100+ Dog Name Ideas Inspired by Nature

Written by pet expert Melissa Kauffman. Melissa has spent 25 years following her passion for animals as a writer and editor in the pet publishing industry. Prior to starting her career in publishing, Melissa spent eight years working in veterinary hospitals where she assisted veterinarians as they treated dogs, cats, rabbits, pocket pets, reptiles, birds and one memorable lion cub.

dog in flowers

Finding the perfect name for your beloved dog can be fun, but also a little daunting with such a vast array of options to choose from. 

There are many great theme ideas to draw inspiration from, one of which is the great outdoors. Taking some ideas from nature is a great way to find beautifully unique names and means even more to those dog-owners who love the outdoors. 

To help you along, we’ve put together 100 + dog names inspired by nature. As you will see, some are male, female, or unisex, and some come from foreign languages. Still, all are inspired by aspects of nature or the elements and with a few specific breed suitability examples along the way.

  1. Aki: Autumn in Japan 
  2. Alfresco: Out in the open air
  3. Aria: Italian for ‘air’
  4. Aspen: A tall tree whose leaves move a lot in the wind 
  5. Aster: A member of the daisy family
  6. Autumn: The beautiful fall season
  7. Azzurra: Italian for ‘blue sky’ – a great name for blue dog breeds like Kerry Blue Terriers
  8. Barley: A tall, grassy crop
  9. Bear: Perfect for a big, cuddly breed
  10. Birch: A slender tree
  11. Birdie: Maybe your dog is light on its feet or loves watching birds
  12. Blizzard: Overabundance of energy – wild and hard to tame (Malamute, or American Eskimo)
  13. Blue: Color inspired by nature
  14. Brier: French for ‘nature’ – a lovely nature-inspired choice for a french breed of dog
  15. Brook: A stream
  16. Caden: Marshland
  17. Canyon: Gorge 
  18. Cephas: Greek for ‘rock/stone’
  19. Chloe: A green shoot
  20. Clay: a stiff type of soil/earth, also related to creativity
  21. Cliff: A steep, sheer rock face
  22. Clover: A plant leaf, associated with good luck
  23. Coal: Rock or charred wood
  24. Colorado
  25. Copper: An element as well as an earthy color
  26. Cricket: An insect
  27. Dakota: Native American for ‘friend’
  28. Dale (Dael): Valley
  29. Darya: Persian for ‘Ocean’
  30. Dove: Bird – a symbol of peace
  31. Dusty: Of the earth
  32. Earwyn: Meaning ‘friend of the sea’
  33. Echo: sounds reverberating in open space
  34. Eco: Latin for ‘of the environment’
  35. Elm: Deciduous tree
  36. Everest: Famously the tallest mountain on earth, great for giant breeds or dogs who love mountain climbing
  37. Fabio: Spanish for ‘bean grower’
  38. Farley: Woodland clearing
  39. Fern: A plant
  40. Fleur: Old French meaning of ‘flower’
  41. Flint: Rock
  42. Forrest: Of the woods
  43. Gaia: Greek for ‘from the earth’
  44. Ginko: A Chinese tree 
  45. Goldie: Inspired by the precious metal, gold and obviously perfect for golden-coated breeds
  46. Green: Prominent color found in nature
  47. Hawk: Majestic bird of prey
  48. Holly: A (festive) plant
  49. Honey: Sweet, natural product from bees
  50. Ivy: A climbing plant of deep green
  51. Jasper: A semi-precious stone
  52. Jet: A shiny black gemstone
  53. Jupiter: 5th planet from the sun
  54. Ka: Ocean in Hawaiian
  55. Karma: Universal lay of Sanskrit
  56. Kodiak: The U.S. Kodiak islands
  57. Lana: Gaelic for ‘little rock
  58. Lark: Songbird
  59. Luna: The moon, also good for black-coated dogs representing nighttime
  60. Lupo: Italian for ‘wolf’
  61. Mammoth: A Californian mountain (and a huge extinct prehistoric animal)
  62. Mango: A stone fruit
  63. Maple: The tree
  64. Marin: French for ‘love the ocean’ 
  65. Mercury: Planet or atomic element
  66. Nickel: A metal
  67. North: The cardinal direction
  68. Oakley: Wood clearing
  69. Ocean: Powerful yet peaceful, mysterious
  70. Onyx: One of the most precious of nature’s stones, ideal for black dogs such as a Newfoundland or Black Russian Terrier
  71. Peaches: A sweet stone fruit
  72. Pearl: An ocean treasure
  73. Pluto: Formerly the 9th planet in the solar system but too small to remain a planet – great for smaller dogs
  74. Quest: Exploration – perfect for active, adventurous dogs
  75. Quill: Wing or tail feathers of a bird
  76. Rain: Another powerful yet peaceful force of nature
  77. Raven: A striking blackbird
  78. Ridge: The spine of a mountain – great for mountain-loving breeds, and, of course, the Rhodesian Ridgeback!
  79. River: Flow of water, conjuring up beautiful scenes of the outdoors
  80. Ruby: A precious jewel from nature
  81. Sahara: The largest desert in the world – great for female dogs or any desert breeds like the Cairn Terrier
  82. Sequoia: The largest tree on Earth (by volume)
  83. Shadow: Casts of light – perfect for a doggy that doesn’t leave your side!
  84. Sienna: An earthy pigment used for painting
  85. Silver: Precious metal
  86. Sky: Abundant, soothing, expansive
  87. Sol: Spanish for ‘sun’
  88. Stella: Of the stars
  89. Storm: chaotic, powerful, awe-inspiring
  90. Talia: The morning dew
  91. Teal: Beautiful blue-green earthy color
  92. Terra: Greek goddess of Earth
  93. Thorn: From ‘Thorne’ 
  94. Topaz: Gemstone
  95. Vernon: From the Gaelic word ‘Vern’ meaning ‘Alder tree’
  96. Willow: A type of tree – whimsical 
  97. Winter: The season – beautiful and strong
  98. Wolfe: As in Wolf
  99. Wren: Meaning ‘from the farm’ – perfect for a farm dog
  100. Xia: Chinese name meaning ‘glow of the sunrise’

One more for luck

Finally, here is one last idea that we can’t leave out – Zola. There are varying opinions as to the origins of this name, but many sources suggest that it derives from Latin and simply means ‘Earth.’ No better word could encompass the entire breadth of nature and all of its glory than the word ‘Earth’ – or a Latin variation of the same!