Welcome to a unique collection of monikers that harken back to the nostalgic year of 1997. This was a time when the world was enthralled by the adventures of Harry Potter, charmed by the romantic tale of Rose and Jack in Titanic, and danced to the tunes of the Spice Girls. It was a year that left its mark on pop culture and beyond, influencing everything from fashion trends to, you guessed it, dogs' names!
This page is dedicated to those beloved four-legged companions named in that memorable year. Whether you're looking for a classic throwback name for your new pup, seeking inspiration for a story set in this iconic period, or simply reminiscing about a pet from your past, you'll find a wealth of ideas here. The names you'll discover are as varied and colourful as the year they represent, so dive in and explore to your heart's content.
From names inspired by the biggest box-office hits, to those drawn from popular music chart-toppers, to timeless monikers that never go out of style, this list has it all. Each name is a reflection of the era, carrying a piece of 1997's spirit and charm. So, enjoy this journey back in time and who knows, you might just find the perfect name for your furry friend.
Names
| Name | Reason to Choose |
|---|---|
| Po | The last character from 'Teletubbies' |
| Pogo | Named after the popular 90s toy |
| Polaris | Named after the North Star, reflecting the 90s interest in astronomy |
| Potter | The first Harry Potter book was published |
| Prada | 'Prada' was a popular luxury brand in the late '90s |
| Puffy | 'Puff Daddy' was a popular rapper in 1997 |
| Pumpkin | Reflects the 90s trend of unusual pet names |
| Radiohead | Band released their acclaimed album 'OK Computer' |
| Rambo | Named after the popular action film character |
| Rascal | Describes the playful nature of dogs, a classic name |
| Rex | A classic dog name that withstood the test of time |
| Riven | Sequel to the popular game 'Myst' was released |
| Rocky | Named after the enduring classic film character |
| Rose | A key character from the movie 'Titanic' released in 1997 |
| Rover | A classic dog name that was still in use in the 90s |
| Rugrat | Inspired by the popular 90s animated series Rugrats |
| Rugrats | 'Rugrats' was a popular kids' TV show on Nickelodeon |
| Sakura | The first 'Cardcaptor Sakura' manga was published |
| Savage | Fred Savage's 'Working' sitcom was aired |
| Scully | The other main character from 'The X-Files' |
| Seinfeld | The popular sitcom was in its prime |
| Shadow | Reflects the darker, grungier aesthetic of the 90s |
| Simba | Inspired by the Lion King, a major hit of the 90s |
| Slinky | Named after the classic 90s toy |
| Snickers | Candy names were a fun trend in the 90s |
| Spice | The Spice Girls were at the height of their fame |
| Spielberg | Steven Spielberg's 'Amistad' was released |
| Spike | Reflects the edgy vibe of the 90s |
| Spunky | Inspired by the characteristic attitude of the 90s |
| Tarantino | Quentin Tarantino's 'Jackie Brown' was released |
Groups
Science and Tech Inspired Names
1997 was a year of innovation and scientific discoveries that can inspire names for dogs owned by science and tech enthusiasts.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Bit | The smallest unit of information in computing |
| Circuit | Pays homage to the importance of electronic circuits in tech |
| DialUp | A common way to access the internet in 1997 |
| Explorer | Named after Internet Explorer, the dominant web browser in 1997 |
| Floppy | A nod to the floppy disk, a popular 90s storage medium |
| Fractal | A mathematical concept used in 90s computer graphics |
| Genesis | After SEGA Genesis, popular in the early 90s |
| Giga | A prefix in computing, popularized in the 90s with gigabyte storage |
| Hubble | Named after the Hubble Space Telescope |
| Intranet | An internal network system that gained popularity in 90s corporate culture |
| Java | Programming language that gained popularity in 1997 |
| Laser | Inspired by the use of lasers in various scientific applications |
| Modem | Significant technology in the 90s for internet access |
| Nanotech | Short for Nanotechnology, a burgeoning field in the 90s |
| Netscape | Famous 90s browser that revolutionized internet use |
| Neutron | A reference to the subatomic particle central to nuclear energy |
| Nokia | A popular mobile phone brand in the late 90s |
| Palm | Inspired by Palm Pilot, a popular handheld device in 1997 |
| Pentium | In honor of the Pentium II processor released in 1997 |
| Pixel | A reference to the smallest unit of a digital image, common in 90s tech |
| Quantum | A term from quantum physics, a major scientific field in the 90s |
| Quark | Particle physics term that was prevalent in 90s science |
| Silicon | Named after Silicon Valley, the tech hub in the 90s |
| Unix | A powerful operating system popular in the 90s |
| Virus | Inspired by computer viruses, a significant issue in 90s technology |
Names from Blockbuster Movies
1997 had some blockbuster movies with memorable characters that could be used as dog names.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Aragorn | From a character in the soon to be released Lord of the Rings movies |
| Beetlejuice | From the popular late 80s movie that still had a cult following in 1997 |
| Buffy | After the titular character of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a popular TV show in 1997 |
| Frodo | From a character in the upcoming Lord of the Rings movies |
| Gandalf | A character from the Lord of the Rings series, which was being made into a movie in 1997 |
| Gump | A character from the 1994 movie, Forrest Gump, which remained popular into 1997 |
| Hannibal | After the character from The Silence of the Lambs, which remained popular into the late 90s |
| Hercules | Inspired by the 1997 Disney film of the same name |
| Jumanji | Inspired by the 1995 film Jumanji, which was popular on home video in 1997 |
| Kirk | After the character from Star Trek, which was still very popular in 1997 |
| Leia | Star Wars re-releases in 1997 reintroduced this princess to new audiences |
| Merlin | From the 1998 TV movie Merlín |
| Mulder | From Fox Mulder, a character in the X-Files movie released in 1998 |
| Nala | Another character from The Lion King's 1997 re-release |
| Neo | A nod to the lead character from The Matrix, a late 90s blockbuster |
| Pippin | From a character in the upcoming Lord of the Rings films |
| Pocahontas | Pocahontas was released on home video in 1997 |
| Ripley | After the protagonist of the 1997 film Alien: Resurrection |
| Scar | Another character from The Lion King's 1997 re-release |
| Simba | The Lion King was re-released in 1997, inspiring many pet names |
| Spock | After the character from Star Trek, which was still very popular in 1997 |
| Titanic | Inspired by the highest grossing film of 1997 |
| Trinity | A character from the 1999 film The Matrix, in production in 1997 |
| Xena | After the character from Xena: Warrior Princess, a popular TV show around 1997 |
| Zorro | Inspired by the 1998 film The Mask of Zorro |
Sport Inspired Names
1997 was a year with memorable sports events and figures that can inspire names for sport-loving dog owners.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Agassi | Andre Agassi was a dominant force in tennis in the 90s |
| Armstrong | Lance Armstrong was beginning to make a name for himself in the world of cycling in 1997 |
| Daly | John Daly, a famous golfer, was popular in 1997 |
| Earnhardt | Dale Earnhardt was a leading figure in NASCAR in 1997 |
| Elway | Named after John Elway, a legendary quarterback who led the Denver Broncos to a Super Bowl win in 1997 |
| Emmitt | In honor of Emmitt Smith, a star NFL running back in the 90s |
| Favre | Brett Favre, a legendary NFL quarterback, was at the height of his career in 1997 |
| Gretzky | Wayne Gretzky was still a major name in hockey in 1997 |
| Hingis | Martina Hingis was the youngest woman to win a Grand Slam in 1997 |
| Jeter | A tribute to Derek Jeter, who was a rising star in Major League Baseball in 1997 |
| Jordan | In honor of Michael Jordan, a dominant figure in basketball during the 90s |
| Kobe | Kobe Bryant was a rising star in the NBA in 1997 |
| Kournikova | Anna Kournikova was an emerging tennis star in 1997 |
| Maradona | Maradona, a legendary soccer player, was still a prominent figure in 1997 |
| McGrady | Tracy McGrady was an emerging NBA star in 1997 |
| Navratilova | Martina Navratilova was a legendary figure in tennis in the 90s |
| Payton | In honor of Gary Payton, a standout NBA player in the 90s |
| Pippen | Scottie Pippen, a major player in the Chicago Bulls' success, was at his peak in 1997 |
| Rodman | An homage to Dennis Rodman, a key player for the Chicago Bulls in the 1997 NBA championship |
| Ronaldo | Ronaldo was a standout in international soccer in 1997 |
| Seles | Monica Seles was a top female tennis player in 1997 |
| Sharapova | Maria Sharapova, although young, was already making waves in tennis in 1997 |
| Sosa | Sammy Sosa was a major figure in the MLB in 1997 |
| Tiger | For Tiger Woods, who was starting to dominate the golf scene in 1997 |
| Tyson | Mike Tyson, the heavyweight boxing champion, was a popular figure in 1997 |
Historic Event Inspired Names
There were significant events that took place in 1997 that could be the inspiration for unique dog names.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Bennu | Inspired by the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous mission in 1997 |
| Diana | Inspired by the tragic death of Princess Diana in 1997 |
| Dodi | In remembrance of Dodi Al Fayed, who died with Princess Diana |
| Dolly | After Dolly the Sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell in 1997 |
| Elton | After Elton John, who performed a song in tribute to Princess Diana in 1997 |
| Gambino | Inspired by the death of mob boss John Gotti in 1997 |
| Goodwill | For the Goodwill Games held in New York City in 1997 |
| Hale | After the Hale-Bopp comet, which was visible to the naked eye in 1997 |
| HongKong | For the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the UK to China in 1997 |
| Hubble | After the Hubble Space Telescope's second servicing mission in 1997 |
| Kournikova | In honor of Anna Kournikova, who gained international fame in 1997 |
| Kyoto | For the Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty on climate change signed in 1997 |
| Menem | After Carlos Menem, who was re-elected as President of Argentina in 1997 |
| Monica | Named after Monica Lewinsky, a key figure in a major political scandal in 1997 |
| Netscape | Named after the popular web browser Netscape Navigator, released in 1997 |
| Pacquiao | In honor of Manny Pacquiao, who started his professional boxing career in 1997 |
| Pathfinder | Tribute to the Mars Pathfinder mission, which landed successfully in 1997 |
| Phoenix | For the Phoenix Lights, a major UFO sighting in 1997 |
| Potter | The first Harry Potter book was published in 1997 |
| Schumacher | After Michael Schumacher, who won his second Formula One title in 1997 |
| Sojourner | Named after the Mars Rover from the Mars Pathfinder mission |
| Sorvino | Named after Mira Sorvino who won an Oscar in 1997 |
| Titanic | In honor of the epic film released in 1997 |
| Versace | In memory of Gianni Versace who was murdered in 1997 |
| Zaire | For the end of Mobutu Sese Seko's rule in Zaire (now Congo) in 1997 |
Pop Culture Inspired Names
1997 was a rich year in pop culture, with a lot of popular movies, music, and television shows that could inspire dog names.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Aaliyah | The late R&B singer Aaliyah had a successful year in 1997 with her album 'One in a Million' |
| Bean | The movie 'Bean', featuring Rowan Atkinson's iconic character Mr. Bean, was released in 1997 |
| Brandy | R&B singer and actress Brandy was a pop culture icon in 1997 |
| Buffy | From the popular TV show 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', which premiered in 1997 |
| Daria | The animated series 'Daria' made its debut in 1997 |
| Dawson | 'Dawson's Creek' was a popular teen drama that premiered in 1998, following its 1997 production |
| Diddy | Another nickname for Sean Combs, who was a major influence in 1997's music scene |
| Ellen | After Ellen DeGeneres, who made a groundbreaking announcement about her sexuality in 1997 |
| Furbie | Furby toys were the must-have holiday gift of 1997 |
| Hanson | The Hanson brothers' song 'MMMBop' topped the charts in 1997 |
| Jewel | The singer Jewel had a number of hit songs in 1997 |
| Jordan | Basketball legend Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to their fifth NBA championship in 1997 |
| Kobe | Basketball star Kobe Bryant had his breakthrough year in 1997 |
| Leia | Star Wars re-released its original trilogy in 1997, making Leia a popular name |
| McGwire | Named after Mark McGwire, who was a popular baseball player in 1997 |
| Menace | Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace began production in 1997 |
| Mulder | From 'The X-Files', which was a hit TV show during 1997 |
| Pikachu | The Pokemon TV series debuted in 1997, with Pikachu as its most famous character |
| Potter | The first Harry Potter book was published in 1997 |
| Puffy | Sean 'Puffy' Combs was named 'Artist of the Year' at the 1997 Billboard Music Awards |
| Scully | Mulder's partner on 'The X-Files', another popular character in 1997 |
| Seinfeld | The sitcom 'Seinfeld' was one of the most popular television shows in 1997 |
| Spice | In 1997, the Spice Girls were at the peak of their popularity |
| Tamagotchi | These virtual pet toys were a craze among kids in 1997 |
| Titanic | This name was inspired by the iconic movie that was a blockbuster hit in 1997 |