Dog Names By Century >> 16th Century Dog Names

16th Century Dog Names

Updated: April 30, 2024

Welcome to a historical journey that will whisk you back to the grand era of the 16th century. A time of exploration, scientific discovery, and the Renaissance, it was a period when naming practices for our four-legged companions were as unique and meaningful as they are today.

Our furry friends have been our loyal companions for centuries, and their names often reflected the trends, culture, and societal norms of the time. In the 1500s, dog names were inspired by everything from ancient mythology to popular literature, and from noble ranks to common occupations.

This page presents an intriguing collection of canine appellations from the 16th century. These names, curated from historical records and popular tales, offer a fascinating glimpse into the past, providing not just naming ideas but also a unique insight into the lives and interests of people from this historical period.

Name	Reason to Choose
Albrecht	Taken from Albrecht Durer, a famous 16th Century artist
Aldrich	Taken from the name of a popular German theologian of the 16th Century
Aldus	Aldus Manutius, a notable printer of the 16th century, shares a distinguished name for a dog
Alexander	Inspired by Alexander the Great, reflecting the era's fascination with ancient history
Antonio	Common name in Italy during the Renaissance
Archimedes	Inspired by the famous mathematician and engineer, reflecting the era's interest in science and technology
Ariel	Ariel, from 16th century literature, lends a suitable name for a dog
Aristotle	Named after the famous philosopher, reflecting the era's interest in classical philosophy
Bacchus	Bacchus, a classical god often depicted in 16th century art, lends his name to a dog
Bach	Johann Sebastian Bach, a prominent composer of the 16th century, shares a great name for a dog
Balthasar	This name, often associated with one of the Magi, was commonly used in the 16th century
Beatrice	Another character from a Shakespearean play
Bellini	Named after Giovanni Bellini, a significant artist of the 16th century
Benvolio	Character from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Bianca	Character from The Taming of the Shrew
Borgia	The Borgia family was a powerful force in the politics of the 16th century
Botticelli	Named after Sandro Botticelli, a significant artist of the 16th century
Bramante	Bramante, a key architect of the 16th century, shares a fitting name for a dog
Brutus	Roman figure popular in Renaissance literature
Cabot	In honor of John Cabot, an Italian navigator and explorer
Caius	Roman figure popular in Renaissance literature
Caliban	Character from The Tempest
Calvin	Named after John Calvin, a leading figure of the 16th century Reformation
Caravaggio	Caravaggio, a leading painter of the 16th century, lends a distinguished name for a dog
Caspar	Inspired by Caspar Othmayr, a 16th Century German composer
Cassius	Roman figure popular in Renaissance literature
Cervantes	Cervantes, author of the 16th century masterpiece Don Quixote, lends his name to a dog
Cicero	Taken from the famous Roman orator, as the art of rhetoric was highly valued in the 16th Century
Cleopatra	Named after the legendary queen of Egypt, who was a popular figure in Renaissance literature
Copernicus	Copernicus, a significant astronomer of the 16th century, lends his name to a dog
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Explorers' dog names

The 16th century was an age of exploration, and many dogs were named after the famous explorers of this time.

Name	Description
Amerigo	Named after Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer who demonstrated that Brazil and the West Indies did not represent Asia's eastern outskirts
Balboa	The Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa, who was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean, is the source of this name
Barentsz	Willem Barentsz, a Dutch navigator, cartographer, and Arctic explorer, gives this name its historical significance
Cabot	John Cabot, a noted Italian explorer, gives this name historical significance
Cabral	Pedro Álvares Cabral, a Portuguese nobleman and explorer who was the first European to see Brazil (April 22, 1500), provides the basis for this name
Cano	Juan Sebastián Elcano, who completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth, gives this name its historical significance
Cartier	Jacques Cartier, who claimed what is now Canada for France, provides the basis for this name
Champlain	Named after Samuel de Champlain, who founded New France and Quebec City
Columbus	For the famous explorer Christopher Columbus who sailed the ocean blue in 1492
Cook	The explorer James Cook, who achieved the first recorded European contact with the eastern coastline of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands, is the inspiration for this name
Coronado	Named after Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, known for his expedition to the Seven Cities of Gold
Cortez	Named after Hernán Cortés, who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire
DaGama	Vasco da Gama, the first European to reach India by sea, is the source of this name
DeLeon	Named after Juan Ponce de León, who led the first known European expedition to Florida
Desoto	Hernando de Soto, famous for his exploration of North America, is the inspiration here
Drake	This name pays homage to Sir Francis Drake, the English sea captain and privateer
Frobisher	Martin Frobisher, known for his attempts to discover a Northwest Passage, is the source of this name
Gilbert	Sir Humphrey Gilbert is commemorated with this name, as a pioneer of the English colonial empire in North America and the Plantations of Ireland
Hudson	Inspired by Henry Hudson, an English sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century
Magellan	Named after Ferdinand Magellan, the first explorer to circumnavigate the Earth
Pizarro	Francisco Pizarro, the conqueror of the Inca Empire, is the inspiration here
Raleigh	This name pays homage to Sir Walter Raleigh, an English landed gentleman, writer, poet, soldier, politician, courtier, spy and explorer
Tasman	Abel Tasman, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the Dutch East India Company, is the inspiration for this name
Vasco	Inspired by Vasco da Gama, the first European to reach India by sea
Vespucci	Amerigo Vespucci, the explorer after whom America is named, is the inspiration for this name
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Mythological dog names

The 16th century was a time when mythology was often referenced in art and literature, and many dogs were named after mythological creatures or gods.

Name	Description
Apollo	Greek and Roman god of music, truth, prophecy, healing, sun and light
Ares	Greek god of war
Artemis	Greek goddess of hunting, wilderness, wild animals and chastity
Atlas	A titan condemned to hold up the sky for eternity in Greek mythology
Bacchus	Roman god of wine, fertility and agriculture
Cerberus	The infamous three-headed dog guarding the underworld in Greek mythology
Cupid	Roman god of desire, erotic love and affection
Diana	Roman goddess of the hunt, moon and childbirth
Hades	Greek god of the underworld
Hera	Greek goddess of women, marriage, family and childbirth
Hercules	A divine hero in Greek mythology, son of Zeus
Horus	An ancient Egyptian deity often depicted as a falcon
Isis	Egyptian goddess of magic and life
Juno	An ancient Roman goddess, wife of Jupiter
Jupiter	The king of the gods in Roman mythology
Mercury	Roman god of trade, profit and commerce
Minerva	Roman goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare
Neptune	Roman god of the sea
Nyx	Greek goddess of the night
Orion	Named after a giant huntsman in Greek mythology
Osiris	Egyptian god of the underworld and rebirth
Pluto	Roman god of the underworld
Poseidon	Greek god of the sea
Venus	Roman goddess of love and beauty
Zeus	King of the gods in Greek mythology
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Literary dog names

The 16th century was a time of great literature, and many dogs were named after characters from famous works.

Name	Description
Balthasar	Inspired by a character in 'Romeo and Juliet'
Banquo	Inspired by a character in 'Macbeth'
Beatrice	Inspired by a character from 'Much Ado About Nothing'
Benvolio	A character from 'Romeo and Juliet'
Caliban	From 'The Tempest', one of Shakespeare's plays
Cordelia	A character from 'King Lear'
Cressida	A character from Shakespeare's 'Troilus and Cressida'
Desdemona	Inspired by a character from 'Othello'
Faustus	From Christopher Marlowe's tragedy 'Doctor Faustus'
Hamlet	The main character in one of Shakespeare's most famous plays
Horatio	Hamlet's loyal friend in Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'
Iago	A character from Shakespeare's 'Othello'
Lear	Named after the tragic king in 'King Lear'
Malvolio	From 'Twelfth Night', one of Shakespeare's plays
Mercutio	Romeo's witty friend in 'Romeo and Juliet'
Oberon	The king of the fairies in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
Orlando	A character from 'As You Like It'
Othello	Inspired by the title character of Shakespeare's tragedy
Portia	A character from 'The Merchant of Venice'
Prospero	Named after the protagonist in William Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'
Puck	From Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' character
Romeo	From the tragic romantic hero in 'Romeo and Juliet'
Rosencrantz	A character from 'Hamlet'
Titania	The queen of the fairies in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
Viola	Inspired by a character from 'Twelfth Night'
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Historical figures' dog names

Many dogs were named after prominent historical figures from the 16th century.

Name	Description
Anne	After Anne Boleyn, Queen of England and wife of Henry VIII
Bacon	For Sir Francis Bacon, English philosopher and statesman
Calvin	For John Calvin, French theologian and reformer
Catherine	Named for Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France
Cervantes	Named for Miguel de Cervantes, famed Spanish writer
Columbus	Named for Christopher Columbus, Italian explorer
Copernicus	After the Polish astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus
Elizabeth	In tribute to Queen Elizabeth I of England
Erasmus	In honour of Desiderius Erasmus, Dutch philosopher
Ferdinand	After King Ferdinand II of Aragon
Francis	After Sir Francis Drake, English sea captain
Galileo	In honour of Galileo Galilei, the famous Italian astronomer
Henry	For King Henry VIII of England
Ignatius	Named for Ignatius of Loyola, Spanish priest and theologian
Isabella	For Queen Isabella I of Spain
Leonardo	For Leonardo da Vinci, the Italian polymath
Loyola	After St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits
Luther	In remembrance of Martin Luther, the German professor of theology
Magellan	In remembrance of Ferdinand Magellan, Portuguese explorer
Mary	In honour of Mary, Queen of Scots
Nostradamus	After the French astrologer, known for his prophecies
Raleigh	Named after Sir Walter Raleigh, an English explorer from the 16th century
Suleiman	After Suleiman the Magnificent, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
Vespucci	After Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer
Zwingli	In remembrance of Huldrych Zwingli, leader of the Reformation in Switzerland
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Royal dog names

Many 16th century dogs were owned by royalty and were given noble names, representing their high status.

Name	Description
Anne	Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second wife, is the inspiration
Bourbon	Derived from the House of Bourbon, a dominant European royal house of the time
Catherine	Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife, is the inspiration
Charles	Charles V was the Holy Roman Emperor in the 16th century
Clement	Pope Clement VII held office in the 16th century
Edward	Edward VI of England ascended to the throne as a boy in this era
Elizabetha	A nod to Queen Elizabeth I, who ascended to the throne in this era
Ferdinand	Honors King Ferdinand II of Aragon, a significant 16th century monarch
Francis	Francis I of France was a significant 16th century monarch
Habsburg	The Habsburg Monarchy was a major European power during this time
Henricus	Inspired by King Henry VIII, a prominent 16th century royal
Isabella	Pays tribute to Queen Isabella I of Castile, a renowned queen of the era
James	James V of Scotland was a noteworthy monarch of the era
Joanna	Joanna of Castile was a significant royal figure in the 16th century
Julius	Pope Julius II was a notable religious figure in the 16th century
Leo	Pope Leo X was a prominent religious figure in the 16th century
Leopold	Leopold I was a member of the House of Habsburg, prominent in this era
Margaret	Margaret of Austria was a notable Duchess of Savoy in the 16th century
Mary	Mary I of England, also known as Bloody Mary, reigned in this era
Maximilian	Maximilian I was Holy Roman Emperor in the early 16th century
Medici	The Medici family held significant political power in Italy during the 16th century
Philip	Philip II of Spain was a major figure in the 16th century
Stuart	The Stuart dynasty began in Scotland in the late 16th century
Tudor	Named after the Tudor dynasty, which reigned during the 16th century
Valois	Originates from the Valois dynasty in France during the era
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