Jazz Inspired Dog Names

If there is any genre best suited for dog names, it’s easily jazz, because many famous players had fantastic names and nicknames that transcended time as well as the music itself. Sheer familiarity has made names like Dizzy, Duke, Louis and Miles almost seem to fill in the blank, as if there is no question about who the speaker is referring to, a testament to the power of their influence. Because of it, many jazz-inspired names stand on their own, which is perfect for the owner looking to both make their dog stand out from the crowd and leave no question as to their inspiration. For jazz lovers, it’s the perfect medium, as they get to enjoy the love of their pet and their love for the genre every time they trumpet their dog’s name. 

Whether you love a specific jazz musician or the genre in general, both areas have a wide variety of words and names to choose from. We’ve done our best to pick names of the most notable musicians that held significant historical relevance, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should feel limited to names alone. After all, sometimes the most unconventional can be the best-sounding or better yet, the most encompassing of an idea you’d like your pet’s name to reflect. 

Of course, there’s a lot to consider in terms of angle. Giving your dog the name of your favorite musician is simple enough, but don’t overlook other good opportunities because of it. A dog’s look, their personality or even their bark can be a great basis for generating ideas and can make their name that much more clever in the long run. 

If you want to come up with something based on looks, for instance, Spalding would be a great fit for a poodle with a lot of dark, curly hair after singer/bassist Esperanza Spalding. If you want to base it on personality, calling your spastic, energetic dog Coltrane would be perfectly apt. If your dog does a lot of bow-wowing, bending their howls in the process, naming them Dorsey after the famous trombonist Tommy Dorsey would be just as insightful. 

But of course, as mentioned above, you don’t have to be limited by names alone. Many words are jazz-specific enough to be at least somewhat obvious, if not perfectly subtle. Bebop is a style that makes a great name. Chase is another, meaning two soloists chasing each other in four-bar increments, that both makes a great name and plays on the interaction between humans and dogs. Lydian is a fundamental jazz scale. Fig implies the term “moldy fig” or someone with out of date tastes. Monster is a superior player. 

There are plenty of options so be creative. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to fit your need. After all, as Thelonious Monk once said, “There are no wrong notes, some are just more right than others.”