We’ve all been there: we want to name our amazing new dog and we don’t know where to start. Whether you are looking for a name that suits their personality or is easy for your kids to pronounce, this article will help you find the perfect name!
Here is a list of Border Collie names including currently popular, Celtic, traditional and from movies (12 male and 12 female): Male dog names: Dexter, Finn, Rex, Murray, Aiden, Cormac, Rowan, Blaine, Angus, Hamish, Scoot and Albert. Female dog names: Lady, Bella, Molly, Lassie, Fly, Jessie, Avalon, Maeve, Morgan, Reagan, Doireann and Kylie
This article gives you some ideas and inspiration to find the perfect name for your puppy! We have taken some of the best names from the Border Collies’ Celtic roots, traditional names, Collies from movies and those that are currently popular. Enjoy this exciting journey to find the perfect name!
Border Collie Names – 67 Suggestions to Inspire!
Whether you are a first-time owner or have had the pleasure of a collie before – the best way to pick a name for your border collie is to simply think of names that you like and maybe ones with sentimental value. If you are feeling stuck, try writing down every name that comes to mind and then narrowing it down until you find the perfect one.
Pet lovers – when naming their furry friend – will need to think about how their chosen name sounds in everyday situations such as at the park or in a dog training class. Make sure it is a name that will be clearly heard by your Border Collie.
Inspiration can come from your favorite books, songs or films. Ask all of your family members to help choose this name as a way of welcoming your new puppy into your family. Below we list names by themes: i) Popular; ii) Movies and TV; iii) Celtic and iv) Traditional.
Popular Border Collie Names
In 1873, one of the most popular names for Border Collies was Sal. These days there are many more Border Collies around and also a plethora of names to boot. Here are 10 male and 10 female names that are currently popular for Border Collies (in countries where English is the predominant language).
Names For Male Border Collies
10 popular male Border Collie names:
- Dexter
- Cooper
- Bear
- Fly
- Riley
- Max
- Henry
- Finn
- Jet
- Breeze
Names For Female Border Collies
10 popular female Border Collie names:
- Lady
- Mitzi
- Bella
- Sprocket
- Betsy
- Stella
- Jazzy
- Polly
- Molly
- Lucy
Border Collie Names From Movies and TV
When we think of dogs in film, there is one iconic dog that immediately springs to mind. Lassie of course, a Rough Collie! Along with this gorgeous name, here are other names of Collies from movies and TV you may find tempting for your new four-legged addition to your family:
- Lassie – from the TV series ‘Lassie’ (1954-74)
- Fly – from the film ‘Babe’ (1995)
- Rex – from the film ‘Babe’ (1995)
- Timmy – from the film and TV series ‘The Famous Five’ (1997-99, 2012-18)
- Nana – from the film ‘Snow Dogs’ (2002)
- Murray – from the TV series ‘Mad About you’ (1992)
- Jessie – from the Film ‘Animal Farm (1954 and 1999)
- Mist – from the film ‘Mist: The Story of The Sheepdog Puppy (2006)
Celtic Border Collie Names
Why not consider a Celtic name that reflects the Border Collies’ Scottish roots and heritage? Collies, of course, originate from Scotland, and there are many beautiful Celtish / Scottish names you could choose from, many that are unusual and rarely heard these days. Here are 10 male and 16 female Celtic names:
Male Celtic Dog Names
- Aiden
- Angus
- Blaine
- Caden
- Cormac
- Douglas
- Duncan
- Fergus
- Finn
- Rowan
Female Celtic Dog Names
- Aisling
- Avalon
- Bronwen
- Doireann
- Enid
- Erin
- Gwendolyn
- Isolde
- Kylie
- Maeve
- Moira
- Morgan
- Reagan
- Rhianno
- Sabrina
- Shannon
Traditional Border Collie Names
Border Collies are steeped in tradition and have a fascinating story of origin. Below, we explore deeper the traditional names stemming from breeding in Scotland in the 19th Century. We’ve listed some names inspired by our research below.
- Sal or Sallie
- Scally
- Diggler
- Bingo
- Flock
- Walter
- Albert
- Dandie
- Scoot
- Hamish
- Ruswerp or Russop (see ‘The Collie Who Wouldn’t Leave His Dead Master’s Side’ in Famous Border Collies)
More on Traditional Dog Names and Heritage
What are some of the most popular traditional border collie names? Scally, Diggler, and Bingo! These three names all have a rich history that date back to when this breed was first developed. The Border Collie originated in the Scottish Borders region and is one of the few breeds that has been bred for specific purposes. The earliest documentation of these dogs was dated back to 1873 with an article from The Scotsman newspaper called “The Sheepdog’s Day.” This article was a piece about the wonders of the Border Collie and how they had become an indispensable part of sheep herding. However, before 1873 these dogs were known by their traditional names that had been passed down from generation to generation until royalty attempted to change that.
In 1873 Queen Victoria’s husband, Albert, came from Germany, which is where he developed a great love for German Shepherds (he owned over 100 in his lifetime). Unfortunately for the Border Collies in Britain, they became less popular in favor of the German Shepherds because no one wanted to offend Prince Albert by breeding his favorite breed instead of the Queen’s favorite breed! This didn’t sit well with some local farmers in Scotland and soon after several different people began to breed Border Collies in order to preserve them.
Because of this shift, the original names were nearly forgotten. These early dogs were known as “coarse” Border Collies and were bred solely for working on farms (no longer for herding sheep). Once the pure-bred lines that we know today became more popular, these traditional names began to resurface again. The first recorded instance was by W. G. Somerville who wrote his book called “Oakbank” in 1885 where he changed one of the main characters name from Dandie Dinmont’s dog Luath to Scoot! Soon after other authors began to follow suit and give their dogs traditional Scottish names like Horatius, Hamish McHamish, and Bagpipes.
Traditionally collies working in the hills were called Heilan coo because they accompanied young men who were employed as shepherds on estates owned by Scottish aristocrats such as the Dukes of Atholl and the Earls of Wemyss. The Duke of Atholl’s kennels at Blair Castle were famous for the quality of their dogs.
One of the most interesting instances is with the name Diggler! The traditional name for this dog was actually Digger but that didn’t sit well when medieval historian Sir Walter Scott heard it. He feared that his Border Collie might be confused with a gravedigger so he changed the name to Diggler in order to avoid any future issues. Finally, after all of these years, traditional names are back in full swing thanks to celebrities like William Shatner (he named his dog Kirk), Amy Smart (she named her dog Piper), and Tia Carrere (she went with the traditional Scottish version of Hamish). These aren’t your ordinary Border Collie names; they’re endearing, unique, and you won’t hear them anywhere else, which is precisely what makes them so special.
Well Known Border Collie Names
There are many famous names of Border Collies throughout history that are now legendary, like Sallie the Sheep Dog, the first dog registered by The Kennel Club (1873), or Queen Victoria’s much-loved Flock Brindle.
Chaser is a Border Collie that was owned by John Pilley since 2004 until her death on February 18th, 2018 at age 12-years-old which made world news as she was highly regarded as one of the smartest dogs to date with over 1,000 words in her vocabulary. John W. Pilley is an American dog trainer who has trained over 1,000 dogs during his lifetime. Wofford College honored John W. Pilley and Alliston Reid with the Wofford Medals on May 4th, 2017 for their work in training Chaser and his other various dogs throughout their careers.
Wiston Cap was an international sheepdog champion in 1965 and has fathered many puppies over his lifetime.
Still need more inspiration for dog names? Here are 100 to choose from!
