Introduction
Whether you’re a fan of classic circuses full of sideshow staples and famous “freaks” or modern marvels that have taken both ethics and acrobatics to the next level, giving your dog a circus inspired name is a great way to give them a standout title and pay tribute to the greats of the circular stage. Throughout the centuries, circuses have seen incredible acts from those who were physically gifted to those who were so clever we could never quite figure out how they did it, all of whom bestowed their names to the history books with fantastic anecdotes to boot. And now, they’re at your disposal to choose from, as a list of undeniably unique people with titles that will inspire both wonder and nostalgia to all who hear and know their stories.
Circus Inspired Dog Names in Pop Culture
In the grand scheme of doggy intelligence, we now know that Border Collies reign supreme as the brainiest breed around thanks to modern science. But long before there had ever been such a statement, it was actually Poodles, widely considered to be a close contender, who held the limelight in more ways than one.
The history of performing poodles goes all the way back to 18th century England, when a showman named Crawley taught a troupe of Poodles with regal names like Marquis of Gaillerdain and Madame de Poncette to dance to the rhythm of music. For its time, the act was quite impressive, as the dogs showed an innate ability to find the beat and move to the cadence of different songs.
But the 19th century took their abilities one step further. Instead of one simple task, the Poodles that followed the esteemed Londoners were able to perform a variety of tasks, many of which were purposely human in nature and quite convincing at that. In turn, many were dressed as people as well, including one act that had two “commoner” dogs carrying in a “lady dog” dressed as an aristocrat. The two carrying dogs seated her at a table with a traditional meal spread and she proceeded to eat, accompanied by two waiter dogs dressed in appropriate attire. The same troupe would when disappear offstage only to have others reappear as soldiers who would attack a toy fort. At the time, the acting company employed around 80 dogs, most of them Poodles, the rest smaller spaniel-types.
The evolution of Poodle performance didn’t stop there either. Within a few years, there were dogs that were able to complete somersaults: backwards, forwards, sideways, and multiple at a time. They were trained to “take a hand” at cards and dominos, tightrope walk on two legs, or even four with a monkey riding on their backs. They were even trained to throw punches like boxers and were given the aesthetic dressings to make the show convincing. By the late 1800s, there were at least a half-dozen dog-based troupes performing in Europe, almost all of which contained at least some, if not a majority of Poodles.
Since then, many dogs trained to perform similar tasks were much of the same and for good reason. While other dogs may have required less maintenance and took up less space in a traveling caravan, the intelligence of the Standard Poodle was nearly undeniable, as they were able to learn tasks at a much faster rate than nearly any other and thanks to their hypoallergenic and fluffy coats, could be perfectly stylized to fit just about any act, forever cementing them in circus lore.
Circus Inspired Dog Name Considerations
Giving your dog a circusinspired name may seem like a tall task, as there are tons of great performers and acts throughout history to base it on, but with a few easy steps, you’ll be well on your way to finding something appropriate.
Start by making a list of your dog’s most prominent traits, such as their looks, personality, and quirks, as they will be the easiest to work with. Then, take a look at our list and see who else shares similar traits.
For instance, if your dog has a tendency to fire out of their crate, house, or anything else for that matter with rocket speed, then the names Cannonball, Zazel and Zacchini would all be great fits. If they have particularly good accuracy with catching treats or toys, then Annie or Oakley would be suitable options. If they are particularly large, you could consider the names Giant, Caley, Sandwina or Gargantua. If they’re noticeably small, then Thumb, Lavinia, Mabel or Stark would be appropriate. If they have the face of a lion, then Lionel would be a great choice, just as Jojo would suit just about any dog, as Jo-Jo was the Dog-Faced Boy.
There are tons of acts throughout history you can choose from or just go with a generic term that describes their behavior such as Tamer, Charmer, or Daredevil. Don’t feel limited to what we have here, as there are plenty more we weren’t able to fit inside our proverbial tent.
Male Circus Inspired Dog Names
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Vargas
After Circus Vargas, an American circus and one of few surviving tent-based circuses
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Medrano
After Cirque Medrano, a French circus from Paris
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Krone
After Circus Krone, one of the largest circuses in Europe; founded in 1905
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Oz
After Circus Oz, a modern Australian circus with rock 'n' roll, theater and satire
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Cirkör
After Cirkus Cirkör, a Swedish vaudeville and variety circus
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Lennon
After Lennon Bros Circus, a traditional Australian circus founded in the 1890s
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Ringling
After the Ringling Bros Circus, one of the most famous of all time
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Barnum
After Barnum and Bailey Circus, coined "the greatest show on Earth"
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Wagner
After Maud Wagner, one of the first female tattooists as well as a contortionist and aerialist
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Stark
After Mabel Stark, who could command up to 18 tigers at a time
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Blütchen
After Ursula Blütchen, a 5'1" polar bear trainer with incredible skill
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Sutherland
After the seven singing Sutherland Sisters
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Cannonball
As in a human cannonball
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Trapeze
A classic circus act
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Coup
After William Coup, who helped launch P.T. Barnum's Museum, Menagerie & Circus
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Dynamo
The catch-all name for certain types of circus performers
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Giant
After the giant men and women showcased as sideshows
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Houdini
After Harry Houdini, the greatest escape artist and magician in the world
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Thumb
After General Tom Thumb, the famed little person
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Tramp
A term for a vagrant clown
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Emmet
After Emmet Kelly, the famed "Weary Willie" clown
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Willie
After Weary Willie, the tramp clown whose act was based on pantomiming for the crowd
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Jumbo
After Jumbo the Elephant, widely considered to be the greatest circus attraction in the world
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Bunker
After Chang and Eng Bunker, the origin of the term "Siamese twins"
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Lionel
After Lionel the Lion-Faced Man
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Tamer
As in lion tamer, a traditional circus act
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Stilts
After the stilt-walkers for early circuses
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Charmer
After snake charmers, who were circus regulars
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Beard
After the famed bearded women of circus history
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Daredevil
A high-flying and daring performer
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Female Circus Inspired Dog Names
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Soleil
The modern and highly acrobatic circus titled Cirque du Soleil, out of Montreal
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Bailey
After Barnum and Bailey Circus, who had both truck and train-based shows
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Spelterini
After Maria Spelterini, one of the greatest tightrope walkers of all time
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Sandwina
After Katie Sandwina, the Woman of Steel who could outmatch any man in strength
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Zazel
The first human cannonball
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Annie
After Annie Oakley, AKA Phoebe Anne Moses, one of the world's greatest trick shooters
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Oakley
After Annie Oakley, who could shoot the burning tip off a cigarette in someone's mouth
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Maud
After Maud Wagner, better known as the Tattooed Lady
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Antoinette
After Antoinette Concello, a famed trapeze artist
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Leona
After Leona Dare, the daredevil with the iron jaw
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Mabel
After Mabel Stark, better known as the Marvelous Mabel Stark, the Tiger Trainer
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Gladys
After Gladys Roy the famed airplane wing walker
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Esau
The Biblical name for "hairy", as in the hairy sideshows many circuses featured
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Hilton
After the Hilton sisters, the Hollywood conjoined twins
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Kittie
After Kittie Smith, known as the "Armless Dynamo"
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Tiger
A traditional circus animal, along with lions and bears (oh my)
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Caley
After Arthur James Caley, better known as the Middlebush Giant
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Marvelous
After the Marvelous Mabel Stark, one of the greatest tiger trainers of all time
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Gargantua
After the giant gorilla sideshow act
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Zacchini
After Mario Zacchini, a highly-successful human cannonball
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Wallenda
After the Flying Wallendas, a quad of daredevils
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Zip
After Zip the Pinhead, who spent 67 years in show business
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Phineas
After Phineas Taylor Barnum, better known as the entrepreneur P.T. Barnum
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Mermaid
One of few non-human sideshows, usually a "preserved" specimen
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Jojo
After Jo-Jo the Dog-Faced Boy
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Lavinia
After Livinia Williams who performed with General Tom Thumb
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Astley
After Phillip Astley, who is largely credited with creating the first circus
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Cyr
After the Cyr Wheel, a modern circus act
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Octavia
One of circus history's greatest snake charmers
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Fortune
After fortune tellers, a classic side-tent act
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