme filling.

Katja - Dutch makers of black licorice. Katja means "little cat" in Dutch. A cute name for a stealthy female dog.

Licorice - Unique flavor combination of sweet, bitter and salty.

Lonka - Dutch makers of black licorice mixed with other sweet flavors like caramel and strawberry chews.

Plenty - Good and Plenty licorice candies.

Scottie - Black licorice treat from England, made in the shape of Scottish Terriers.

Taffy

Tootsie - A tasty dark chocolate treat and Dustin Hoffman's drag queen persona.

Twizzler - Licorice candy brand.

York - The big brother to Junior Mints, the York Peppermint Patty is a full size dark chocolate covered mint creme that will blow back your hair!

Wiley Wallaby - Licorice candy from down under.

Zot - Organic licorice candy.

Rich Black Dog Names From The Chef's Palette

Have you got a new canine companion with a nutty, spicy, earthy or sweet personality? Any one of the black delights from the chef's palette will fit the bill for your jolly, new best friend.

Angus - The Black Angus Beef makes a good name for a powerful male dog.

Arabica - Coffee bean,

Assam - Black tea.

Beluga - The finest of caviars and most expensive food in the world, Beluga makes a sophisticated name for both male and female dogs.

Chip

Darjeeling - A strong black tea, Darjeeling makes a cute name for a powerful female dog.

Earl Grey - BLack Tea.

Espresso - The darkest of coffees.

Guinness - Guinness Stout, the darkest of Irish beers.

Java - Coffee.

Keemun - Black tea.

Kona - Coffee bean.

Lapsang - Black tea. Makes a cute name for a black lap dog.

Mission - The mission fig boasts a dark purple skin and bright pink flesh highlighted with white seeds.

Nori - Black seaweed wraps for sushi rolls.

Oolong - Black tea.

Porter

Stout

Truffles - The second most expensive food in the world, black truffles enhance any recipe with their sheer decadence.

Yunnan - Black tea.

Names for Black Puppy Dogs That Evoke the Night

It's always darkest before the dawn, and these synonyms for night make ideal names for the darkest of puppy dogs.

Heavenly Names for Black Dogs from Myth and the Night Sky

Artume - Etruscan goddess of the night.

Big Bang

Dusk

Erebus - God of darkness

Eve

Hades - God of the underworld.

Knatam - Sanskrit, means night.

Kishi - Native American, means night.

Kitkun - Native American, means night bird.

Knight or Night

Latona - Roman goddess of day and night.

Leto - Greek goddess of day and night.

Midnight

Rahu - Hindu deity of the night.

Ratri - Hindu goddess of the night.

Nacht - German, means night.

Nyx - Goddess of darkness.

Noch - Russian, means night.

Noche - Spanish, means night.

Scotus - Roman god of darkness.

Shade

Shadow

Shalim - Canaanite god of dusk.

Soir - French, means night.

Twilight

Umbra

Zorya - Slavic goddesses of the night.

Fire-Inspired Names for Dark Puppies

The night and fire are inextricably intertwined in the human mind. Flames warm and brighten the night, and leave in their wake the blackest char and soot. These synonyms for fire and flame make darling names for black puppies who will bring warmth and cheer to your darkest nights.

• Ash
• Blaze
• Charro
• Cinder
• Ember
• Flair
• Flame
• Flicker
• Pyre
• Scorch
• Sear
• Simmer
• Singe
• Sizzle
• Smokey
• Stoke
• Tinder

Black Dog Names From Black Gems and Minerals

Augite - Black stone with gray veins.

Beryl

Diamond

Goethite

Hematite - Semi precious metallic black and grey stone.

Jasper

Opal

Pearl

Rutile - Black ore that forms long parallel prisms or plates.

Names for Female Dogs From Black Flowers

Calla Lily

Dahlia

Hollyhock

Iris

Lily

Pansy

Petunia

Rose

Tulip

Viola

Wizard Lily

Black Dog Names Inspired by Real Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates, with their dark deeds accomplished under the Jolly Roger, make an excellent inspiration for male puppy names. The "black" pirates are among the most notorious of the 5000 pirates that sailed the seas in the 1700s.

Teach - Edward Teach, known to us as Blackbeard, ruled the seas with four ships and an army of over 300 sailors. One of the most feared pirates of his day, he often led his attacks with a broadsword in each hand. Having captured over 40 ships during his career, he was promptly beheaded by the Royal Navy, upon his capture in 1718.

Caesar - Black Caesar was a prominent West African chieftain who was captured along with many of his tribesmen by pirates, and enslaved on their ship. During a storm, Black Caesar and one of the pirate crewmen escaped the ship in a longboat to the Florida Keys. The pirate ship sailed on to its doom.

Black Caesar and his companion used the longboat to good advantage, by feigning distress before ships passing by. Once the ships came to their rescue, Black Caesar and his fellow pirate demanded booty or threatened to sink the ship. They amassed a fortune in pirate's booty including a small harem for Caesar; over 100 women were enslaved on a small island in the Florida Keys.

Eventually, Caesar joined Blackbeard in raiding ships throughout the Caribbean. He was ultimately captured with Blackbeard's crew, and hanged in Virginia for his crimes.

Bartholomew - Bartholomew Roberts aka Black Bart, the Dread Pirate Roberts, was a Welsh sailor forced into piracy. Once on board, he took to it well, where he was as admired by his men (who believed him "pistol proof") as he was feared by the Royal Navy. Black Bart plundered over 400 ships during his career, making him one of history's most successful pirates, until the invention of Wall Street. However, in 1722 he met his demise in a skirmish with the Royal Navy, a stunning turn of events from the perspective of both his crew and the Royal Navy.

Kona - Kona is a Hawaiian district that stretches almost two thirds of the West coast of the big island. Kona is noted for its beaches with black sands, thank to volcanic activity. While Kona makes a great male dog name, the city of Kailua within the district (Kailua-Kona) makes a pretty female dog name.

Comments

Alexander Castro on April 17, 2020:

I just want a dog

Cassidy on November 02, 2018:

I had a black dog named storm and then September 10th she got off her leash and she got hit by a car and my mom and dad took her to vet and then at 11:50 my dad called and said she had died and she was my best friend and I am the one who saw it happen.

DONNA on October 04, 2018:

I Love Your Dog Names. But Two That I Absolutely Love But Don’t See Is Sterling And Silver!!!

Victoria on December 28, 2017:

I love the name smokey perfect for a little black dog ! He will love it when he learns it thanks so much!!!

Heather on September 23, 2017:

great! how about the name Bear?

Bill De Giulio from Massachusetts on April 26, 2016:

Great list. I've always loved the name Kona for a black dog. Reminds me of Kona, Hawaii and the black sand beaches.

Barbara Fitzgerald (author) from Georgia on October 25, 2015:

Thanks Kalinin - I'll go fix that right now!

Lana Adler from California on October 25, 2015:

Great hub! Too bad I don't have a black puppy :) one thing though - the Russian word for "night" is "noch" (I'm Russian ))))))

Barbara Fitzgerald (author) from Georgia on October 24, 2015:

Hi Dr. Mark: He is a cutie, isn't he!

Dr Mark from The Atlantic Rain Forest, Brazil on October 23, 2015:

I pinned that great Pug image! Nice hub.