B is the letter dogs are made of. Look at any list of the most common dog names in
Britain, Ireland or the States and the top ten is a B convention: Bella, Buddy, Bailey,
Bear. There’s a reason beyond fashion. A hard B at the front of a word cuts through wind,
traffic and a park full of other people shouting, and a dog picks it out of the noise
faster than a soft opening sound.
The risk, of course, is that you call Bella across a field and four dogs come running.
These twenty-four lean on both sides of that: the classics that are popular because they
work, and the ones like Banjo, Bramble and Blitz that keep the sharp opening consonant
without the crowd. Each comes with a short reason, so you can tell in a glance whether it
suits the dog you actually have.
Bella The most popular dog name in the English-speaking world, and it earned it.
Buddy Says everything about the relationship in five letters.
Bailey Works on a golden retriever and a scruffy terrier equally well.
Bear For the big fluffy ones, and funnier still on the ones that aren't.
Baxter Sounds like he has a job, a desk and strong opinions about it.
Biscuit Golden, warm, and the only word he reliably responds to.
Bruno Solid and old-school. The dog equivalent of a firm handshake.
Bandit For the one who has already worked out how the bin lid opens.
Blue Great on a grey coat, and it carries a bit of a country song with it.
Bonnie Scottish for pretty, and she knows exactly how pretty she is.
Set on a B name but none of these is him? The app reads his photo and suggests B names that actually match his face. Get the app Beau Short, handsome and a little smug about both.
Basil Herb-garden green with a whiff of British sitcom fluster.
Boomer Named for the sound, whether it's the bark or the landing.
Bowie For the one with two different coloured eyes, obviously.
Brutus Enormous, ancient-sounding, and terrified of the vacuum.
Banjo Twangy, cheerful, and impossible to say without smiling.
Birdie Light on her feet, and a nod to the golf course she'll dig up.
Bolt Zero to gone in about a second, usually toward a squirrel.
Bramble Prickly, tangled and somehow full of sweet things.
Bagel Round, soft, and best appreciated first thing in the morning.
Barnaby Three syllables of countryside politeness. Shortens to Barney when he misbehaves.
Blitz Pure speed with no braking system installed.
Buttons For the small one whose eyes do most of the talking.
Bruce Deadpan, slightly heroic, and never explains itself.
