What is the most popular Chihuahua name?

In our club of 160 registered members, the most repeated names are Milo (five dogs) and Chloe (five, counting spellings), followed by Olivia, Romeo and Coco with four each. On general US lists, Bella, Max, Luna and Coco usually top the charts.

What are good names for a tiny Chihuahua?

Two roads work: a name as small as the dog (Peanut, Bean, Pixel, Nugget) or a huge name for contrast (Tyson, Bruno, Tony Montana, Killer). The contrast is what gets the most laughs and what club members pick most often.

Do Chihuahuas respond better to short names?

Yes. Two syllables with a strong vowel at the end (Milo, Coco, Rocky) stand out from the rest of what you say all day. If you pick a long name, always call him by the same short nickname.

Can I rename an adopted Chihuahua?

Yes, at any age. Pair the new name with food and affection for one or two weeks, saying it right before the treat. If the old name carried something negative, changing it is usually an advantage.

What are Mexican names for a Chihuahua?

Food names (Taco, Nacho, Churro, Elote), characters (Frida, Chapulín, Cantinflas) and Nahuatl names with meaning: Xóchitl (flower), Meztli (moon), Tonatiuh (sun), Xolo (the dog god). Our full list is in Mexican Chihuahua names.

Chihuahua Names: 220 Ideas Ranked by What Real Owners Chose

Picking Chihuahua names is harder than it looks, because the dog weighs 4 pounds and has the personality of one that weighs 90. At home we solved it with old-man names: Romeo Carlitos and Lorenzo Pablito. We figured a dog who barks at the elevator with that much conviction deserved a first and a middle name.

This isn’t the usual list of 500 names copied from other lists. It starts with what the owners in our club actually chose, and there are 160 of them across twelve countries. Then it opens up by style so you can find yours.

Want a name picked from your dog's personality?

Our Chihuahua name generator asks five questions about his character (does he think he's huge? does he bark at the elevator?) and hands you tailored names, with a shareable image. It's in Spanish, but the names travel.

Try the name generator →

The Chihuahua names real owners picked most

From the club register, membership number and all:

Name	Times	Where
Milo	5	Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina
Chloe (with Chloé and Clohe)	5	Ecuador, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela
Olivia	4	Argentina, Uruguay
Romeo	4	Argentina (including founder #0001), Peru
Coco	4	Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia
Luna, Lola, Lupita, Paris, Tiffany, Jack, Lorenzo	2 each	Mostly Argentina and Spain

Then, one member each: Nacho, Tito, Taco, Churro, Frida, Bruno, Rocky, Tyson, Drako, Otto, Prada, Fendi, Nutella, Cookie, Oreo, Mocca, Peanuts, Zero, Scar, Duki, Kai, Koda, Luke, Bilbo, and Tony Montana, from Uruguay, which is probably the best name on the whole register.

The pattern is clear. Chihuahua owners pick either short, soft names (Milo, Coco, Pipo) or tough-guy names for contrast (Tyson, Drako, Tony Montana), plus luxury brands (Prada, Fendi, Tiffany) and food. There’s no middle ground, and I think that makes sense.

Classic boy Chihuahua names

The ones that never fail. Two syllables, easy to shout across a park:

Max · Toby · Bruno · Rocky · Milo · Coco · Leo · Teo · Nico · Lucas · Simon · Benji · Otto · Louie · Charlie · Oliver · Teddy · Ollie · Buddy · Bentley · Gizmo · Rufus · Dexter · Finn · Jasper · Archie · Ziggy · Bruno · Pipo · Tito

Classic girl Chihuahua names

Luna · Lola · Nina · Mia · Zoe · Gala · Emma · Chloe · Olivia · Sophie · Lila · Amber · Pearl · Coral · Bella · Daisy · Lucy · Molly · Ruby · Rosie · Lulu · Penny · Pixie · Poppy · Hazel · Ivy · Willow · Stella · Zara · Frida

Mexican Chihuahua names

The breed is from Mexico and a name from there fits like a glove. A few here; the full list, with Nahuatl names and their meanings, is in Mexican Chihuahua names.

Boys: Pancho · Nacho · Chuy · Taco · Churro · Chapulín · Tequila · Mezcal · Diego · Pedro · Cantinflas · Elote · Nopal · Mole · Xolo · Tonatiuh (sun) · Cuauhtémoc (call him Temo)

Girls: Frida · Lupita · Xóchitl (say “SO-cheel,” flower) · Itzel · Citlali (star) · Meztli (moon) · Chela · Canela · Cajeta · Guayaba · Jamaica · Catrina · Selena · Mérida · Oaxaca

Funny names by contrast

The joke is giving 4 pounds of dog a name that sounds like 180. It works every time, and better when he barks:

Tyson · Rambo · Hulk · Thor · Conan · Tony Montana · Don Corleone · Vito · Rocco · Bruce · Killer · Tank · Bull · Beast · Titan · Goliath · Samson · Maximus · Brutus · Captain · Sergeant · Colonel · Boss · Chief · Sir · Doctor · Godzilla · King Kong · Chuck Norris · Rocky Balboa

Girls: Beast · Panther · Xena · Fury · Storm · Ronda · Killer · Queen · Duchess · Madam · Boss Lady · Her Majesty · Godzilla · Bonnie (Killer, a club member from Ecuador)

Names as tiny as the dog

The opposite joke:

Peanut · Bean · Pixel · Nugget · Button · Pebble · Crumb · Chip · Bit · Byte · Nano · Micro · Mini · Dot · Speck · Tic · Pip · Squirt · Teacup · Thimble

Food names

The fastest-growing category among members (Taco, Churro, Nutella, Oreo, Peanuts, Cookie, Mocca). They’re short, cheerful and impossible to forget:

Taco · Churro · Nacho · Oreo · Mochi · Kiwi · Peanut · Pistachio · Toffee · Waffle · Bagel · Pretzel · Nugget · Chorizo · Salami · Cheddar · Brie · Biscuit · Cookie · Muffin · Cupcake · Donut · Nutella · Mocha · Latte · Espresso · Cocoa · Honey · Maple · Pumpkin

Luxury brand names

The gap between a $2,000 handbag and a 4-pound dog is a genre of its own. The club has a Prada, a Fendi, a Channel and two Tiffanys:

Prada · Fendi · Chanel · Tiffany · Gucci · Dior · Hermès · Cartier · Bulgari · Versace · Coco (after Chanel) · Louis · Vuitton · Ferrari · Bentley · Porsche · Mercedes · Dolce · Armani · Rolex

Pop-culture and famous Chihuahua names

Famous Chihuahuas come with ready-made names, and members use them: there’s a Tito (from Oliver & Company) and a Scar.

Gidget (the Taco Bell dog) · Tinkerbell (Paris Hilton’s) · Bruiser (from Legally Blonde) · Papi and Chloe (from Beverly Hills Chihuahua) · Ren · Tito · Milly (the world’s smallest dog, from Puerto Rico) · Yoda · Gizmo · Stitch · Pikachu · Groot · Rocket · Bilbo · Frodo · Loki · Sherlock · Watson · Homer · Bart · Lisa · Elvis · Freddie · Bowie · Ringo · Leia · Arya · Khaleesi · Hermione

Elegant “old person” names

Our school. A Chihuahua with a grandparent’s name carries a dignity no “Max” can reach:

Boys: Romeo · Lorenzo · Alfredo · Arthur · Ernest · Eugene · Gregory · Horace · Ignatius · Leopold · Nestor · Octavio · Patrick · Raymond · Rudolph · Salvador · Theodore · Vincent · Walter · Winston · Reginald · Cornelius · Bartholomew (call him Bart) · Percival · Don Julio

Girls: Teresa · Carmen · Rosa · Josephine · Margaret · Beatrice · Adela · Aurora · Clara · Dolores (call her Lola) · Elvira · Eugenia · Ines · Eleanor · Matilda · Mercedes · Ophelia · Pilar · Ramona · Ursula · Agnes · Edith · Gertrude · Mabel · Doña Petrona

Short names, one or two syllables

The ones a dog responds to best. An open vowel at the end helps:

Kai · Leo · Teo · Tao · Rex · Ash · Ben · Bo · Gus · Lu · Nilo · Ozzy · Enzo · Iago · Ugo · Ivo · Noa · Rai · Roy · Sam · Tom · Zac · Zen · Zed · Uli

How to pick a name (and get him to come)

Two syllables, strong final vowel. “Milo” stands out from everything else you say to him. “Maximilian” doesn’t; always use “Max.”
It shouldn’t rhyme with a command. “Sit,” “no,” “stay.” If the name sounds like a cue, you’ll confuse him.
Say it out loud at the park before you decide. Some great names are embarrassing to shout. Don Corleone is one.
If you adopted him with a name, you can change it. One or two weeks of saying the new one right before every treat and you’re done. How a puppy learns his name and everything else is in our Chihuahua puppy care guide.
Pick the one that makes you smile. You’ll say it about twenty times a day for fifteen years. Exactly how long that is, we cover in how long Chihuahuas live.

We named Romeo “Romeo Carlitos” because at two months old he already looked at everyone as if they owed him money, and we felt he needed a name with history. Eleven years later, he turns around with the same face when you call him. Lorenzo Pablito arrived nine years after and inherited the format. If the house is going to fill up with little old men, they may as well have old men’s names.

Written by Belen Salto, who shares her life with Romeo and Lorenzo, two Chihuahuas. · Ver en español

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