Space Names for Your Pet Dog
Because you love your pup to the moon and back, consider a heavenly name for the new center of your universe! Look up at the night sky, and inspiration for cosmic dog names abounds by the billions.
The ancients looked to the heavens for guidance and the origins of universal truths. Stars of ancient mythology live on as the stars in our evening sky. Many of the Roman and Greek gods and heroes are immortalized in the names of our most visible stellar bodies; these celestial names make for unique, cosmic names for dogs.
Cosmic Dog Names From Stellar Bodies With Greek Names
Andromeda: The nearest large galaxy to our own, the Milky Way. Andromeda is named for the daughter of Ethiopian King Cepheus and his wife Cassiopeia. In the Greek myth, Cassiopeia vainly brags that her daughter is more beautiful than any of Poseidon’s daughters, the Nereids. Outraged by the insult to his daughters, Poseidon sends the sea monster, Cetus, to ravage the coast of Ethiopia. The only remedy to assuage Poseidon’s ruffled feathers is to chain the king’s daughter, Andromeda, to a rock and sacrifice her to the sea monster. Happily, Perseus happens to fly by on his winged sandals, just as Cetus is preparing to devour the young beauty. Perseus swiftly slays the sea monster and claims Andromeda as his bride. The descendants of Perseus and Andromeda are known today as the Persians.
More Greek Cosmic Dog Name
Anthe: A small moon of Saturn, Anthe is named for one of the Alkyonides. In the Greek myth, the Alkyonides were nymph daughters of the king of the giants, Alkyoneus. When Heracles slays their father, the nymphs cast themselves into the sea in despair. Taking mercy on them, Poseidon’s wife, Amphitrite, transforms the girls into kingfishers.
Astro: Derived from the Greek word for star, astron, Astro is also the name of The Jetsons’ pet dog.
Atlas: One of Saturn’s inner moons, Atlas has a distinctive flying saucer shape. In Greek mythology, Atlas is the Titan god condemned to hold the heavens on his shoulders for leading the Titan gods in their war against the Olympic gods. Atlas makes a good name for a powerful, obedient male dog.
Aurora: A naturally occurring electrical phenomenon that creates streamers of green and reddish lights in the skies near the Northern and Southern poles. Aurora is the name of the Roman goddess of the dawn.
Betelgeuse: The ninth brightest star in the sky; it has a reddish tint. Betelgeuse is part of the Orion constellation and makes a good name for a red-coated dog.
Gaia: Greek primordial goddess, mother earth and mother of the Titans.
Tellus: Roman primordial goddess, mother earth.
Terra: Planet Earth.
Unique Dog Names From the Cosmos
Astral: Connected to the stars.
Astro: Relating to the stars, and the Jetson’s family dog.
Atom: The basic building block of all matter. Cartoon super hero, Atom Ant.
Calypso: A Trojan (trailing) moon of Saturn, Calypso is named for the Greek nymph who held Odysseus captive on the island of Ogygia for seven years. Calypso music is a light-hearted Caribbean genre originating from Trinidad and Tobago.
Celeste: A French name derived from the Greek root word for celestial or heavenly.
Comet: A small celestial body comprised of frozen gases, dust and rocks. Comet makes a cool name for any of the merle-coated dogs.
Corona: Derived from Latin, corona means “crown.” The corona is the aura that surrounds the sun and other stars in the universe.
Cosmo: Cosmo is derived from the Greek word Cosmos, which is a philosophical term referencing the universe. Seinfeld neighbor, Cosmo Kramer.
Cygnus: Cygnus A. galaxy.
Europa: The smallest of the Galilean moons, she was discovered by Galileo. In Greek myth, Zeus was so taken by the beauty of Europa that he disguised himself as a white bull, and when she thought to try to ride him, he whisked her away to a distant land. This distant land was named Europe in her honor.
Galaxy: Originally referring only to the Milky Way, galaxy is derived from the Greek word for milky, galaxias. Name your girl dog Galaxy, and you can call her Gal.
Gemini: One of the constellations of the Zodiac, the Gemini refers to the twins, Castor and Pollux of Greek mythology, also known as the Dioscuri. Gemini was also a series of NASA space missions, in which ten crews flew in the two-man Gemini spacecraft.
Kelvin: Unit of thermodynamic temperature. Zero degrees in Kelvin (-273 degrees Celsius) is absolute zero.
Lunar: Relating to the moon.
Nova: A star suddenly showing a dramatic increase in brightness, then returning to normal brightness, typically after several months.
Quantum: The smallest chunk anything can be divided into in physics. Quantum makes a cute name for a small dog, such as a teacup or toy dog.
Shine: Star shine.
Skye: Upper atmosphere.
Stellar: Relating to the stars.
Twinkles: Star blinking.
Virgo: Virgo A is one of the seven largest galaxies.
Moons of Saturn and Other Lunar Features
Helene: A moon of Saturn named after Helen of Troy. In Greek myth, Helen’s abduction by Paris ignites the Trojan War; she’s remembered as “the face that launched a thousand ships.”
Tarvos: A moon of Saturn named after a Gaulish deity, often depicted as a bull with three cranes on its back.
Titan: Saturn’s largest moon. In mythology, the Titans were the predecessors of the Olympian gods.
Tycho: A prominent impact crater on Earth’s Moon.
Roman and Greek Planets and a Dwarf Planet
Mercury: The smallest planet and closest to the Sun. Named for the Roman god of messages, travel, commerce, and trickery (Greek counterpart: Hermes).
Venus: The second planet from the Sun. Named for the Roman goddess of love and beauty (Greek counterpart: Aphrodite).
Mars: The red planet. Named for the Roman god of war (Greek counterpart: Ares).
Jupiter: The largest planet in our solar system. Named for the Roman king of the gods (Greek counterpart: Zeus).
Saturn: The second-largest planet and a ringed gas giant. Saturn currently has 274 confirmed moons. Named for the Roman god of agriculture (Greek counterpart: Cronus), whose reign was associated with a “golden age.”
Neptune: The farthest planet from the Sun. Named for the Roman god of the sea (Greek counterpart: Poseidon).
Pluto: A dwarf planet, smaller than Earth’s Moon. Named for the Roman counterpart of Hades, ruler of the Underworld.
Stars and the Sun
Sun: The star at the center of our solar system.
Sirius: The Dog Star and brightest star in the night sky; associated in mythology with Orion’s hunting dog.
Procyon: Often called the “Little Dog Star.” Its name comes from Greek for “before the dog,” because it rises shortly before Sirius.
Rigel: The brightest star in Orion and commonly described as the 7th-brightest star in the night sky (it varies slightly).
Vega: The brightest star in Lyra and among the brightest stars in the night sky.
Constellations and Zodiac Figures
Orion: A major constellation known for its “belt.” Note: claims that Orion’s Belt precisely maps to the Giza pyramids are part of the Orion correlation theory, widely treated as a fringe hypothesis rather than established archaeology.
Leo: The lion of the Zodiac, often linked to the Nemean Lion slain by Heracles as the first of his twelve labors.
Scorpio: The scorpion of the Zodiac. In myth, Gaia sends a scorpion to stop Orion; the constellations are placed so they’re not seen in the sky at the same time.
Taurus: The bull of the Zodiac, tied in myth to the Cretan Bull captured by Heracles.
Virgo: A Zodiac constellation often linked with Astraia, the virgin goddess of justice, who was placed among the stars.
Ursa Major: Home of the familiar “Big Dipper” star pattern.
Pisces: The fish of the Zodiac; myth ties the constellation to the rescue of Aphrodite and Eros from Typhoeus.
Luna: The Roman goddess/personification of the Moon (Greek counterpart: Selene).
Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects
Trifid: The Trifid Nebula, located in the direction of Sagittarius.
Cosmic Dog Names from Famous Scientists
Copernicus
Curie
Darwin
Doppler
Einstein
Faraday
Galileo
Halley
Hawking
Herschel
Hubble
Kepler
Kuiper
Messier
Newton
Perl
Ptolemy
Reeves
Sagan
Shockley
Tycho Brahe
Tyson
Zanstra
Zwiky
Famous NASA Starships and “Star Trek” Alien Races
| Atlantis | Andorian | Borg |
| Big Bang | Maven | Spirit |
| Cassini | Mir | Spitzer |
| Challenger | Orion | Sputnik |
| Columbia | Xindi | Star |
| Discovery | Ozone | Stereo |
| Endeavor | Pioneer | Romulan |
| Enterprise | Quasar | Vulcan |
| Gaia | Rosetta | Tribble |
| Galactic | Rocket | Tartus |
| Gemini | Sky | Vostok |
| Juno | Soyuz | Voyager |
40+ Best Sci-Fi Dog Names From Science Fiction TV and Movies
These characters from sci-fi masterpieces introduce earthlings to the cosmos via warp-speed starships and glimpses into our future. Name your dog after one of these heroic characters and imbue him with the Force, to be the best companion he can be.
Anakin: Anakin Skywalker, The Star Wars series.
Archer: Captain of the Starship Enterprise.
Austin: Steve Austin, The Six Million Dollar Man and former test pilot, crashes to Earth and is rebuilt, better and stronger than before with bionics. Name your dog Austin if you are seeking a companion better and faster than any of your previous canine companions.
Batty: Roy Batty, Replicant, returns to Earth to find his maker and extend his life in Blade Runner.
Blade Runner: Highly stylized sci-fi film starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Daryl Hannah and Sean Young.
Caesar: Leader of the genetically enhanced chimpanzees in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. He secretly dreams of a rapprochement between the humans and the simians.
Chekov: Ensign on Star Trek, the Original Series.
Chewy: Nickname for Star Wars‘ Chewbacca, a cute name for any hairy, bear-like dog.
Connor: Sarah Connor, The Terminator series.
Crusher: Wesley Crusher, Star Trek.
Darth Maul: Star Wars.
Deckard: Replicant hunter in Blade Runner, played by Harrison Ford.
Ewok: A small hairy species featured in the Star Wars series.
Firefly: Cult sci-fi series.
Galactica: Battlestar Galactica, name your girl Galactica and you can call her Gal, with an extra nod to Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot.
Hal: The Hal 9000 computer controls the Discovery spacecraft in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Hal has a mind of his own, and becomes a malevolent force for the crew of the Discovery.
Jedi: Those of the Order of the Jedi use the Force, which resides in all beings, and connects all beings to the universe, to enhance their combat skills.
Leia: Rebel Princess.
Kahn: Star Trek franchise, Wrath of Kahn.
Kenobi: Old Ben Kenobi, aka Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi master and mentor to both Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker.
Kirk: Captain James Tiberius Kirk, first Captain of the Enterprise.
Koenig: John Koenig, leader of Moon Base Alpha on Space 1999. Koenig is Dutch for King.
Lando: Lando Calrissian, the Star Wars Series.
Leon: Blade Runner replicant.
Maya: Shape-shifting alien and crew member on Space 1999.
Neo: The One from The Matrix series.
Padme: Padme Amidala, Star Wars.
Pris: Female replicant who returns to Earth with fellow replicant Roy Batty to extend their lives in Blade Runner, played by Daryl Hannah.
Ripley: Warrant Officer and sole survivor of the starship Nostromo in the film, Alien.
Sarek: Revered Vulcan on Star Trek.
Scotty: Starship Enterprise’s chief of engineering. Scottie makes a good name for and of the Scottish dog breeds.
Serling: Rod Serling, host of The Twilight Zone, took us to alien civilizations as well as our own future and alternative realities.
Solo: Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon in the first Star Wars series.
Spock: A cute name for any prick-eared dog.
Sulu: George Takei’s Star Trek character.
Trinity: The Matrix series.
Troi: Deana Trio Star Trek officer and empath. A good name for an intuitive dog.
Uhura: Lieutenant Nyota Uhura of Star Trek, the groundbreaking role as the first in the USA where in a Black female on TV, is an equal in intelligence and responsibility to the men of the series.
Vader: Lord Vader of the Empire, Star Wars.
Wookiee: Star Wars species, of which Chewbacca is a member.
Yoda: A cute name for any small prick-eared dog, especially the Chinese Crested breed.
Zhora: Replicant due for retirement in Blade Runner.
Dog Names From Famous Cosmonauts and Astronauts
Alexey – Alexey Leonov, first man to walk in space.
Borman – Frank Borman, commander of Apollo 9, first manned mission to circle the moon.
Buzz – Buzz Aldrin.
Collin – Michael Collins, Pilot on Gemini 10 and command module pilot on Apollo 11, the first lunar landing mission.
Franco – Franco Malerba, first Italian astronaut in space.
Gherman – Gherman Titov, the second man to travel in space.
Glenn – John Glenn, pilot om Mercury 6.
Guion – Guion Bluford, first African American in space.
Kelly – Mark Kelly, current Senator of Arizona.
Laika – First dog in space.
Lovell – James Lovell, Commander of Gemini 12; command module pilot on Apollo 8, the first crew to orbit the moon; and commander of famed Apollo 13.
Mitchell – Edgar Mitchell, lunar module pilot, Apollo 14.
Sally – Mustang Sally Ride, first American woman in space.
Valentina – Valentina Tereshkova, first woman in space, in1963 she orbited Earth 49 times.
Valeri – Valeri Polyakov, logged the longest time in space, 14 months aboard the Mir station.
Yuri – Yuri Gagarin, first man in space.
Final Thoughts
A cosmic name does more than sound cool—it transforms your dog into a little legend. Whether you choose a name pulled straight from the night sky (like a moon, planet, constellation, or star) or borrow from the minds who mapped the universe and imagined new worlds, you’re giving your pup a story you’ll love telling for years.
As you narrow your favorites, pick two or three and “test-drive” them for a day: call them across the room, try them in a happy voice and a serious voice, and see which one feels effortless. Short, punchy names often train fastest, but longer mythic names can be perfect if you love a nickname (think “full name for the vet, nickname at home”)
© 2018 Barbara Fitzgerald
