Welcome to a delightful journey back in time. This page is dedicated to all the dog lovers out there who either had a canine companion in 1987 or simply have an affinity for the nostalgia-filled names of that era. Here, you will find a comprehensive list of popular dog names that ruled the hearts of pet owners during this vibrant period.
1987 was a remarkable year, marked by significant events and iconic pop culture moments. The names that pet owners selected for their four-legged friends often reflected the trends, culture, and iconic figures of the time. From monikers inspired by famous movie characters to those influenced by music, sports, and significant events, these names are a perfect blend of classic and unique.
Whether you're a pet parent looking for a vintage name for your new pup or a dog lover curious about the naming trends of the past, this page is guaranteed to provide a fun, nostalgic trip down memory lane. Dive in to explore these charming dog names from the wonderful year of 1987.
Names
| Name | Reason to Choose |
|---|---|
| Paddy | A popular name for Irish breeds |
| Peanut | A popular choice for small dogs |
| Penny | A popular name for small, precious dogs |
| Pippin | Inspired by the character from 'The Lord of the Rings' |
| Pogo | Pogo sticks were a popular toy in the 80s |
| Prince | Named after the famous musician who dominated the charts in 1987 |
| Punky | A nod to the 80s TV show 'Punky Brewster' |
| Quincy | Inspired by Quincy Jones, a prominent figure in 80's music |
| Raiders | A nod to the 'Indiana Jones' franchise, particularly 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' |
| Raisin | California Raisins were a big hit in the 80s |
| Rambo | A nod to the action movie franchise starring Sylvester Stallone, popular in the 80s |
| Rex | A common name for dogs in the 80s, often used for larger breeds |
| Ringo | Inspired by the famous Beatles drummer |
| Ripley | Inspired by the badass character from the 'Alien' franchise, popular in the 80s |
| Rocky | The boxing movie franchise inspired many dog names |
| Rover | This name was popular in the 80s, reminiscent of classic dog names |
| Rubik | Named after the Rubik's cube, a popular toy in the 80s |
| Rudy | A classic dog name that was popular in the 80s |
| Rusty | This name was popular for reddish-brown dogs |
| Sadie | A popular name for female dogs in the 80s |
| Sam | A simple, timeless name that was popular in the 80s |
| Sandy | Popular for light-colored dogs in the 80s |
| Scarface | Inspired by the 1983 cult classic film |
| Scorsese | Named after Martin Scorsese, a leading director in the film industry during the 80s |
| Shadow | A popular name for black dogs in the 80s |
| Sheba | Inspired by the famous brand of dog food |
| Simba | A tribute to the upcoming 'Lion King' movie, which would become a 90s classic |
| Slinky | The toy was a staple in many 80s households |
| Smokey | Inspired by the 'Smokey and the Bandit' film series |
| Snoopy | The love for Peanuts comics in the 80s inspired this name |
Groups
Popular TV Show Characters of 1987
TV show characters can provide memorable and unique names for dogs, especially if the show was popular in 1987.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Alf | Derived from the main character of the TV show ALF, which began in 1986 |
| Balki | From the character Balki Bartokomous on the show Perfect Strangers, which aired from 1986 to 1993 |
| Benson | After the character of the sitcom Benson which aired until 1986 |
| Blanche | Inspired by one of the main characters from The Golden Girls, a hit sitcom of the '80s |
| Cliff | Inspired by Cliff Huxtable, the main character of The Cosby Show |
| Colt | From the character Colt Seavers on the TV show The Fall Guy, which aired until 1986 |
| Crockett | From the character Sonny Crockett on the TV show Miami Vice, which aired until 1989 |
| Dorothy | From the character Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls, which aired from 1985 to 1992 |
| Fonzie | After the character Fonzie from the TV show Happy Days which aired until 1984, but remained popular |
| Frasier | Inspired by the character Frasier Crane, who first appeared on Cheers in 1984 |
| Hawkeye | Taken from a character in the long-running TV show M*A*S*H |
| MacGyver | Named after the inventive character from the TV show MacGyver, which ran from 1985 to 1992 |
| Maddie | From the character Maddie Hayes on the show Moonlighting, which aired from 1985 to 1989 |
| Magnum | After the main character of Magnum, P.I., a popular show that aired until 1988 |
| Matlock | From the eponymous character of the TV show Matlock, which started in 1986 |
| Mork | After the character of Mork from the TV show Mork & Mindy which aired until 1982, but remained popular |
| Murphy | Inspired by the lead character of Murphy Brown, a popular sitcom of the time |
| Remington | From the character Remington Steele of the TV show with the same name which aired until 1987 |
| Rose | Inspired by the character Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls |
| Roz | Inspired by the character Roz Doyle who first appeared on Cheers in 1986 |
| Sam | From the character Sam Malone of Cheers |
| Scooby | After the character Scooby Doo from the animated TV show Scooby-Doo which aired until 1991 |
| Sledge | Named after the main character of the TV show Sledge Hammer! that ran from 1986 to 1988 |
| Sophia | From the character Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls |
| Webster | From the titular character of the sitcom Webster, a popular show in the mid '80s |
1987 Sports Legends
Sports fans might enjoy naming their dog after a sports legend from 1987.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Akeem | Akeem Olajuwon, a standout NBA player in the late 80s, inspired this name |
| Ali | Muhammad Ali, a boxing legend, lends his name here |
| Barkley | Charles Barkley, who was making a name for himself in the NBA in 1987, inspired this name |
| Bird | In honor of Larry Bird, a basketball icon who played for the Boston Celtics in the 80s |
| Borg | Named for Björn Borg, a tennis superstar in the early 80s |
| Connors | Jimmy Connors, a tennis legend in the 80s, lends his name to this one |
| Elway | After John Elway, who was a standout quarterback in the NFL during 1987 |
| Evert | Named for Chris Evert, who dominated women's tennis in the 80s |
| Gretzky | Wayne Gretzky, the NHL's leading scorer in 1987, is the namesake here |
| Hagler | Inspired by Marvelous Marvin Hagler, a boxing champion in the mid-80s |
| Jordan | Named after Michael Jordan, the legendary basketball player who was a rising star in 1987 |
| Kareem | Inspired by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a basketball legend in the 80s |
| Lemieux | Mario Lemieux, an ice hockey legend, was in his prime in the late 80s |
| Magic | Magic Johnson was a key player for the LA Lakers in the 1987 NBA championship |
| McEnroe | John McEnroe, a tennis titan during the 1980s, lends his name to this one |
| Montana | Named for Joe Montana, who led the San Francisco 49ers to Super Bowl victory in 1987 |
| Moses | Edwin Moses, a track and field legend in the 80s, inspired this name |
| Navratilova | Tribute to Martina Navratilova, who dominated women's tennis in the 1980s |
| Nicklaus | This name pays tribute to Jack Nicklaus, a golf legend in the 80s |
| Payton | Walter Payton, the NFL's all-time leading rusher in 1987, inspired this name |
| Rice | Jerry Rice, a dominant NFL wide receiver in the 80s, is the namesake |
| Schumacher | Michael Schumacher, a rising star in Formula 1 racing in the late 80s, is the namesake |
| Seles | Monica Seles, a tennis prodigy who turned pro in 1987, is the inspiration |
| Spitz | Mark Spitz, an Olympic swimming champion, is the namesake |
| Tyson | Mike Tyson, the youngest heavyweight boxing champion in 1986, is the namesake |
Top Music Hits of 1987
Music can be a great source of inspiration for dog names, especially if the owner is a fan of songs or artists from 1987.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Aerosmith | 'Permanent Vacation' was a major comeback |
| Astley | Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up' was an iconic hit |
| Bangles | For the band that gave us 'Walk Like an Egyptian' |
| Belinda | In honor of Belinda Carlisle's solo success with 'Heaven is a Place on Earth' |
| Bonjovi | 'Livin' on a Prayer' was a definitive anthem |
| Cure | 'Just Like Heaven' was released by The Cure |
| Deflep | Def Leppard's 'Hysteria' was a chart-topper |
| Fleetwood | Fleetwood Mac released 'Tango in the Night' |
| Genesis | 'Invisible Touch' was still a radio staple |
| Guns | Guns N' Roses' debut album 'Appetite for Destruction' came out |
| Heart | The band had a hit with 'Alone' |
| INXS | 'Need You Tonight' was a big hit |
| Jackson | Michael Jackson's 'Bad' dominated the charts |
| Journey | The band's 'Raised on Radio' was still on air |
| Madonna | A tribute to the pop icon who topped the charts with 'La Isla Bonita' in 1987 |
| Motley | Motley Crue's 'Girls, Girls, Girls' was released |
| Petshop | The Pet Shop Boys had a hit with 'It's a Sin' |
| Prince | 1987 was the year of 'Sign o' the Times' |
| Springsteen | Bruce Springsteen's 'Tunnel of Love' album was released |
| Starship | Remember 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now'? |
| Tiffany | The singer became a teen idol with 'I Think We're Alone Now' |
| Toto | Their song 'Africa' was still popular from 1982 |
| U2 | The band released the influential album 'The Joshua Tree' |
| Whitesnake | 'Here I Go Again' was an anthem |
| Whitney | 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody' was a massive hit from Whitney Houston |
Famous People in 1987
Naming a dog after a famous person from the year 1987 could be a way to honor a favorite celebrity or historical figure.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Bette | Bette Midler starred in the box-office hit Outrageous Fortune in 1987 |
| Bono | U2's album The Joshua Tree, featuring lead singer Bono, was a major hit in 1987 |
| Brando | Inspired by Marlon Brando, who was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1987 Academy Awards |
| Brett | George Brett was a top player in Major League Baseball in 1987 |
| Cher | In 1987, Cher won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in Moonstruck |
| Dylan | Bob Dylan released his album Down in the Groove in 1987 |
| Eastwood | Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie Heartbreak Ridge in 1987 |
| Elton | Elton John released his 22nd studio album, Leather Jackets, in 1987 |
| Gibson | Mel Gibson was a leading actor in 1987 with his role in Lethal Weapon |
| Glenn | John Glenn, a former astronaut, was serving as a U.S. Senator in 1987 |
| Gorbachev | Mikhail Gorbachev was the leader of the Soviet Union in 1987 |
| Harrison | In honor of actor Harrison Ford, who starred in the film The Mosquito Coast in 1987 |
| Jordan | Michael Jordan was a rising star in the NBA in 1987 |
| Letterman | David Letterman's late night talk show was a hit on NBC in 1987 |
| Madonna | Because in 1987, this pop icon released her third studio album, Who's That Girl |
| Nicholson | Jack Nicholson won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in Ironweed in 1987 |
| Oprah | Her talk show became nationally syndicated in 1987, leading to her fame |
| Prince | An ode to the musician, who released the hit album Sign o' the Times in 1987 |
| Reagan | Ronald Reagan was serving his second term as U.S. President in 1987 |
| Sinatra | Frank Sinatra was still a popular and influential singer in 1987 |
| Spielberg | In honor of Steven Spielberg, who directed the critically acclaimed film Empire of the Sun in 1987 |
| Streep | Meryl Streep was a popular actress in 1987, starring in films like Ironweed |
| Thatcher | Margaret Thatcher was serving her third term as British Prime Minister in 1987 |
| Turner | Tina Turner continued her successful solo career with the release of her album Break Every Rule in 1987 |
| Whitney | For Whitney Houston, who had several hits on the Billboard charts in 1987 |
Popular Movie Characters of 1987
Naming a dog after a popular movie character from the same year can be a fun and nostalgic choice.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Alex | Character from 'Fatal Attraction' |
| Baby | From the film 'Dirty Dancing' |
| Beverly | Character from the film 'The Witches of Eastwick' |
| Buttercup | From the film 'The Princess Bride' |
| Daryl | From the film 'The Witches of Eastwick' |
| Dutch | Character played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in 'Predator' |
| Ellen | From 'Fatal Attraction', a popular thriller in 1987 |
| Ferris | From the film 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' which gained popularity in 1987 |
| Gordon | Character from the film 'Wall Street' |
| Inigo | Character from 'The Princess Bride' |
| Johnny | Character from 'Dirty Dancing' |
| Lethal | Inspired by the action movie 'Lethal Weapon' |
| LoneStar | Character from 'Spaceballs' |
| Murtaugh | Another character from 'Lethal Weapon' |
| Pluto | From the animated movie 'Pluto's Quin-puplets' re-released in 1987 |
| Predator | The alien antagonist in the film of the same name |
| Riggs | Character from 'Lethal Weapon' |
| Ripley | From the movie 'Aliens', a sequel released in 1987 |
| Robocop | A cybernetic police officer in the movie of the same title |
| Rooney | Character from 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' |
| Sloan | From the film 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' |
| Spaceballs | From the 1987 Star Wars parody film of the same name |
| Sukie | Character from 'The Witches of Eastwick' |
| Wallstreet | Named after the financial drama film |
| Westley | Character from 'The Princess Bride' |