Half the fun of bringing a new dog home is choosing a name. Many of us put a great deal of thought into the names we pick for our pets because they’re all individuals that are unique in looks, personality, and any quirks they may have. This can make the decision tough, as we want to choose something that really does them justice.

If you’ve recently brought home or are planning to bring home a Flat-Coated Retriever and are feeling a bit stuck for name ideas, check out our top recommendations.

How to Name Your Flat-Coated Retriever

Choosing a dog’s name isn’t always a quick process—unless you’re lucky enough to have a sudden brainwave of the perfect name—and that’s okay! As much as most of us want to be able to answer when someone asks, “what’s your new dog’s name, then?”, there’s nothing wrong with leaving them nameless for a bit while you mull over the options. Here are our top tips for choosing a name.

Personality

Getting to know your Flat-Coated Retriever’s personality is crucial if you want to find a name that really suits them. All dogs are different, but Flat-Coated Retrievers are described by the AKC as “cheerful”, “optimistic”, and “good-humored”.

If your Flat-Coated Retriever fits this description, you might choose a name that has happy, cheery connotations, like “Felix”, for example, which means “fortunate” or “happy”.

Appearance

Flat-Coated Retrievers can be black, liver, or yellow, so you might take inspiration from their coat color. For example, you may choose “Sunny” for a yellow Flat-Coated Retriever or “Midnight” for a black Flat-Coated Retriever.

They also have shiny, wavy coats, and feathery tails and legs, from which you can also get inspiration. For example, their tails look almost like a fish fin or a bird’s wing, so you might choose a quirky name like “Wings”, “Finn”, or “Bird”.

Origins

Flat-Coated Retrievers originated in England, so you might want to choose a posh, traditionally English name or a name related to the U.K.

British Flat-Coated Retriever Dog Names

If you’ve chosen to reap inspiration from your Flat-Coated Retriever’s British origins, here are our top picks for British names with English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish origins. Some are posh-sounding, and others are a little more down-to-earth.

Male British Flat-Coated Retriever Names

Female British Flat-Coated Retriever Names

Dog Names for Yellow Flat-Coated Retrievers

Though not accepted as a standard color by the AKC, some Flat-Coated Retrievers are yellow. If you’ve got a yellow Flat-Coated Retriever, try one of these dog names inspired by the colors yellow and gold.

Dog Names for Black Flat-Coated Retrievers

In addition to yellow, Flat-Coated Retrievers’ coats can be a gorgeous, shiny black. The below names are all related to the color black.

Dog Names for Liver-Colored Flat-Coated Retrievers

Liver is best described as a sort of rich, chocolatey-brown color. If you’ve got a gorgeous chocolate-colored Flat-Coated Retriever, here are some name ideas for you.

Happy Flat-Coated Retriever Dog Names

Flat-Coated Retrievers are well-known for their merry, chirpy dispositions. Here are some names that give off instant happy vibes.

Nature-Inspired Flat-Coated Retriever Dog Names

Flat-Coated Retrievers were bred as water hunters, so they enjoy spending time adventuring outdoors. Here are our favorite water and nature-inspired names.

Short & Sweet Flat-Coated Retriever Dog Names

If you’re not feeling something fancy, edgy, or nature-inspired, you might be looking for a short, sweet, and simple name like one of these.

Male Short & Sweet Flat-Coated Retriever Names

Female Short & Sweet Flat-Coated Retriever Names

Final Thoughts

And there we have it—187 cute, posh, beautiful, and colorful Flat-Coated Retriever names to try on for size. We hope you’ve enjoyed perusing our top picks and can click away with the perfect name. If not, we hope we’ve at least been able to help you narrow down your options. Good luck!

• See also: What is the Flat-Coated Retriever Society of America? Facts

Featured Image Credit: kimkuehke, Shutterstock