Introduction
Durban is a city on the east coast of South Africa that ranks as the third-most populated after Cape Town and Johannesburg. It boasts beautiful beaches, a subtropical climate, and also has the busiest port in the whole of South Africa.
Because of its prominence, and being home to close to three and a half million people, it’s not surprising that people might look for Durban dog names. Giving your dog a name that relates to your home city can be a lovely gesture – particularly if you have moved away and get a little homesick.
Before you welcome your new dog home, consider the following options for Durban dog names.
Durban Dog Names in Pop Culture
Before you decide on a new Durban dog name for your pooch, think about other meanings for that name. Will people understand if it relates to Durban, or would it help if another dog in pop culture also had that name? An excellent example of linking Durban to a dog in pop culture is Ben. Ben (II) is a Golden Retriever with an impressive acting history, while Benjamin (Ben) D’Urban is the inspiration behind the city of Durban’s name.
First, let’s touch on Benjamin D’Urban. Ben was a Lieutenant General and colonial administrator who created a frontier policy during his time as Cape Colony’s Governor. Cape Colony is now South Africa.
He was born in 1777 in Suffolk, served in the British Army, and died in Quebec, Canada. During his time in the army, Benjamin received a lot of awards for his efforts and moved up the ranks, gaining respect along the way. Eventually, he was made governor and commander in chief at Cape Colony. He helped to establish legislative councils, named KwaZulu-Natal as a new British Empire colony, and was around for the abolishment of slavery.
Ben the dog has more of a reputation in the modern age, appearing in several films of prominence such as Purely Belter, Made in Hong Kong, and Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey.
In the 1993 film Homeward Bound, he played the role of Shadow who shares a home with an American Bulldog and a Himalayan cat. When their family has to relocate for work, they leave Shadow and the two other pets at a ranch. The trio tries to make it home to their family, going on a series of exciting adventures before eventually being reunited with their loved ones.
His next film appearance was in the 2000 film called Maybe Baby, where he played the role of William, followed by Rusty in Purely Belter of the same year. He then had a small part as a messenger in Made in Hong Kong.
Ben, now deceased, experienced a lucrative career in the film industry where he continued to go from strength to strength. He also links well to Ben, the Lieutenant General, due to the growth they both experienced in their respective fields.
Therefore, if you’re going to name your pup a Durban dog name such as Ben, you can tell people you called him after Ben II from movies, or after the man who inspired the South African city of Durban.
Durban Dog Name Considerations
You might think that coming up with Durban dog names is easy, and it might be. However, coming up with names is one thing, but getting them to suit your new pooch is another. There has to be a method to your madness, so why not consider your dog’s gender, the type of name you’re looking for, and your new family addition’s character?
Gender is essential if you are going to name your dog after someone prominent from Durban with a gender-specific name. For example, Benjamin, or Ben, from which the city gets its name, is more suitable for a male dog instead of a female.
Then, factor in the name type. There are several name options available – not only in the realm of famous people from Durban but tourist hot spots and cultural highlights too. For example, you can use a name like King, which refers to James King who engaged in early trade in South Africa. Or, you could use a name like Durban which is a namesake of the city. Why not pay reference to the second-most common language of Zulu? Inja would make an excellent dog name as it means dog in Zulu.
Factor in your dog’s personality and character traits. If they are fun, Nandi will make a great name, as it’s short for kumnandi which means fun in Zulu. As you can see, there are several opportunities to think outside the square.
Male Durban Dog Names
| Votes | Name | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| 0 |
Ben
Of Benjami D'Urban, the city's namesake
|
|
| 0 |
Durban
The name of the South African city
|
|
| 0 |
Zandile
The city's mayor
|
|
| 0 |
Gumede
The city mayor's surname
|
|
| 0 |
Vasco
The first person to sight the area
|
|
| 0 |
Natal
The original name for Durban
|
|
| 0 |
King
Of Lieutenant James King
|
|
| 0 |
Francis
Sailed with James King
|
|
| 0 |
Sipho
The first mayor after the first multi-racial elections
|
|
| 0 |
James
Former speaker of the Durban council
|
|
| 0 |
Ikati
Cat in zulu
|
|
| 0 |
Sandile
South Africa's youngest doctor
|
|
| 0 |
Zinhle
Of the famous Durban DJ
|
|
| 0 |
Andile
Of Andile Jali, the football star
|
|
| 0 |
Jali
Andile's surname
|
|
| 0 |
Adhir
Durban actor who played Timmy in Rules of Engagement
|
|
| 0 |
Brian
Durban-born actor
|
|
| 0 |
Cyril
Of Cyril Cusack, the actor
|
|
| 0 |
Drikus
An actor from Durban
|
|
| 0 |
Grant
Of Grant Langston, the Durban-born motocross world champ
|
|
| 0 |
Lee
From the band Dr. Feelgood
|
|
| 0 |
Swanby
Of Grant Swanby, an actor
|
|
| 0 |
Hans
Hans Strydom, the Durban-born actor
|
|
| 0 |
Henry
From the Shaka Zulu mini series
|
|
| 0 |
Howard
A Durban-born German singer
|
|
| 0 |
Jack
Jack Devnarain is an actor from Durban
|
|
| 0 |
Jay
Of Jay Rodan, involved in TV and film
|
|
| 0 |
Rajesh
From Zero Tolerance and Generations TV series
|
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| 0 |
Ricky
Of Ricky Fataar, Durban-born instrumentalist
|
|
| 0 |
Kettle
Of Ross Kettle, from Soweto's Burning.
|
Female Durban Dog Names
| Votes | Name | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| 0 |
Lyn
Of Lynette Ntuli
|
|
| 0 |
Inja
Dog in Zulu
|
|
| 0 |
Pearl
Actress from KwaNdengezi
|
|
| 0 |
Olga
Of Olga Lowe, a now deceased Durban actress
|
|
| 0 |
Anna
Named after a theater actress from Durban
|
|
| 0 |
Genevieve
Genievieve Maylam is an actress from Durban
|
|
| 0 |
Glynis
Famous for being an actress from Durban
|
|
| 0 |
Leleti
Of Leleti Khumalo, a Zulu actress
|
|
| 0 |
Joan
Radio, theater, and film actress
|
|
| 0 |
Mary
BBC show actress
|
|
| 0 |
Kandyse
Kandyse from South Africa played Anastasia in Battlestar Galactica
|
|
| 0 |
Musetta
Actress and model Musetta Vander
|
|
| 0 |
Roxane
Roxane from Water Rats is from Durban
|
|
| 0 |
Sherlee
Of Sherlee Collier, the Durban actress
|
|
| 0 |
Tanit
Fashion model and actress
|
|
| 0 |
Wendy
Of Wendy Wason, the 40-plus year old Durban actress
|
|
| 0 |
Durbina
A female take on Durban
|
|
| 0 |
Owesif
Short for owesifazane, meaning woman in Zulu
|
|
| 0 |
Tomba
Part of intombazane, Zulu for girl
|
|
| 0 |
Sabela
Of Simon Sabela, the Durban actor
|
|
| 0 |
Nandi
Part of elimnandi, Zulu for sweet
|
|
| 0 |
Kayo
A play on ethandekayo, Zulu for lovable
|
|
| 0 |
Bekile
Part of ethembekile, Zulu for faithful
|
|
| 0 |
Lara
Of Lara Logan, CBS foreign affairs correspondent from Durban
|
|
| 0 |
Minnie
The TV show host Minnie Diamini, born in Durban
|
|
| 0 |
Liyah
Pop singer from Durban
|
|
| 0 |
Lauren
Of Lauren Brant, TV actress
|
|
| 0 |
Bongo
Sketchy Bongo is a music producer from Durban
|
|
| 0 |
Candice
Candice Boucher is a Durban model
|
|
| 0 |
Dawn
Of Dawn King, TV actress
|
Written by Jenna Van Der Hoorn
Published: 03/15/2019, edited: 01/30/2020
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