Introduction
When it comes to adventure, sailing is easily one of the most natural and tenured ways human beings have traveled the Earth. Boats preceded nearly every other form of transportation and because of it, helped us discover all corners of the world, whether we originally believed them to exist or not. Historically, it’s also the oldest method of movement that also carried dogs. The Vikings carried ancestors of Icelandic Sheepdogs and Norwegian Elkhounds to new lands on nearly every expedition as working animals and companions, thanks to their top notch brains and faithful resolve. So why not pay tribute to their status as seafaring sidekicks with a sailing-inspired name of their own?
Sailing Inspired Dog Names in Pop Culture
As mentioned above, human beings and dogs have shared a special relationship throughout their existence from the earliest days of domestication. And much like the Vikings, who carried numerous pets from cats and dogs aboard their ships bound for everything from exploration to war, numerous other groups of people have kept canines aboard their ships both as working dogs and as companions.
One of the most notable was surely that of Sinbad, a mixed-breed dog (looks to be partial Rottweiler) that is only one of two animals to be technically and officially classified as non-commissioned officers by a branch of the military. He served on the United States Coast Guard ship named Campbell, which saw a significant amount of action during WWII. Sinbad originally came aboard after Chief Petty Officer A.A. Rother bought the dog as a gift for his girlfriend. Due to a restriction on the apartment she lived in, dogs were not allowed, so Rother ended up having no place to go with the dog while in the service. When he brought Sinbad aboard, no crewmen were able to take the dog either, but most agreed that he should stay aboard regardless, to be cared after by all. To make him official, they even had him put his paw print on his enlistment papers to ensure he was able to stay.
While his exploits aboard the Campbell were often overstated and magnified due to the publicity, Sinbad actually stayed below decks when the ship was thrust into battle on several occasions, yet still acted as a good companion to the crew, even after the boat was nearly sunk. In fact, the crew members even publicly stated that the captain, James Hirschfield, thought that Sinbad might have been a good luck charm, and that as long as he was aboard the ship, and even travelled with them to Canada for repairs after one battle left the ship in rough shape — during the process, only “essential crew” were allowed to stay aboard, Sinbad was one of them.
But regardless of his being below decks during battle, he was still given a significant number of awards post-war, including the American Defense Service Medal, European-African-Middle-Eastern Campaign Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal and the Navy Occupation Service Medal, many of which were attached to his collar.
During his tenure he became a public figure, a guest of honor for the Red Cross and numerous prestigious dinners, and was the first member of the Coast Guard to be the subject of a published biography. After 11 years of service he finally retired, being honorably discharged and living another three years at the Barnegat Light station in New Jersey, where he frequented the local bar and charmed visitors with a metal washer he balanced on his nose, flipped in the air, and caught.
Sailing Inspired Dog Name Considerations
When coming up with a suitable name for your dog, there are many facets of the process you should consider. To make it easier on yourself, start by identifying your dog’s strongest and most obvious traits, whether it's in looks or personality, as it will help make things easier down the road.
You’ll also want to consider what will best suit them thematically. If they are a bit of an explorer themselves or happen to love being in the water, then maybe giving them the name of someone historical or famous would be suitable, such as Vasco, Magellan or Drake. If they’re a bit more comical or animated, consider giving them the name of a famous character from pop culture or literature, such as Popeye (especially if they love spinach or are particularly muscular) or Ahab.
There are also a ton of options you can explore when it comes to sailing or seafaring terminology, many of which share names or definitions that also work for canines, such as Barque, which is a certain type of sailing vessel, or a Banyan, a word used to describe a relaxation day for sailors (which your dog might embody all the time).
Feel free to peruse our list or come up with some ideas of your own. There are several nautical glossaries that are chock-full of great terms and concepts that you can play off of.
Male Sailing Inspired Dog Names
Votes | Name | Vote |
---|---|---|
0 |
Bartolomeu
After Bartolomeu Dias, the first European to round the Cape of Good Hope
|
|
0 |
Columbus
After Christopher Columbus, who sailed to find the New World
|
|
0 |
Ferdinand
After Ferdinand Magellan, the first to circumnavigate the globe and prove it wasn't flat
|
|
0 |
Amerigo
After Amerigo Vespucci, historic explorer, sailor, and cartographer
|
|
0 |
Drake
After Sir Francis Drake, the second person to circumnavigate the world
|
|
0 |
Popeye
The spinach-gulping, muscled cartoon sailor
|
|
0 |
Ahab
After Captain Ahab of Moby Dick
|
|
0 |
Odysseus
After Homer's windbound sailor
|
|
0 |
Watson
After Jessica Watson, the youngest person to sail around the world without help
|
|
0 |
Gilboy
After Bernard Gilboy, who sailed a self-built schooner 7,000 miles across the Pacific in 1882
|
|
0 |
Shackleton
After Ernest Shackleton, who went from sea to sea and pole to pole in the early 1900s
|
|
0 |
Slocum
After Joshua Slocum, the first man to single-handedly sail around the world
|
|
0 |
Brig
A ship with two square rigged masts
|
|
0 |
Carrack
A ship with three or four masts, squared rigged forward, lateen aft
|
|
0 |
Cutter
A single-masted ship with two headsails and fore and aft rigged
|
|
0 |
Frigate
A European warship
|
|
0 |
Lugger
A two-masted vessel carrying lug sails
|
|
0 |
Schooner
A ship with two or more masts that's fore-and-aft rigged with the aftermost mast taller or equal to the fore mast
|
|
0 |
Thor
After Thor Heyerdahl, who sailed the Kon-Tiki
|
|
0 |
Admiral
A senior naval officer
|
|
0 |
Anchor
A weighted device used to keep a ship in place
|
|
0 |
Azimuth
A series of instruments used to navigate based on the celestial bodies
|
|
0 |
Banyan
A Royal Navy term for a rest or relaxation day
|
|
0 |
Batten
A thin strip of material used in several ways on a ship
|
|
0 |
Beaufort
As in Beaufort scale, which gauges the wind strength based on its effects on the sails
|
|
0 |
Buffer
The chief's mate in charge of discipline
|
|
0 |
Coaster
A shallow-hulled ship used for trading
|
|
0 |
Commodore
A military officer rank
|
|
0 |
Cowl
A ship's funneled ventilator
|
|
0 |
Cringle
A rope loop used for fixing a sail
|
Female Sailing Inspired Dog Names
Votes | Name | Vote |
---|---|---|
0 |
Vasco
After Vasco de Gama, one of the most iconic historic maritime explorers
|
|
0 |
Cabot
After John Cabot, one of the first Europeans to hit North America by sailing (outside of Scandinavians)
|
|
0 |
Magellan
After Ferdinand Magellan, one of the world's finest sailors in history
|
|
0 |
Vespucci
After Amerigo Vespucci, a master navigator by ship or otherwise
|
|
0 |
Cook
After James Cook, whose sailing prowess and cartography skills changed the perception of world geography
|
|
0 |
Vancouver
After George Vancouver, who helped with the longest sailing/mapping expedition of its time
|
|
0 |
Sparrow
After Jack Sparrow the fictional pirate
|
|
0 |
Darwin
After Charles Darwin, who was an accomplished seafarer before his scientific work
|
|
0 |
Cousteau
He was a pioneer of the ocean and a seafaring legend to many
|
|
0 |
Chay
After Chay Blyth, the first to circumnavigate the globe against winds and currents
|
|
0 |
Blyth
After Chay Blyth, who single-handedly and without stopping, circled the world by sail
|
|
0 |
Maria
After the Santa Maria, one of the most famous sailing ships in history
|
|
0 |
Victory
After the HMS Victory, the legendary flagship of the Royal Navy
|
|
0 |
Barque
A ship with at least three masts
|
|
0 |
Caravel
A small, maneuverable lateen rigged ship
|
|
0 |
Clipper
A speedy and square rigged merchant ship
|
|
0 |
Galleon
A large, square rigged ship from the 16th and 17th centuries
|
|
0 |
Luzzu
A double-ended hull of Maltese design
|
|
0 |
Kontiki
The name of the ship and expedition that sailed from South America to the Polynesian Islands
|
|
0 |
Heyerdahl
After Thor Heyerdahl, who sailed the Kon-Tiki to prove his point about native South Americans settling in Polynesia in pre-Columbian times
|
|
0 |
Alee
Towards the leeward side of a ship
|
|
0 |
Buoy
A floating marker
|
|
0 |
Aviso
A type of dispatch boat
|
|
0 |
Ballast
Heavy materials purposely placed in the hold to help maintain stability
|
|
0 |
Beacon
A lit or unlit fixed aid used in navigation
|
|
0 |
Bell
A type of buoy with a large bell
|
|
0 |
Bonnet
A strip of canvas on the sail used to increase ship motion in light winds
|
|
0 |
Burgee
A small, usually triangular flag denoting a yachter's membership
|
|
0 |
Collier
A bulk cargo ship used to transport coal
|
|
0 |
Corsair
A French privateer or ship used for the same
|