Clown Dog Names

Introduction

Clowns, in one form or another, have been keeping us entertained since before historical records were kept. Most ancient civilizations have clowns or satirists of one form or another, such as the Heyoka of the Lakota tribes, the rustic fool of Greek and Roman theater, and the Ch’angbu, a Korean clown and spiritual ancestor. Many of the features that are considered classically clown-like were developed by Joseph Grimaldi in the 1800s, leading clowns to be referred to as Joeys for many decades. There are many different varieties of clown, from the traditional Auguste and Harlequin type clowns to modern circus clowns, and they can also provide a great deal of inspiration for naming your new canine companion.

Clown Dog Names in Pop Culture

Featured Famous Dog with a Clown Name

Otto

Otto Griebling, a German-born circus clown, was one of just four clowns to receive the title of Master Clown by the head of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Irvin Feld. He emigrated from Germany to the United States at fifteen years of age in 1911 and became a circus performer, first as a bareback rider in the Sells Floto Circus. After suffering a serious fall, he became a clown, developing his well-known silent tramp persona, a role he played even after his larynx had to be removed due to cancer.

Two amazing Bulldogs share his name, one fictional military dog and one real-life skateboarding dog. The first Otto originally joined the characters in the comic strip Beetle Bailey in 1956 as the canine companion to Sergeant Snorkel, Beetle Bailey’s hard-nosed platoon sergeant. Initial cartoon strips show Otto as a normal dog who walked on all fours, barked, growled, and occasionally threatened to bite people although he was typically dressed in some form of rudimentary military clothing, usually a basic dog shirt with Sergeant stripes. As time progressed and the relationship between Otto and Sarge became closer, Otto began to change a little bit, and in 1969 Sarge decided that his dog would make a great office assistant and had a military outfit complete with shirt, pants, and a hat to match his own. The reaction from readers was overwhelmingly positive, and he continues to be drawn that way even today. It was around this time that Otto was given a voice as well, and although he doesn’t speak directly with the human characters, his thoughts are often illustrated through the use of thought bubbles.

More recently, in Lima, Peru a second English Bulldog named Otto, this one a live dog, made a name for himself in the Guinness Book of World records. The dog was acquired by his owners Luciana Viale and Robert Rickards when he was just a pup, along with his best buddy, another skateboarding English Bulldog by the name of Lola. Skateboarding is not this dog’s only skill, he is also able to surf and skimboard, but it is his talent at skateboarding that brought him the greatest fame, particularly his ability to skateboard between people’s legs. Otto demonstrated his ability for the world on November 13^th of 2015, when he created a new record for Guinness World Record Day by gliding through the longest human tunnel on his skateboard. The pooch wowed spectators by passing under the legs of thirty people on his skateboard, without being led and without touching a single leg.

Clown Dog Name Considerations

There are many things to take into account when choosing a new name for your canine companion. A good name is one that can be clearly and consistently pronounced by all of your pooch's new family members, to make it easier for your dog to relate the name to themselves, as well as one that is easy to distinguish from your dog's general obedience commands, to avoid confusion while training. Some individuals prefer to use a name that reminds them of happy times, brings them back to their childhood, or that they can relate to a specific field of interest for them. For many people, clowns evoke all of these feelings and there are many different famous clowns as well as types of clown that can provide inspiration for names. If you have a dog with a perpetually sad look on their face a name like Tramp or Pierrot could work, describing a type of clown, or Willie, after Weary Willie, a clown famous for his tramp routine. If you are grooming your dog to be a therapy dog, choosing the name of a clown that is associated with the medical field, like Patch Adams, Dikki Ellis, or Nancy Buell may be more appropriate.

Male Clown Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
0	Anton One half of the acrobatic clowning duo of Anton and Anotshka
0	Atoff Italian clown Atoff (Charles Deconsoli) partnered up with his wife Miss LouLou (Heloise Palmyre Berlin Permane)
0	Auguste The Auguste clown is played as a simpleton or overgrown child, and tends to be colorful and mischievous
0	Bill Bill Irwin is a versatile clown and actor, and has had many roles in movies and on television, including an ongoing role as Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street
0	Bobo Chester Eugene Barnett was better known by his stage name of Bobo the Clown and was inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame in 2010
0	Bozo Bozo is a fictional clown who was played by many different individuals
0	Circo Circo Atayde was known as the most famous acrobatic and singing clown in Mexico
0	Clarabell Clarabell the Clown, a mute partner to Howdy Doody, was played by three different actors
0	Dikki Dikki Ellis was a talented clown who played as Dr. Trikki at Mount Sinai Hospital who helped to co-create a program called the clown care unit
0	Felix Felix Adler and his wife Amelia Adler were billed as the King and Queen of Clowning in the early to mid-1900s
0	Grimaldi Joseph Grimaldi portrayed the first mainstream clown role and created the traditional whitefaced makeup look
0	Grock Swiss clown Charles Adrien Wettach was known as the greatest of Europe’s clowns, and was once the highest paid entertainer in the world
0	Harlequin A type of clown that acts as a light-hearted servant, and is characterized by a checkered costume
0	Hobo The hobo type clown is a down on their luck vagabond who maintains a positive attitude
0	Jester Also known as a fool, the court jester could be found in the staff of most royal personages and many noblemen
0	Krusty A well-known cartoon clown from the Simpsons show
0	Lou Johann Ludwig Jacob, better known by his stage name Lou Jacobs, is credited with popularizing the clown car routine
0	Mr. Tickle Jojo’s father on the show Jojo’s Circus who frequently blasts off to work from a cannon
0	Oleg Famous Russian and Soviet clown Oleg Popov was also known as the Sunshine clown, a skilled mime, juggler, and tightrope walker, received the Gold Clown Award in 1981
0	Flint Flint Rasmussen was a rodeo clown that won the Man in the Can award seven times
0	Otto German born clown Otto Griebling was one of just four clowns who received the title of Master Clown by Irvin Feld
0	Patch Social activist, clown, and author Hunter “Patch” Adams founded the Gesundheit! Institute in 1971
0	Pennywise A fictional clown with evil intent and supernatural powers that was dreamed up by Stephen King for the novel It
0	Pierrot A stock character of pantomime, a sad clown that is typically pining for Columbine
0	Pueblo Jesters and tricksters of the Kachina religion are known as Pueblo or sacred clowns
0	Rodeo The Rodeo clown tempts bulls to chase them in order to protect the bull riders
0	Skeebo Jojo’s best friend on the show Jojo’s Circus; is known for his floppy cowboy hat and star badge
0	Tramp The tramp type clown is a sad vagabond who is down on his luck
0	Vance Vance Colvig was the first person to portray Bozo the Clown on a franchised Bozo program
0	Willie Emmett Kelley best known for his clown character of Weary Willie, helped to save many people when a circus tent caught fire in July of 1944

Female Clown Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
0	Adler Amelia Adler and her husband Felix Adler were billed as the King and Queen of Clowning in the early to mid-1900s
0	Amelia The first recorded female American Circus Clown, Amelia Butler toured with J.M. Nixon’s Great American Circus
0	Annie French clown and actress, Annie Fratellini, opened the École Nationale du Cirque with comedian Pierre Etaix
0	Anotshka One half of the acrobatic clowning duo of Anton and Anotshka
0	Bonabini Amy Eisenberg, mother to Jesse Eisenberg, worked as a clown called Bonabini
0	Ch'angbu A Korean clown character who carries with her the spirits of dead actors, singers, and acrobats
0	Cha-U-Kao A French clown and entertainer who performed with Moulin Rouge and the Nouveau Cirque in the 1890s
0	Claudia Well-known Italian clown Claudia Cantone started out as a police woman before finding her passion
0	Clownesse A female clown is sometimes referred to as a Clownesse
0	Columbine A stock character in pantomime, the mistress of Harlequin whom Pierrot pines after
0	Croaky A friend of Jojo Tickles on Jojo’s circus who is particularly good at leaping
0	Evette Josephine Matthews, better known by her stage name, Evette, the Lady Clown, preferred to do circus work over pantomime
0	Heyoka The heyoka is a type of sacred clown of the Lakota people who speaks, moves, and acts in opposite to the people around them
0	Iman Iman Lizarazu got a PhD in Astrophysics before following her heart and becoming a clown
0	Izzy Shannan Calcutt, know by her alter-ego Izzy, is a major player in the Cirque Du Soleil’s Zumanity show
0	Jasp One half of Canadian clown duo Morro and Jasp, who have earned several awards for their performances and cookbooks
0	Jojo Jojo Tickles is the main character in the show Jojo’s Circus, a kids show about a clown with a lion for a pet
0	Loonette A clown character developed for the television show Big Comfy Couch, where she solves everyday problems with the help of her dolly, Molly
0	Lulu Louise Craston, better known by her stage name of Lulu, began performing when she was twelve and played several instruments
0	Miss Loulou Originally a wirewalker she joined her Italian husband Charles Deconsoli, known by Atoff in the clowning world
0	Molly Molly Brennan practices the active State of Clown and was named “Chicago’s Queen of Mischief and Make-Believe
0	Mooky Mooky Cornish is an accomplished clown whose main character is a wide-eyed, glamorous star-type named Gloria
0	Morro One half of Canadian clown duo Morro and Jasp, who have earned several awards for their performances and cookbooks
0	Muriel Netherlands native Muriel Brugman performs alongside Scott Nelson as “Accidental Illusionists,” an act that combines magic and clowning
0	Nancy Nancy Buell was a talented clown who played as Dr. Ravioli at Mount Sinai Hospital and helped to co-create a program called the clown care unit
0	Nina An acrobatic artist in Moscow, Nina Krasavina opened a clown college in New York City after emigrating from Russia to the US
0	Peaches Jojo’s mother, Miyoshi “Peaches” Tickles is a tall thin clown on the show Jojo’s Circus
0	Peggy The first female clown to graduate from the Ringling Brothers Clown College
0	Spirulina Brazilian clown Silvia LeBlon, known for her portrayal of Spirulina, worked with the sacred clown of the Indians
0	Yvette Yvette Spessardi performed with her husband and brother-in-law as an Auguste clown