244 Short & Snappy 4-Letter Dog Names

If you’re looking for 4-letter dog names (and precisely 4 letters only), we’ve got you covered!

We’ve talked about two and three-letter dog names with single syllables, but sometimes you want a little more oomph.

The male and female ideas below will help you come up with something that’s still short and sweet, but not quite so monosyllabic.

Take a look at our favorites below!

4-Letter Dog Names

Choosing a name is always hard, and when it comes to our fur babies it has to be perfect.

We want something short so that puppies learn to recognize their names, but also meaningful to us.

These 4 letter dog names will really give you the inspiration you needed to choose the perfect name for your pup.

We’ll start with the basic list for each gender, then read on for the meanings behind our top 30 favorites.

Top 50 4-Letter Dog Names for Males

1. Abel
2. Adam
3. Ajax
4. Aldo
5. Alex
6. Amos
7. Andy
8. Axel
9. Bart
10. Bear
11. Beau
12. Bits
13. Blue
14. Bobo
15. Boss
16. Buck
17. Chad
18. Chaz
19. Chip
20. Cody
21. Cole
22. Cubs
23. Cujo
24. Dash
25. Dave
26. Dino
27. Dure
28. Echo
29. Eddy
30. Elmo
31. Fido
32. Hans
33. Hugh
34. Hugo
35. Jake
36. Jazz
37. King
38. Levi
39. Loki
40. Luke
41. Mack
42. Milo
43. Ming
44. Mojo
45. Nemo
46. Nero
47. Niko
48. Pooh
49. Sage
50. Spot

Different names, with different meanings, perfect for all your pups.

‘Nero’ for example, is the Finish word for ‘genius’ and would be the appropriate name for any Terrier!

Then, of course, ‘Bear’ doesn’t need an explanation, but wouldn’t it be the best choice for a  very loving Saint Bernard?

Top 50 4 Letter Dog Names for Females

1. Abby
2. Ally
3. Amie
4. Babe
5. Baby
6. Bebe
7. Brie
8. Brit
9. Cali
10. Chic
11. Cleo
12. Coco
13. Diva
14. Dots
15. Erin
16. Fifi
17. Foxi
18. Gigi
19. Girl
20. Hope
21. Indy
22. Iris
23. Itsy
24. Izzy
25. Jade
26. Jess
27. Jojo
28. Judy
29. Kali
30. Katz
31. Kira
32. Lady
33. Lexi
34. Lili
35. Lola
36. Lucy
37. Lulu
38. Luna
39. Macy
40. Mary
41. Maya
42. Miko
43. Mini
44. Mona
45. Nala
46. Nana
47. Rosy
48. Ruby
49. Star
50. Tara

Remember ‘Nana’, the Newfoundland protector from Peter Pan? Tell me that’s not one of the best names.

Describes best her protective and caring personality.

And think about “Diva”, which doesn’t need an explanation, but I think it would be the best name for a Yorkshire Terrier.

Top 30 4-Letter Dog Names with Meanings

1. Abby – Hebrew name for ‘father’s joy’ and it would be the best choice for any bachelor.
2. Adam – Biblical name, the first man on Earth, it means ‘unique’.
3. Alex – Short form of ‘Alexander’ or ‘the defender of men.’
4. Andy – Coming from the Greek name ‘Andreas’ means ‘brave’.
5. Babe – Not only associated with the loving nickname, but it comes from Greek and it means ‘foreign’.
6. Bear – Besides the very imposing animal, ‘Bear’ also means ‘strong’.
7. Beau – The French word for ‘beautiful’ and a very understandable choice.
8. Brie – Derived from the Celtic ‘Brighid’ it means ‘the exalted one’.
9. Chic – This is one of the very elegant dog names, for any fancy pup out there.
10. Cleo – Short for ‘Cleopatra’ and it’s translated to ‘pride’ or ‘glory’.
11. Cubs – An incredibly cute name for any dog who’s like a ‘playful lion’.
12. Dash – As expected, Dash stands for ‘energetic’, probably made for a Beagle constantly running around his tail.
13. Dino – When I say ‘Dino’ I think of a Golden Retriever with a cute dinosaur costume on, but in Italian, it means ‘little sword’.
14. Dots – The English name for “gift of God’ but a Dalmatian could totally rock this name.
15. Elmo – May be associated with Sesame Street, but in German, it means ‘protection’.
16. Hope – The name Hope comes from the Old English word ‘hopian’ and as expected, it means ‘full of hope’.
17. Hugo – For all the content pups, the name ‘Hugo’ means ‘spirit’.
18. Iris – Whether we’re talking about the flower or the Greek for ‘rainbow’ we can agree that it brings happiness in our lives.
19. Jade – Pretty straight forward, we’re talking about something precious.
20. Jazz – Its roots aren’t very well known, but we do know it’s a very unique name, growing more popular.
21. Judy – The Hebrew word for ‘praised’.
22. Kali – With Sanskrit origins, it means ‘the black one’.
23. King – No explanation needed, a king is a king everywhere.
24. Kira – It comes from the Greek word ‘kyrios’, meaning ‘ruler’.
25. Levi – Meaning ‘joined’ it’s the perfect name if you’re planning on taking him everywhere you go.
26. Loki – We all know Loki, The Avengers’ God. Well, it’s a real god in Norse Mythology, associated with magic.
27. Luna – It means ‘Moon’ in Italian and Romanian.
28. Nana – Is ‘the one who looks after the children and is very popular with Peter Pan fans.
29. Nero – It means ‘genius’ and it’s a Finnish name.
30. Star – No explanation is needed here, it’s for the little stars in our lives.

4-Letter Food Names for Dogs

Most, if not all, of these 4-letter food names are pretty gender-neutral, so they’ll work for males or females. Some are funny, some cute, and some are actually very pretty (like Kale!)

1. Acai
2. Bean
3. Beef (a funny food name for a beefy pup!)
4. Boga (a soft drink brand)
5. Bran
6. Caro (another drink brand)
7. Chai
8. Chex
9. Clif (after the Clif Bar)
10. Cola
11. Crab
12. Chow
13. Dill
14. Eden (a dairy brand)
15. Eggo
16. Gyro
17. Izze (after the fizzy water drink brand)
18. Kale 
19. Kiwi
20. Lala (another dairy brand)
21. Mint
22. Naan
23. Nosh
24. Okra
25. Oreo
26. Plum
27. Ragu
28. Ritz
29. Rolo
30. Rosé (like the wine)
31. Sage
32. Skol
33. Spam
34. Taco
35. Taro
36. Tart
37. Tofu
38. Tuna
39. Twix
40. Yuzu
41. Ziti
42. Zotz

4-Letter Cities & Countries Dog Names

Again, these can work for male and female dogs. They’re inspired by countries and cities around the world. 

1. Abha -in Saudi Arabia
2. Aden – in Yemen
3. Arak– Iran
4. Aksu– China
5. Bago-Myanmar
6. Baku – Azerbaijan 
7. Bari– in Italy
8. Cali– in Colombia
9. Chad
10. Cork– Ireland
11. Cuba
12. Dali- China
13. Erie– a Great Lake and a town in Pennsylvania
14. Fiji
15. Fuji
16. Gaya- India
17. Giza
18. Gulu- Uganda
19. Iasi-Romania
20. Jaen – Spain
21. Jena
22. Kano-Nigeria
23. Kobe 
24. Laos
25. Leon
26. Lima– the capital of Peru
27. Lugo
28. Lyon
29. Mali
30. Napa
31. Nara- Japan
32. Niue
33. Oman
34. Oslo
35. Palu
36. Peru
37. Piza
38. Reno
39. Rome
40. Togo

32 4-Letter Dog Names Inspired by Cars

These 4-letter car model names are perfect for “zoomy” pups!

1. Alfa
2. Alto
3. Arna
4. Audi
5. Aygo
6. Benz
7. Bora
8. Clio
9. Colt
10. Dart
11. Elan
12. Ford
13. Fury
14. Hawk
15. Indy
16. Jazz
17. Jee[
18. Luce
19. Lynx
20. Maxi
21. Nova
22. Omni
23. Polo
24. Pony
25. Riva
26. Saab
27. Stag
28. Vega
29. Velo
30. Viva
31. Wasp
32. Yugo

Choosing the perfect name for your dog is one of the hardest things new pet parents will do! There are just so many great ideas out there that it’s almost impossible to pick just one. 

These 4-letter names are short and sweet! Plus, they’re easy enough for your kids to learn how to say & spell, too! That makes training your pup easier for the whole family.

The key is to go with something that has meaning for you but that’s also easy enough for your dog to understand. 

You can also take inspiration from your dog breed. For example, “Bear” works perfectly for a brown dog, while Fuji is great for an Akita.

What are your favorite 4 letter dog names? Share below!