Welcome to this delightful throwback, a tribute to our four-legged friends from the late 90s. This page is a nostalgic nod to the era when the Internet was just coming of age and the world was gripped by the magic of Harry Potter and the enchanting notes of the Titanic theme song. It's a chance to revisit the past and remember the popular dog names that were all the rage during this time.
The names featured on this page are drawn from a wide range of inspirations, from popular culture icons to classic monikers that never go out of style. We hope that you will enjoy this delightful journey down memory lane. Perhaps these names will inspire you or simply bring a smile to your face with their charming, retro appeal. So sit back, relax, and travel back in time with us to the era of Furbies, boy bands, and pagers as we explore the canine naming trends of 1998.
Names
| Name | Reason to Choose |
|---|---|
| Aaliyah | Named after the popular R&B singer Aaliyah who had several hits in the 90s |
| Annie | The musical 'Annie' about a red-haired orphan and her dog Sandy was popular during the late 90s |
| Astro | The dog from 'The Jetsons' |
| Baby | A Spice Girls member, popular in the late 90s |
| Backstreet | Inspired by the Backstreet Boys, a popular boy band in the 90s |
| Balto | Named after the famous sled dog |
| Bandit | A fun, playful name for a dog |
| Barkley | A playful, dog-related pun |
| Barney | Inspired by the famous purple dinosaur |
| Beethoven | Named after the dog in the film of the same name |
| Bella | Italian for 'beautiful', this name was popular among dog owners looking for a feminine name |
| Benji | The name of the titular character in a series of films about a lovable mixed-breed dog |
| Bingo | From the popular children's song |
| Bluto | The name of Popeye's nemesis, often given to large, strong dogs |
| Bolt | A strong, fast-sounding name |
| Brandy | The singer Brandy was popular during the 90s, making this name a favorite among fans |
| Britney | A nod to Britney Spears who debuted her first album in 1998 |
| Bruno | A strong, traditional dog's name |
| Buddy | Because 'Air Bud', a film about a basketball-playing dog, premiered this year |
| Buffy | Named after 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', a popular TV show in 1998 |
| Buster | A common name for dogs |
| Casper | Inspired by the friendly ghost |
| Champ | A popular name for dogs that are winners in the eyes of their owners |
| Chance | Another character from 'Homeward Bound' |
| Chandler | A nod to the popular sitcom 'Friends' that aired during the 90s |
| Charlie | Another common human name for dogs |
| Chester | This name has a classic, old-fashioned charm that was popular among dog owners |
| Chewie | Star Wars was widely popular during the 90s, and Chewie is a nickname for the character Chewbacca |
| Cinder | A popular name for dogs with a reddish-brown coat, harkening back to the color of cinders |
| Cleo | Short for Cleopatra, this name was popular for dogs with a regal presence |
Groups
Sports-Inspired Names
1998 had many significant sports events, and sports stars or teams can provide inspiration for dog names.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Agassi | Andre Agassi, the renowned tennis player |
| Barkley | Charles Barkley, an NBA star |
| Beckham | David Beckham was a rising soccer star in 1998 |
| Earnhardt | Dale Earnhardt, a famous name in car racing |
| Elway | John Elway, the Denver Broncos' quarterback |
| Favre | Pays homage to Brett Favre, an NFL superstar |
| Gretzky | For hockey fans, inspired by Wayne Gretzky |
| Hingis | Martina Hingis, a top-ranked tennis player |
| Jeter | Derek Jeter, the legendary baseball player |
| Jordan | Named after Michael Jordan, the basketball legend |
| Kobe | In honor of Kobe Bryant, a rising basketball star in 1998 |
| Maradona | Diego Maradona, a legendary soccer player |
| McGwire | Mark McGwire, a baseball player known for his home runs |
| Mia | For soccer fans, Mia Hamm was a big name in 1998 |
| Montana | Joe Montana, the legendary NFL quarterback |
| Peyton | Peyton Manning, the NFL quarterback, was at his peak in 1998 |
| Pippen | Scottie Pippen, a well-known basketball player |
| Ripken | Celebrates Cal Ripken Jr., a baseball legend |
| Ronaldo | Ronaldo, the Brazilian football superstar |
| Seles | Monica Seles, a dominant figure in women's tennis |
| Shaq | Named after Shaquille O'Neal, the basketball giant |
| Sosa | Inspired by Sammy Sosa, a baseball star |
| Tyson | Mike Tyson, a boxing icon, provides the inspiration |
| Venus | Venus Williams started her tennis career around this time |
| Zidane | Zinedine Zidane, a prominent figure in soccer |
Names based on Famous People
1998 was a year filled with important events and people, and naming a dog after a famous person from this year can be a great conversation starter.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Armstrong | Named after Neil Armstrong, who's famous moon landing occurred in 1969, a notable anniversary in 1998 |
| Brandy | After the singer and actress who starred in the popular sitcom Moesha during the 90s |
| Britney | For Britney Spears, who released her debut album Baby One More Time in 1998 |
| Celine | In honor of Celine Dion, who topped the charts with her hit song My Heart Will Go On in 1998 |
| Clinton | In commemoration of Bill Clinton, who was President of the United States in 1998 |
| Diana | In memory of Princess Diana, who was tragically killed in a car accident in 1997 |
| Elton | In honor of Elton John, who remained a major figure in music throughout the 90s |
| Eminem | The rapper's career took off in 1998 with his first major-label album |
| Gates | Symbolizing Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, who was a leading figure in the tech industry |
| Gretzky | To honor Wayne Gretzky, who retired from professional hockey in 1999 |
| Jeter | In honor of Derek Jeter, who led the New York Yankees to a World Series victory in 1998 |
| Jobs | For Steve Jobs, who returned to Apple in 1997 and soon launched the iMac |
| Jordan | Named after Michael Jordan, the basketball legend who won his sixth NBA championship in 1998 |
| Madonna | After the pop icon who reinvented herself multiple times throughout the 90s |
| McGwire | For Mark McGwire, who made baseball history by hitting 70 home runs in a single season in 1998 |
| Monica | Inspired by Monica Lewinsky, who was at the center of a major political scandal in 1998 |
| Oprah | For the famous talk show host who was a household name throughout the 90s |
| Paltrow | After Gwyneth Paltrow, who won an Academy Award for her role in Shakespeare in Love in 1998 |
| Seinfeld | The popular sitcom concluded its final season in 1998 |
| Spice | Named after the Spice Girls, who dominated the pop music scene in the late 90s |
| Spielberg | In recognition of Steven Spielberg, who directed the critically acclaimed movie Saving Private Ryan in 1998 |
| Streisand | For Barbra Streisand, who received the Grammy Legend Award in 1992 |
| Titanic | The blockbuster movie Titanic swept the Academy Awards in 1998 |
| Tupac | In memory of the influential rapper who passed away in 1996 |
| Willis | For Bruce Willis, who starred in the hit movie Armageddon in 1998 |
Names from Popular TV Shows
1998 saw the airing of many popular TV shows, and characters from these shows can make for unique and memorable dog names.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Buffy | 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' was a hit show during this period |
| Carrie | From 'Sex and the City', a popular show in the late 90s |
| Chandler | One of the main characters in 'Friends', a hit show in the 90s |
| Dawson | From the popular teen drama 'Dawson's Creek' |
| Dharma | 'Dharma & Greg' was a popular sitcom in the late 90s |
| Elaine | A character from the hit 90s show 'Seinfeld' |
| Felicity | The main character in a popular TV drama in the late 90s |
| Frasier | This is the name of the main character in the popular sitcom that aired from 1993 to 2004 |
| Hercules | Inspired by 'Hercules: The Legendary Journeys', a popular TV show in the 90s |
| Joey | Inspired by a character from the popular 90s sitcom 'Friends' |
| Kramer | This character from 'Seinfeld' was well-known in the 90s |
| Monica | A character from the popular sitcom 'Friends' |
| Mulder | Inspired by one of the protagonists in 'The X-Files' |
| Niles | From 'Frasier', a popular 90s sitcom |
| Pacey | One of the main characters in 'Dawson's Creek', a popular TV show from the late 90s |
| Phoebe | A character from 'Friends', a popular 90s TV show |
| Rachael | 'Friends', the popular 90s sitcom, featured this character |
| Ross | Inspired by one of the main characters in 'Friends' |
| Sabrina | Named after the main character in 'Sabrina, the Teenage Witch' |
| Scully | Named after Dana Scully from 'The X-Files' |
| Spike | From 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', a popular 90s TV show |
| Topanga | A character in the 90s sitcom 'Boy Meets World' |
| Urkel | A character from the 90s sitcom 'Family Matters' |
| Willow | A character from 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', a popular TV show of the late 90s |
| Xena | Named after the main character in the popular 'Xena: Warrior Princess' series |
Music Inspired Names
1998 was a great year for music, with many iconic songs and albums released, making it a good source for dog names.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Aaliyah | She was one of the biggest R&B stars of the 90s |
| Aerosmith | Their song 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing' was a hit in 1998 |
| Beck | He won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance in 1998 |
| Bjork | Her music was highly acclaimed in the late 90s |
| Bono | U2's lead vocalist was at the peak of his career in the late 90s |
| Brandy | A popular R&B singer in the late 90s |
| Britney | A rising pop star in 1998 |
| Celine | Her song 'My Heart Will Go On' was a massive hit in 1998 |
| Cher | Her song 'Believe' was released in 1998 |
| Dylan | Bob Dylan's music remained influential in the 90s |
| Elvis | An iconic figure in rock and roll who is still relevant and beloved in 1998 |
| Enya | Her ambient music was popular throughout the 90s |
| Garth | Country music superstar in the 90s |
| Janet | Janet Jackson was a leading female artist in the 90s |
| Jewel | She was a popular singer-songwriter in the late 90s |
| Madonna | She ruled pop charts in the 80's and 90's |
| Monica | Her song 'The First Night' topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998 |
| Mozart | A timeless classical composer appreciated in any year |
| Nirvana | The band still had a cult following in 1998 |
| Santana | The band's music had enduring popularity in the 90s |
| Shakira | She started gaining international recognition in the late 90s |
| Shania | Shania Twain's album 'Come On Over' was a best-seller in 1998 |
| Spice | For the Spice Girls, a massively popular girl band in 1998 |
| Sting | His music remained popular throughout the 90s |
| Tupac | Influential rapper, still heavily mourned in 1998 |
Movie Inspired Names
1998 was a year with many popular movies, and some people may want to name their dogs after their favorite characters.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Aladdin | The main character in Disney's 'Aladdin' which premiered in 1992 |
| Aslan | The lion character from 'The Chronicles of Narnia' series |
| Balto | The lead character in 'Balto', an animated film about a heroic sled dog |
| Bambi | The deer character from the Disney movie 'Bambi' |
| Beast | The male lead in Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast' |
| Belle | The female lead in Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast' from 1991 |
| Buzz | This name is from 'Buzz Lightyear', a character in 'Toy Story' which came out in 1995 |
| Dumbo | The cute elephant character from Disney's 'Dumbo' |
| Gump | Comes from the movie 'Forrest Gump', a classic from 1994 |
| Hercules | Based on the title character of Disney's 'Hercules' released in 1997 |
| Hopper | The antagonist character from 'A Bug's Life' which was released in 1998 |
| Jumanji | The title of a fantasy adventure film released in 1995 |
| Mufasa | Simba's father in 'The Lion King', a wise and loving character |
| Mulan | The lead character in Disney's 'Mulan' from 1998 |
| Nala | Simba's friend and later wife in 'The Lion King' |
| Patch | One of the Dalmatians in '101 Dalmatians', a Disney classic |
| Pocahontas | The main character of Disney's 'Pocahontas' which hit the theaters in 1995 |
| Rocky | A tribute to the famous boxer from the 'Rocky' film series |
| Scar | A character from 'The Lion King', the villainous uncle of Simba |
| Shrek | Although the movie was released in 2001, the book it was based on was published in 1990 |
| Simba | Inspired from the lion king in Disney's 'The Lion King' released in 1994 |
| Tarzan | From the Disney movie 'Tarzan' which was released in 1999 |
| Tramp | Inspired from 'Lady and the Tramp', a Disney classic from 1955 |
| Woody | Another character from 'Toy Story', a cowboy doll |
| Zorro | Inspired by 'The Mask of Zorro' which was released in 1998 |