Introduction
Hercules Inspired Dog Names in Pop Culture
Hercules is a purebred Mastiff dog; he's owned by John Flynn of Massachusetts. Hercules' owner never sought to make his massive Mastiff famous. However, a young boy happened to overhear Flynn discussing his Hercules with another Mastiff pet parent. When Flynn mentioned that his humongous Hercules weighed in at approximately 275 pounds, the little boy couldn't help but want to find out how Hercules compared to the current title holder (of the title for largest dog in the Guinness book). The young boy, David Delauri, was astonished to find that the dog with the title weighed only a little more than Hercules (the title holder at that time was another Mastiff weighing in at 296). David reported his findings to John Flynn, and John took Hercules to the veterinarian in order to have more accurate measurements to send in to Guinness should Hercules qualify.
Hercules' owner was surprised to find that his Mastiff weighed a whopping 282 pounds and possessed a neck circumference of thirty-eight inches! In addition, when Flynn contacted Guinness, the company informed him that the previous record holder had passed away, an event that made Hercules the new title holder.
Hercules' story doesn't end there, though! In today's world, hoaxes are ever-common! Shortly after Hercules' story was made public and people learned of his distinction, doctored pictures of a dog claiming to be Hercules began circulating the Internet. This dog is often pictured with a couple and a horse. The pictures make Hercules look like he is almost as tall as the horse, more muscular and somewhat broader than his equine companion. To further the hoax, not only did one picture of the supposed Hercules surface, but three did!
It didn't take long before the fake photos were being debunked! First of all, the dog used in the fake pictures is a Neopolitan Mastiff, rather than an English Mastiff (neither breed is related). Next, the size of the dog is totally out of proportion of what an English Mastiff can grow to - the picture makes the fake Hercules appear to be nearly three-quarters of the size of the horse also in the picture, but no Mastiff, no matter how huge, has ever reached those dimensions. Regardless, many people fell for the online trickery.
Hercules Inspired Dog Name Considerations
Hercules proves to be quite a heroic figure in the Disney adaptation of his story. However, this is not to say that the Hercules of Roman mythology was any less a hero. The traditional Hercules was bound by honor, which made him heroic. Even though he made many mistakes throughout his life, he always tried to rectify those issues. The Hercules of the Disney movie must prove he is heroic by fighting for what is right, including rescuing two young boys and later, Meg (Hercules' love interest).
Male Hercules Inspired Dog Names
Votes | Name | Vote |
---|---|---|
1 |
Zeus
The chief god; he imprisons his parents The Titans
|
|
0 |
Hal
Hal Holbrook plays the part of Hercules' earthly (adoptive) father
|
|
0 |
Dan
Danny DeVito provides the voice of Philoctetes
|
|
0 |
Cyclops
One of Hercules' antagonist; also a great name for a very strong dog
|
|
0 |
Phil
Short for Philoctetes, a satyr who assists Hercules
|
|
0 |
Hades
The lord of the Underworld; Hercules' chief antagonist
|
|
0 |
Rocky
DWayne "The Rock" Johnson is the voice of Hercules
|
|
0 |
Nicholaus
One of the minor characters Hercules encounters in his film
|
|
0 |
Phineas
A minor character in the Disney film
|
|
0 |
Arius
A young boy that Hercules saves at the behest of Meg
|
|
0 |
Tobias
Tobias Santelmann plays the part of Rhesus
|
|
0 |
Rhesus
One of Hercules' antagonists throughout the film
|
|
0 |
Eurystheus
King Eurystheus asked Hercules to return the Cerebus to the Underworld
|
|
0 |
Reece
Reece Ritchie plays the part of Iolaus
|
|
0 |
Iolaus
One of Hercules' antagonist
|
|
0 |
Tydeus
He is known as the wild barbarian of the film
|
|
0 |
Rufus
Rufus Sewell plays the part of Autolycus
|
|
0 |
Cotys
Lord Cotys, one of Hercules' main antagonist
|
|
0 |
Ian
Ian McShane plays the part of Amphiaraus
|
|
0 |
Hercules
Our hero, and the lead character
|
|
0 |
Hercules
Our hero, and the lead character
|
|
0 |
Ian
Ian McShane plays the part of Amphiaraus
|
|
0 |
Cotys
Lord Cotys, one of Hercules' main antagonist
|
|
0 |
Rufus
Rufus Sewell plays the part of Autolycus
|
|
0 |
Tydeus
He is known as the wild barbarian of the film
|
|
0 |
Iolaus
One of Hercules' antagonist
|
|
0 |
Reece
Reece Ritchie plays the part of Iolaus
|
|
0 |
Eurystheus
King Eurystheus asked Hercules to return the Cerebus to the Underworld
|
|
0 |
Rhesus
One of Hercules' antagonists throughout the film
|
|
0 |
Tobias
Tobias Santelmann plays the part of Rhesus
|
|
0 |
Arius
A young boy that Hercules saves at the behest of Meg
|
|
0 |
Phineas
A minor character in the Disney film
|
|
0 |
Nicholaus
One of the minor characters Hercules encounters in his film
|
|
0 |
Rocky
DWayne "The Rock" Johnson is the voice of Hercules
|
|
0 |
Zeus
The chief god; he imprisons his parents The Titans
|
|
0 |
Hades
The lord of the Underworld; Hercules' chief antagonist
|
|
0 |
Phil
Short for Philoctetes, a satyr who assists Hercules
|
|
0 |
Cyclops
One of Hercules' antagonist; also a great name for a very strong dog
|
|
0 |
Dan
Danny DeVito provides the voice of Philoctetes
|
|
0 |
Hal
Hal Holbrook plays the part of Hercules' earthly (adoptive) father
|
Female Hercules Inspired Dog Names
Votes | Name | Vote |
---|---|---|
0 |
Megara
Hercules' love interest
|
|
0 |
Hera
Hercules' mother who gives him up for his own safety
|
|
0 |
Alcmene
Hercules' adoptive mother
|
|
0 |
Peg
Short for Pegasus; a mythological character that is also Hercules' friend
|
|
0 |
Susan
Susan Egan plays the part of Megara
|
|
0 |
Ingrid
Ingrid Bolso Berdal plays the part of Atalanta in the 2014 version of the film
|
|
0 |
Ergenia
A Thraician princess; this name would fit a Great Pyrenees
|
|
0 |
Becca
Rebecca Ferguson played the part of Ergenia
|
|
0 |
Irina
Irina Shayk played the part of Megara in the 2014 film
|
|
0 |
Karolina
Karolina Szymczak played the part of Alcmena in the 2014 film
|
|
0 |
Nora
One of Ergenia's maids in the 2014 film
|
|
0 |
Juno
The Roman equivalent of Hera, queen of the gods
|
|
0 |
Delphi
The Oracle at Delphi was often run by a priestess of Apollo
|
|
0 |
Athena
The goddess of war; she aided Hercules in completing his twelve Labors
|
|
0 |
Arcadia
A mythical place on which Hercules stayed while completing many of his Labors
|
|
0 |
Hippolyte
The leader of the Amazons; Hercules was to capture her girdle as a part of the Labors
|
|
0 |
Melani
Melanippe was a variation of Queen Hippolyte's name
|
|
0 |
Hesperus
Mother of the Hesperids with her husband Atlas
|
|
0 |
Minerva
Wife of the god of the sea, Neptune
|
|
0 |
Flora
The goddess of flowers; this name is perfect for a dog that loves playing outdoors
|
|
0 |
Diana
The Roman name of the goddess of the hunt
|
|
0 |
Luna
The spiritual embodiment of the moon
|
|
0 |
Lucina
A goddess associated with midwifery; she was an incarnation of Juno
|
|
0 |
Aurora
The Roman goddess of the dawn
|
|
0 |
Nona
A personification of destiny or fate
|
|
0 |
Roma
She was the spiritual embodiment of Rome
|
|
0 |
Terra
Terra was one of the Roman goddesses of the earth and the harvest
|
|
0 |
Venus
The goddess of beauty and love
|
|
0 |
Tori
Victoria is the goddess of victory; her Greek equivalent is Nike
|
|
0 |
Lycia
A city in the Mediterranean during the height of the Roman Empire
|