Introduction
For those who enjoy cult classics, holiday movies or even just the creative brilliance and excessive weirdness of Tim Burton, giving your dog a name straight from this neo-classic will surely help to cement your love for your pet and the film simultaneously. Of course, many names and characters from Nightmare are often considered dark and off-beat, but in turn will also tell those around you that you and your pet are likely anything but “normal.” Whether the name is blatantly obvious or a subtle tribute, bestowing it upon your furry friend for all time will undoubtedly be a reminder that your love for the movie and pet go far deeper than the name at the surface.
The Nightmare Before Christmas Dog Names
There seems to be little doubt that Tim Burton has an affinity for dogs. They are, in fact, featured in numerous films, either as helpful sidekicks or humorous characters that add emotional depth, dynamic, and entertainment value wherever and whenever he decides to employ them. In interviews, he’s made several notable comments on these lovable characters, many of which were inspired by dogs he owned or knew himself, and a few of whom's storylines reflected their actual historical character or even represented his relationship with them in his own life.
The first was featured in a short animated film Burton produced in 1982 titled Vincent, a story of a young boy who longs to be like his dark and brooding idol, Vincent Price. Abercrombie, the dog who is the subject of his experiments, does not play a large role in the short film or the poem it was based on, but did stand as the first evidence of Burton’s love and respect for faithful companions (especially in reference to his desire for their immortality, a frequent theme in his use of them), as evidenced by the following lines: “He likes to experiment on his dog Abercrombie in the hopes of creating a horrible zombie, so he and his horrible zombie dog could go searching for victims in the London fog.”
While not the first, Sparky, the star of Burton’s infamous Frankenweenie, might easily be the most controversial, as the film’s completion ended with Disney firing Burton, claiming he had wasted company resources on a film that was too dark for children — Sparky was run over by a car and returned to life ala a storyline/experiment highly-reminiscent of the original 1930s Frankenstein. The original Sparky was played by a Bull Terrier in 1984 but was animated in the 2012 remake and retained much of his original look.
Of course, Burton didn’t end there either, featuring both Poppy, a feisty chihuahua whose head eventually replaces their owner’s in 1996’s Mars Attacks! and Scraps, a skeleton dog, in 2005’s The Corpse Bride.
But likely the most universally recognizable dogs of Burton’s creations is Zero, Jack Skellington’s sidekick in The Nightmare Before Christmas. While Zero is not attributed any specific breed in form, his simple design caused him to be as identifiable as Skellington himself. In the film, he is inseparable from Jack, staying by his side while he laments, influencing his decisions, and leading him through the fog of Christmas Eve with a glowing pumpkin nose, a not-so-subtle play on Rudolph.
Zero’s character became so popular over the last couple decades, he’s sold much of his own merchandise and even been featured as the subject of numerous DIY Halloween costumes (for dogs and people alike) and decorations that further cement his widespread adoration.
The Nightmare Before Christmas Dog Name Considerations
You may consider giving your dog a The Nightmare Before Christmas name for a variety of reasons. At the surface, you may just love the movie so much you’d like to carry on your love for it by giving your pet a name based on a favorite character. Or maybe every time you think of your little Jack Russell Terrier, you instantly think of Jack Skellington because of their matched names.
But on a deeper level, there may be other factors that trigger your decision. Maybe your pet moves with the strange fluidity of full-speed stop motion or often awkwardly stops mid-movement and pauses to look around. Maybe they have a interesting mark on their face, a wide smile like Mr. Skellington himself, or turn from gleeful to worrisome in a heartbeat like the Mayor. They may even have a patch of fur that looks like Jack’s head and eyes or have several that seem out of place, reminiscent of the patchwork of Sally’s dress.
Whatever you choose, there is little doubt that you will take great joy in calling them as such, as the movie will forevermore be a reminder of your faithful sidekick, and your sidekick a reminder of one of your favorite movies.
Male The Nightmare Before Christmas Dog Names
Votes | Name | Vote |
---|---|---|
3 |
Jack
Skellington, Nightmare's main character
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|
2 |
Doc
A tried and true dog name, referenced here to Doctor Finkelstein
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|
1 |
Zero
Jack's faithful ghost dog
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|
0 |
Skellington
Jack's last name, odd but unique
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|
0 |
Finkelstein
After Doctor Finkelstein, Sally's creator
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|
0 |
Wolfie
Also known as Wolfman, the large, toothy plaid-wearing wolf
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|
0 |
Sparky
The star of Burton's Frankenweenie
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|
0 |
Vincent
A favorite name of Burton's, used in numerous films
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0 |
Burton
The last name of Nightmare's creator, Tim Burton
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0 |
King
After Jack Skellington's nickname, the Pumpkin King
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0 |
Frank
After Frankenweenie, one of Burton's first films
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0 |
Nightmare
A tribute to the movie's namesake, a playful name for a troublemaker
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0 |
Reuben
A tribute to Paul Reubens, who voiced the character Lock
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0 |
Claws
The second half of the mistaken name of Santa Claus, Sandy Claws
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0 |
Bones
What many characters in the movie are made of
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0 |
Goblin
Characters in Nightmare, there are many, vast and varied
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0 |
Haunter
A playful, spooky take on "Hunter"
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0 |
Spider
A commonly creepy motif in the film
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0 |
Fang
Almost every character has them in great capacity and use
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0 |
Beast
If it's larger and hairier than a goblin, it's probably a beast
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0 |
Carver
A historic and popular name, but referenced here as in a pumpkin carver
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|
-2 |
Lock
The tallest and skinniest of the three troublemakers
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-2 |
Barrel
The barrel-shaped member of the troublemaking trio
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-2 |
Cyclops
The strange, tall-eared, one-eyed monster
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-2 |
Igor
Doctor Finkelstein's hunch-backed helper
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-2 |
Hyde
The top-hatted, chain-bearing creep
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-2 |
Elfman
After Danny Elfman, Nightmare's score composer and Jack's singing voice
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-2 |
Selick
After Henry Selick, the stop-motion genius, Nightmare's director
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-2 |
Bogey
The identity of Oogie Boogie, the bogeyman
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|
-2 |
Clay
After the overall look of the animated characters
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Female The Nightmare Before Christmas Dog Names
Votes | Name | Vote |
---|---|---|
2 |
Sally
Jack's patchwork love
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|
2 |
October
The month of Halloween
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|
1 |
Shock
The female of the troublesome triad
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|
1 |
Sandy
The mistaken title of Santa Claus
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|
1 |
Scraps
The skeleton dog sidekick of Vincent, from Burton's The Corpse Bride's
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|
1 |
Ohara
After Catherine O'Hara, the voice of Sally
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|
1 |
Patches
What Sally is made from, patches of cloth
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1 |
Hallow
The first half of halloween, as in holy
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1 |
Skelly
Short for Skellington and a play on the traditional "Kelly"
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1 |
Batty
Bats were the second-most used motif in the film, a play on Betty
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1 |
Skully
Another playful take on skulls, a frequent theme in Nightmare
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|
0 |
Boogie
As in Oogie Boogie, Nightmare's villain
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|
0 |
Mayor
The happy yet worrisome, no-named Mayor of Halloweentown
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|
0 |
Poppy
The chihuahua-turned-human from Burton's Mars Attacks!
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|
0 |
Abercrombie
Vincent's experimental dog subject in Burton's short film Vincent
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|
0 |
Harlequin
The snake-haired demon
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|
0 |
Pumpkin
The most notable motif in the film
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|
0 |
Ghost
Spooky residents of the graveyard
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|
0 |
Ghoul
Someone interested in the morbidity of death and disaster
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0 |
Fink
Short for Finkelstein, the mad scientist
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|
0 |
Rags
What Sally is made of, patchwork rags
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0 |
Ragdoll
Another tribute to Sally, the rag doll
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0 |
Puppet
What was used to create the movie's characters
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0 |
Moon
The featured image of the movie, paired with Jack's silhouette
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0 |
Stitch
The method by which Sally is fixed and Oogie is undone
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0 |
Boo
The timeless scary noise employed by ghosts
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0 |
Shadow
The dark behind the light
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0 |
Potion
What knocks out Dr. Finkelstein so Sally can meet Jack
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0 |
Howler
The wolf man is a howler, as are many other unseen characters
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0 |
Eerie
Creepy, crawly, spooky, eerie
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