116 Preppy Dog Names

Have a smart pup bound for the Ivy League? Why not give them a preppy name to match? We’ve got dozens of preppy dog names for girl and boy dogs, as well as a few options that would work for either gender. Whether you live the prep school aesthetic in your own life, or you just love watching movies like Clueless or Legally Blonde, we’ve got you covered.

This post has over 100 different preppy names for male and female dogs, as well as a few that are not gender-specific. Names are important, so we’ve included the meaning of each dog name. That way, you can pick a name that suits your pup perfectly.

For more naming options, check out our dog name generator tool. We also have dog name lists inspired by food, coffee, Greek mythology, music, and more.

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What Makes a Name Sound “Preppy”?

Preppy is a term describing an American subculture centered around prep school and Ivy League students. It has its own aesthetic, including clothing, jewelry, pastimes, and yes, of course, names.

What makes a name sound preppy? Some of it is an association with movies focused on prep school or upper class Northeastern families. And because being “preppy” is evocative of this wealthier social class, any name that’s associated with wealth, “WASPs”, or being slightly pretentious.

That’s not to say being preppy is a bad thing. And many of the preppy dog names on our list sound dignified and regal… who wouldn’t want that for their dog?

Brown dog posing in a field

Dog Naming Tips

What’s in a name? Your dog is a wonderful creature no matter what you call them, but some names may be easier for them to understand than others. When choosing your pet’s name, keep these tips in mind:

  • Names that are shorter (1-2 syllables) may be easier for your dog to understand
  • Likewise, names with hard consonant sounds will be easier for your pup
  • Try not to pick a name that rhymes with key words that you’ll use, for example “Beau” is a lovely name but it rhymes with “no”, which may be confusing.

Also, make sure that you’re comfortable with your dog’s name too! If you don’t feel comfortable yelling your dog’s name in your backyard, or in a park, it’s probably a sign to keep looking for the right name.

Preppy Male Dog Names

We’ll kick off our list with some male preppy names (65 of them to be exact!)

  1. Alvin: meaning “the friend of the elves”.
  2. Alfred: this may remind you of Bruce Wayne’s butler in the Batman series, but it actually means “counsel of elves”.
  3. Alexander: as in, Alexander the Great. This name is of Greek origin and means “defender of men”.
  4. Alston: is an Old English name meaning “old shrine” or “noble one”.
  5. Archer: means “wielder of the bow”, and would make a good name for a preppy hunting dog.
  6. Arthur: which means “the stone bearer”.
  7. Aston: after the classic Aston Martin car.
  8. Augustine: means “to increase”.
  9. Banks: money, money, money.
  10. Baxter: it meant baker in the old Anglo-Saxon Era.
  11. Benedict: Latin for “blessed” or “well-spoken”, and an all-around fancy-sounding name.
  12. Bentley: originally means clearing the bent or torn grass, but it’s more known as the name of the luxurious car brand. Perfect for a rare dog breed. Another similar name is Benton, “town in the tall grass”.
  13. Beaumont: means “beautiful hill”.
  14. Brayden: this name means “wide” or “broad”. Would suit a big boy.
  15. Burke: which means “fortification”.
  16. Buchanan: the name of a previous president and a generally rich-sounding name.
  17. Calhoun: Irish for “the narrow woods”.
  18. Carnegie: as in the wealthy industrialist, Andrew Carnegie.
  19. Carter: actually means someone who drives a cart, but is a popular preppy-sounding name.
  20. Caldwell: “the cold stream”.
  21. Carlton: as in Carlton Banks from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
  22. Carver: which means “knife” but works well as a preppy dog name too.
  23. Channing: a name that has become popular thanks to Channing Tatum but also means “young wolf”.
  24. Cecile: an old name meaning “heaven”.
  25. Chase: a preppy name meaning “huntsman”, which would be fit for a hunting dog.
  26. Charles: taken from the Old English word “Ceorl” which means “the free man”.
  27. Chip: a name that’s a diminutive for other preppy names such as Charles.
  28. Clayton: a fancy sounding name that just means “clay settlement”.
  29. Clifford: either a fancy older name, or Clifford the Big Red Dog. You decide!
  30. Cyrus: Persian for “the sun” or “one who bestows care”, a great name for a protective dog.
  31. Dane: a regal name meaning “the honorable person.”
  32. Davis: “son of David”. This would be a cute and preppy dog name for an owner named David.
  33. Drake: yes, the rapper but also a prep school name meaning “dragon”.
  34. Earl: a nobleman.
  35. Finley: “the fair and just warrior”.
  36. Fletcher: means “arrowsmith”, and sounds a big preppy because it’s a last name being used as a first name.
  37. Grant: an important sounding name that means “tall”.
  38. Hadley: this name means “heather field”.
  39. Harrison: simply means “Harry’s son”.
  40. Holden: from the Catcher in the Rye
  41. James: pretty self-explanatory, but the name itself surprisingly means “supplanter”.
  42. Keating: an English name meaning “kite”.
  43. Keats: the English poet.
  44. Knox: a Scottish name meaning “round hill.”
  45. Louis: some “long form” names sound preppy, and Louis is one of them.
  46. Luke or Lucas: means “light giving” (or Luke Skywalker, take your pick).
  47. Milo or Miles: meaning “peaceful”.
  48. Oakes: trees, but make it fancy.
  49. Oxford: as in the centuries-old university.
  50. Perry: which means “the foreigner”.
  51. Philip or Phillips: “lover of horses”. Originally a French name.
  52. Powell: a powerful-sounding name that means “eminent” or “son of Howell” in Welsh.
  53. Preston: this name just sounds fancy.
  54. Princeton: another Ivy League name on this list.
  55. Ralph: a popular dog name which means “the wolf council”, and also the first name of preppy fashion brand Ralph Lauren.
  56. Reid: means “red-haired” and would be an excellent name for a dog with a red coat.
  57. Rhett: as in Rhett Butler, but sounds preppy in any context.
  58. Rhodes: as in a Rhodes scholar.
  59. Richard: which means “high power”.
  60. Rowan: is a unique preppy name meaning “the little red one”.
  61. Sebastian: an inherently preppy sounding name that means “revered”.
  62. Skip: a more casual preppy name for a dog.
  63. Winfred: means “desiring peace”.
  64. Yale: the Ivy League school.
  65. Yates: from the Irish poet and holder of a preppy-sounding name, William Butler Yeats.
Dalmatian looking at the camera through ivy

Preppy Female Dog Names

We didn’t forget the good girls! Here’s our list of 32 preppy female dog names:

  1. Amelie: is a name meaning “industrious”. It’s also the title of the popular French film.
  2. Amy: short, sweet, and easy for your dog to understand. It means “loved one”.
  3. Ann: another “human” name for a dog, it means “grace” or “elegance” and gives off wealthy, timeless vibes.
  4. Audrey: as in Audrey Hepburn. This name means “noble strength”.
  5. Belle: the belle of the ball.
  6. Blair: as in Blair Waldorf, the preppy queen of Gossip Girl.
  7. Brooke: a name meaning, well, brook. Reminiscent of Brooke Shields.
  8. Caroline or Carolina: a name that sounds kinda preppy in itself, but also is the name of (preppy) fashion designer Carolina Herrera.
  9. Claire: a name that means clarity, and is the preppy character in the movie The Breakfast Club.
  10. Catherine: a regal sounding name with a Greek origin meaning “pure”.
  11. Charlotte: a royal name meaning “free”.
  12. Cher: from the movie “Clueless“.
  13. Cordelia: from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
  14. Cornelia: a slightly older-sounding twist on Cordelia, which means “great horn”. Good for a dog with a loud bark.
  15. Doris: of Greek origin meaning “bountiful”. This name sounds a bit older and is evocative of Doris Day.
  16. Daisy: of course, a lovely flower, but also the name of Daisy Buchanan from the Great Gatsby.
  17. Diana: after Princess Diana, preppy style queen.
  18. Eden: meaning “delight”.
  19. Edith: another older name meaning “riches”.
  20. Eleanor: means “light-hearted” and has old money vibes.
  21. Ella: meaning “torch” or “illumination”.
  22. Emma: means “universal”.
  23. Estrelle: a name meaning “the shining star”.
  24. Fiona: this name reminds me of the 90s, which reminds me of preppy things. Not sure how to explain that mental leap, but the name itself means “fair and beautiful”.
  25. Grace: as in Grace Kelly.
  26. Harriet: meaning “the power rules”. Derived from the French name Henriette which is female from Henri.
  27. Hazel: an old money sound name referring to the light brown color of a hazel tree. If you’d like other coffee-type names, click here.
  28. Lily: the lily of the flower is a symbol of purity and innocence.
  29. Lucille: “the light”. Good for a happy or light-colored dog.
  30. Mable: means “the lovable one” (awww).
  31. Rose: a lovely (and expensive) flower.
  32. Vivian: as in Vivian Kensington from Legally Blonde.
Spaniel resting on the carpet and making puppy eyes

Preppy Unisex Dog Names

If you’re looking for a unisex or gender-neutral preppy dog name, we have a few suggestions for you:

  1. Adrian or Adrien: this stately name is Latin for “sea” or “water”.
  2. Alex: could be short for Alexander or Alexandra.
  3. Aubrey: is originally a boy’s name that has become a preppy sounding girl’s name too. This means “elf ruler”.
  4. Corin: derived from the Latin word “Quirinus” which means “Roman god” or “spear”. We have more Roman mythology names here.
  5. Ellis: means “the Lord is my God”, and was a popular name in the first part of the 20th century.
  6. Harvard: of course, after the Ivy League school.
  7. Jasper: means “treasurer”.
  8. Kendall: means “valley of the River Kent” and works equally well as a boy or girl dog name.
  9. Kennedy: the Kennedy family embodied the preppy aesthetic.
  10. Kensington: a regal sounding name and also the last name of Vivian Kensington from Legally Blonde.
  11. Lacoste: after the preppy French fashion brand.
  12. Reese: a unisex name made popular by Reese Witherspoon.
  13. Rhys: a Welsh boy’s name that can be used for either gender, meaning “arduous”.
  14. Robin: a name that works well for girl or boy dogs and means “fame”.
  15. Sloane: is an old Irish name meaning “fighter”.
  16. Tilly: a slightly less serious-sounding name that still has a serious meaning, which is “the powerful battler”. This is a German girl’s name, but could work well for a boy dog too.
  17. Tory: “the conqueror”, short for Victor or Victoria.
  18. Waldorf: after the salad, fancy hotels, or Blair Waldorf. You decide.
  19. Windsor: after the House of Windsor.
Dog wearing a fancy sweater

Conclusion

As always, make sure that you’re picking a name that you’re okay with saying a LOT, and possibly yelling in public (not that your dog would ever run away from you at the dog park). Between this and our many other naming suggestions, we think you’ll find a name that’s the perfect fit for your dog.

We hope you’ve found this list of preppy dog names useful. Did you find a name or two on the list that you liked?

PuppyLists is written by Kat, who has owned, trained, volunteered with, and loved dogs for nearly three decades. When she isn't writing or researching, she's out adventuring with her 15 year old Lab mix.