30 Strong Female Dog Names for Powerful Pups

Picking your puppy’s name might come with a lot of pressure. After all, she has to own it her entire life. 

And as a pet parent, you want it to fit both her personality and her demeanor. Whether your dog is coming home as a tiny pup or being welcomed into her forever home with a long history, you can honor your girl’s past, present and future by choosing from a list of strong female dog names for her that will set her up for a lifetime of love and respect. 

And choosing a female dog name after someone known for her amazing character traits or accomplishments is a great place to get a namesake. Maybe you’re looking for a tough girl dog name based on a historical figure, a political pathmaker, or a pop culture icon. If you’re starting from scratch, it can feel like a daunting task. But if you need a little help, we did all the name brainstorming for you. 

Best Strong Female Dog Names

• Ruth
• Sandra
• Artemis
• Annie
• Jane
• Amelia
• Dolly
• Rosa
• Florence
• Athena
• Joan
• Leia
• Billy
• Clara
• Nancy
• Georgia
• Maya
• Rosie 
• Harriet
• Valerie
• Dorothy 
• Amina
• Marie
• Frida
• Serena

Ruth: Have a passion for politics? You might like to name your pup after Ruth Bader Ginsberg, the Supreme Court Justice who was nominated to her seat on August 10, 1993. She held her seat and championed women’s rights until her passing on September 18, 2020.

Sandra: Sticking with the Supreme Court theme, you may also go with Sandra, after Sandra Day O’Connor, who became the first female Supreme Court Justice in 1981, and served until 2006. Sandra also means “man’s defender” in Greek. 

Artemis: If your pup is always on the hunt, then you should consider naming her Artemis. In Greek mythology, she was the daughter of Zeus and Leto (and twin sister of Apollo), and is known as the Greek goddess of wild animals and hunting.

Annie: There are few people tougher in the world than cowgirls, so if your pup is one tough chick, you might consider naming her after Annie Oakley. She lived a rough and tough life, and became known for her sharpshooting skills. She also became a worldwide celebrity showing them off in wild west shows.

Jane: If you’re a literature fan, you may want your puppy’s name to pay homage to novelist Jane Austen, who is known as one of the best female authors in history. During her short life (she passed at 41 years old), she wrote the iconic novels “Sense and Sensibility,” “Pride and Prejudice,” “Emma,” and more.

Amelia: This name would be for female pilot Amelia Earhart. She was only the 16th woman issued a pilot’s license by the world governing body for aeronautics, and was the first woman on a transatlantic flight (although she didn’t pilot the flight, she was a passenger). However, it spurred her aviation career, and her attempt to become the first person to circumnavigate the entire globe around the equator when she vanished on July 2, 1937.

Dolly: If your pup is feisty and creative, there can only be one Dolly that comes to mind that she should be named after. Dolly Parton, the female country musician and songwriter paved (and continues to pave) the way for women in the music industry. She has won multiple Grammy awards, and was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.

Rosa: Maybe you should name your pup after Rosa Parks, who is recognized as the “mother of the modern day civil rights movement” in the United States. She refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, on December 1, 1955, which established her role in the civil rights movement.

Florence: This strong female name would honor Florence Nightingale, the woman who is credited with founding modern nursing. She was known for her personalized care methods, which earned her the nickname “the Lady with the Lamp,” and she also wrote over 150 books and pamphlets on nursing safety and best practices.

Athena: If your dog has ‘protectress’ traits, Athena may be the name for her. In Greek mythology, Athena is known as the goddess of war, and was known for her bravery. It’s one of our favorite strong female dog names.

Joan: If your pup has warrior-like qualities, a great name for her might be Joan, after Joan of Arc. She was a French heroine who led the French army during the Hundred Years’ War, and famously disguised herself as a man incognito to continue her military pursuits. She was burned at the stake for heresy at the age of 19.

Leia: That’s right…true Star Wars fans know that Princess Leia is the ultimate boss lady, and Leia is one of our favorite Star Wars dog names. So if your pup has the same spirit, it’s a great name to pick. Not only is Leia a strong Jedi Knight who is full of will, she also is known in pop culture as a feminist hero. 

Billie: If you’re a tennis fan, or your pup loves to chase around tennis balls, then Billie (after Billie Jean King) is a fitting name. Billie broke down barriers in female tennis, becoming the #1 tennis athlete in the world, with 39 Grand Slam titles, and has since become an advocate within the LGBTQ community.

Clara: The name Clara would pay homage to Clara Barton, the American Civil War nurse who founded the American Red Cross in 1881. She also was a staunch supporter of suffrage rights for women.

Nancy: If you grew up reading Nancy Drew mystery stories, you know that she is a strong-willed detective known for her independence and intelligence. So if your pup has these traits, it might be the perfect name for her.

Georgia: Modern art lovers might choose to name their puppy after painter Georgia O’Keeffe. From flowers to landscapes, her art was both radical and beautiful. And although she suffered from macular degeneration, she continued to paint and create until her death at 98 years old. Talk about grit!

Maya: Your pup’s namesake can also honor poet and author Maya Angelou. Although she was born Marguerite Johnson, her name is synonymous with her powerful poetry and her civil rights activism. She also was the first Black woman director in Hollywood.

Rosie: If your puppy is strong and determined, you should name her after Rosie the Riveter. Although she wasn’t one woman in particular, her image became iconic during World War II as a symbol of strong women who stepped up in the workforce to do typically male-dominated factory work.

Harriet: You can also honor American abolitionist Harriet Tubman (born Araminta Ross) with your puppy’s name. She famously escaped slavery via the Underground Railroad, and became a conductor herself, guiding more than 300 people to freedom.

Valerie: If you can already tell your pup is brave, then you have to name her Valerie. Derived from the Latin word ‘valere’ (which you may recognize in the word ‘valiant’), it’s a name that means brave and represents health and strength. 

Dorothy: Film fans know that Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz (famously played by Judy Garland) was so much more than a farm girl trying to find her way home. And if she’s one of your favorite female film protagonists, you should name your pup in her honor. After all, Dorothy showed courage throughout the film and defeated the Wicked Witch of the West, while also helping her friends along the way. Dorothy also means ‘gift of God’ in Greek.

Amina: If your pup has a warrior spirit, Amina might be the perfect name for her. She would be named after Queen Amina, a 16th century African queen and warrior (in modern day Nigeria) who was known as a ‘ruthless’ warrior who “took delight in warfare” and led an army of 20,000 men. 

Marie: Love science? You could name your puppy after the amazing physicist and chemist Marie Curie. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize (she actually won it twice) for her work on radioactivity, which helped develop X-rays. 

Frida: Your pup’s name could also honor Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, one of the most accomplished artists of the 21st century. She was known for her Surrealist self portraits, folk art and unique personal style (as well as her infamous unibrow).

Serena: If you can tell your puppy knows exactly who she is, Serena may be a fitting name for her. It’s derived from the Latin word sĕrēnus, which means “clear, fair, bright, serene.” And of course, if you love tennis, you can aslo name your pup after Serena Williams, who currently holds the most singles Grand Slam titles of any living tennis player. 

Additional Strong Female Dog Names

• Catherine (after Russian empress Catherine the Great)
• Babe (after Olympian athlete and golfer Babe Didrikson Zaharias)
• Julia (after chef Julia Child)
• Sylvia (after poet and novelist Sylvia Plath)
• Scout (after character Scout Finch from the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee)