240+ Tan Dog Names For Your Pup
Grab a cuppa joe and a toasty baked treat and prepare to be tan-gled up in cuteness as you read through our tan-tastic list of over 240 tan names for your pup.
(Too many puns?…. Is there such a thing?)
♀️ Female Tan Dog Names for Your Khaki Queen
We adore the name “Buffy”, not only because its a wonderful shade on the brown color spectrum, but because it is perfectly suited to a lady dog who is the undeniable boss of the dog park (Buffy the Vampire Slayer style!)
Autumn | when all the leaves start to turn brown (some will be a light brown/tan) |
Buffy | buff is a light browny-beige color (also a vampire slayer) |
Fawn | a light yellowish-tan color |
Marsha | for marshes (the water can be yellow to dark brown – tan falls in that color spectrum) |
Meg | for nutmeg – the spice |
Penny | when copper coins start to oxidize they take on a brownish hue |
Reese | for Reese's peanut butter pieces – the peanut butter inside is a tan color |
Sandy | for all the sandy beaches with light brown sand |
Sienna | a color on the lighter brown side of the color spectrum |
Sierra | part of the brown color family |
Summer | you can tan your body in the summer |
Sunny | you can get a lovely tan in the sun |
Tawny | tawny is a light brown color |
♂️ Male Tan Dog Names for Your Camo Commando
We adore the name “Bruno” for a tan colored Pitbull – it is just the right amount of tough for this misunderstood breed. We also think “Teddy” is a superb name for a great big Mastiff – while these aren’t fluffy dogs, they are great big slobbery teddy bears with their gentle, loving natures.
Over the past few years, we have curated more than 20,000 dog names.
In just a few easy steps, you can discover a wide array of wonderful names, each selected to match your dog’s size, color, gender, personality, and beyond. Plus, there's the option to save your top picks and share them with friends or family.
It will only take two minutes and it's completely free!
Bruno | a popular male name among many ethnicities – means “brown” |
Camo | Army camouflage uniforms can be shades of brown |
Cash | for cashew nuts |
Corkie | cork is a light brown/tan color |
Rocky | for rocks and stones |
Rudolph | for the reindeer (which can be light brown) |
Rusty | iron is one metal that can turn brown when it oxidizes |
Skippy | after the peanut butter brand (peanut butter is tan) |
Tanner | a name meaning “leather maker” or a comparative form of the word “tan” meaning more tan |
Teddy | for teddy bears |
Woody | some types of wood are a tan color |
🍪 Yummy Food-Inspired Names for Tan Dogs
There are some serious craving inducing names on this list, so if you have a food weakness, you might not want to be yelling “Biscuit” all day!
Almond (“Al” for short) |
Baby Bella (for the mushrooms) |
Bagel |
Bean (for pinto beans) |
Biscuit |
Brownie (with ice cream to make it light brown) |
Buns (burger buns are a tan color especially when lightly toasted) |
Butterscotch |
Caramel |
Chestnut (“Chester” for short) |
Chickpea |
Churro (made from a choux pastry and piped into hot oil to be deep fried, then covered in cinnamon sugar) |
Cinnamon |
Cookie |
Crackers |
Crumpet |
Crunchie (a baked oat treat) |
Donut |
Fritter (fritters are fried and turn a golden color when cooked) |
Fudge |
Ginger |
Hazel (for the nuts) |
Maple (for maple syrup) |
Meatball (chicken or turkey meatballs are light brown when fried) |
Muffin |
Noodle (wholewheat noodles are light brown) |
Nugget |
Pancake |
Peanut |
Peanut Butter |
Pecan |
Pie |
Pinto (for pinto beans) |
Pretzel |
Puddin' |
Pumpkin (for pumpkin seeds) |
Rolo (cone shaped chocolates with caramel inside. They are sold in rolls) |
Spud (for potatoes) |
Sugar (light brown sugar) |
Toast (“Toasty” is a great dog name) |
Toffee |
Truffles |
Twinkie |
Wafer |
Walnut (“Wally” for short) |
☕ Name Your Tan Dog Like Your Favorite Drink
Yum! Now to wash those treats down with a delicious drink. We think “Chai” is a delightfully unusual name and have to say “Earl” is the perfect choice for a Pug – they really look like little old men!
Amarula |
Brandy |
Cappuccino |
Captain (Captain Morgan Spiced Gold – Rum) |
Chai |
Coffee (with milk) |
Earl (for earl grey tea – with milk, of course) |
Java (coffee is also called Java) |
Latte |
Macchiato |
Milkshake |
Milo (a milky chocolate flavored drink) |
Mocha |
Morgan (Captain Morgan Spiced Gold – Rum) |
Oolong (traditional Chinese tea) |
Scotch |
Tea |
Whiskey |
🪵 Nature-Inspired Names For a Tan Dog
We love the names “Pebbles” and “Barky”, but our absolute top pick is “Oakley” – strong, regal and unusual – it ticks all the boxes.
Acorn | can be a light brown |
Alder | the alder tree is white when it is cut but when the wood is exposed to air, it changes to a light brown color |
Ash | Ash is a light colored, smooth grained hardwood that grows in Canada |
Barky | tree bark can be light brown |
Branch | tree branches can be a tan color |
Bronze | a shiny light brown color |
Canyon | Canyons have various shades of brown, one of them is a tan color |
Cypress | cypress tree wood is a light brown color |
Douglas | douglas fir tree wood is light brown – can also call your dog “Doug” |
Dune | sand dunes are a tan color |
Elm | Elm wood with a natural stain is a light brown color |
Hickory | hickory wood ranges from light to medium brown shades |
Oakley | for the oak tree |
Pebbles | pebbles can be tan |
Pinecone | “Coney” or “Piney” for a nickname |
Sahara | for the desert |
Timber | Timer is a tan brown |
Tourmaline | a rare gemstone that can be a brown color – “Mali” for short |
Twig | twigs can be a tan color – “Twiggy” for short |
Willow | the wood of the willow tree is a light creamy brown |
🎬 Tan Dog Names Inspired By Characters in Movies, TV Shows, and Books
We have found a list of all the best light brown characters in pop culture and there are some fabulous names here to choose from. As complete Christmas fanatics, we love the idea of a bit of Christmas all year round so would definitely pick a reindeer name for our pooch. Which is your favorite?
Blitzen | The Christmas Chronicles | Female |
Chewbacca | “Chewy” for short – Star Wars | Male |
Cindy | Yogi Bear | Female |
Clay | Wings of Fire (mudwing dragon) | Male |
Comet | The Christmas Chronicles | Female |
Cupid | The Christmas Chronicles | Female |
Dale | Chip ‘n Dale | Male |
Dancer | The Christmas Chronicles | Female |
Dasher | The Christmas Chronicles | Female |
Donner | The Christmas Chronicles | Female |
Dug | Up | Male |
Einstein | Back to the Future | Male |
Ewok | Star Wars | Unisex |
Jock | Jock of the Bushveld | Male |
Marmaduke | Marmaduke | Male |
Max | How the Grinch Stole Christmas | Male |
Ochre | Wings of Fire (mudwing dragon) | Male |
Prancer | The Christmas Chronicles | Female |
Sepia | Wings of Fire (mudwing dragon) | Female |
Umber | Wings of Fire (mudwing dragon) | Male |
Vixen | The Christmas Chronicles | Female |
Waffle | Waffle the Wonder Dog | Male |
Wicket | An Ewok from Star Wars | Male |
Winn-Dixie | Because of Winn-Dixie | Male |
Wookiee | Star Wars | Unisex |
Yogi | Yogi Bear | Male |
😁 Fun Dog Names Inspired by Other Tan Animals
The wild is full of amazing tan colored animals to draw inspiration from when naming your dog. There are so many incredible options here, but if we had to pick a favorite, it would be “Grizzly” for a male Boerboel.
Alpaca | they can have tan coats – “Al” or “Pacs” as a nickname |
Bear | for light brown bears |
Buck | many bucks are light brown |
Bunny | for the tan rabbit – a small fancy breed of rabbit |
Butterfly | brown butterflies are meant to symbolize luck and good fortune |
Chipmunk | they have light brown bodies with darker stripes down their back |
Cougar | they are a tan color |
Deer | deers are a lovely tan color |
Falcon | for the brown falcon |
Gecko | they can be a light brown/tan color |
Gopher | they can have fur in various shades of brown |
Grizzly | grizzly bears can be a light brown |
Hartebeest | an African antelope – “Hart” or “Beest” for short |
Hawk | Hawk feathers are typically in shades of brown |
Hooty | for the tawny owl |
Jersey | the jersey cow is tan with incredible eyelashes |
Kangaroo | “Kanga” or “Roo” for short – they are a tan color |
Kay | for DeKay's brownsnake |
Mink | light brown minks are super cute! |
Monkey | for the rhesus macaque – a tan colored monkey |
Moose | they vary in color from light brown to dusty black |
Moth | many moths are light brown in color |
Otter | their color ranges from light cinnamon to dark brown |
Squirrel | Squirrels can be a tan color in rare instances |
Thrasher | the brown thrasher is a bird |
🎶 Music-Inspired Names for Tan Dogs
If your furry friend has an ear for music like Richard Wagners dog “Peps” then this is the list for you. We adore the name “Guiro” for a Chihuahua and you cant really beat “Chac Chac” for a Potcake Caribbean breed.
Castanet | a percussion instrument – “Cas” for short |
Chac Chac | another word for maracas – a wooden instrument that rattles when shaken |
Clackers | a percussion instrument |
Clarinet | “Clari” for short – wooden clarinets are for more advanced players because they are a bit harder to play |
Didgeridoo | a wind instrument played with vibrating lips to produce a sound |
Fiddle | the word fiddle refers to a violin when used in folk music – the dog name could be “Fiddler” |
Guiro | a Latin American percussion instrument – played by rubbing a wooden stick along the notches to produce a sound |
Harp | “Harpy” for short – a stringed musical instrument that can have a tan wooden frame |
Lute | a plucked string instrument |
Maracas | “Mara” for short – a wooden instrument that rattles when shaken |
Marimba | a wooden xylophone |
Muyu | a Chinese national instrument – its classified as a slit drum |
Oboe | woodwind instrument that is usually made of wood |
Piccolo | instrument that can be made from grenadilla wood |
Shaker | another word for maracas – a wooden instrument that rattles when shaken |
Ukulele | member of the lute family – can be made of a tan colored wood – “Uke” for short |
Zither | a board zither is a hollowed out board with strings attached over it |
🕹️ Tan Dog Names Inspired by Video Games Characters
Naming your dog after one of these fun video game characters is a great nod to your fandom. We have a bit of everything here, from the trusty Pokemons, to the cute Animal Crossing characters and if you’re into something a bit more edgy, try a name from Raid Shadow Legends.
Bonsly | Pokemon |
Booker | police officer from the videogame “Animal Crossing” |
Buneary | Pokemon |
CJ | Animal Crossing |
Coco | Animal Crossing |
Eevee | Eevee from Pokemon is tan and white |
Jizoh | Raid Shadow Legends character |
Joltik | Pokemon |
Kabutops | Pokemon |
Leafeon | Pokemon |
Lillipup | Pokemon |
Linoone | Pokemon |
Oldbeard | Raid Shadow Legends character |
🌐 Tan Dog Names in Other Languages
If you have a foreign dog breed, naming them in the corresponding language is a great way to honor their roots. We love the name “Bois” for a French Bulldog or how about “Urso” for an Estrela Mountain Dog?
Bois | French word for wood |
Canela | Spanish for cinnamon |
Chana | Hindi word for chickpea |
Chay | tea in Russian |
Gemma | Latin for Gem (gems can be tan colored) |
Kaffee | coffee in German |
Kophi | coffee in Hindi |
Lithos | Ancient Greek word for stone (stones can be light brown) |
Ocha | tea in Japanese |
Petra | Latin for rock (rocks can be light brown) |
Pinda | peanut in Dutch |
Praia | beach in Portuguese |
Rocca | Medieval word for rock |
Shay | tea in Arabic |
Urso | Portuguese word for bear |
Worsie | South African word for Dachshund – worsie means “little sausage” |
🟤⚫ Tan and Black Dog Names
One of our favorite tan and black dog breeds is the Rottweiler and there is no better name for him than “Vigilante”. There are some great options here for an Airedale Terrier, like “Checkers” or “ Oreo” and we adore the name “Goofy” for a black and tan Tibetan Mastiff.
Aladdin | he has tan skin and black hair |
Checkers | sometimes the board can be black and tan |
Chip | choc chip cookies (the choc cooks dark against the tan cookie) |
Crusoe | celebrity black and tan Dachshund |
Dalmatian | Dalmatian Jasper can be black spots on a light brown stone – “Dal” for short |
Eclair | a French pastry which has a light brown choux base covered in dark chocolate |
Esmeralda | she has tan skin and black hair (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) |
Goofy | he's a tan and black Coonhound |
Jasmine | she has tan skin and black hair |
Jasper | Dalmation Jasper can be black spots on a light brown stone |
Moana | she has tan skin and black hair |
Oreo | the chocolate center ones |
Pocahontas | she has tan skin and black hair |
Raya | she has tan skin and black hair (Raya and the Last Dragon) |
Rotti | for the Rottweiler breed which is black and tan |
Scooby Doo | he is a tan Great Dane with black spots |
Shep | for the German Shepherd dog breed |
Smudge | a great name for a tan dog with black patches |
Speckles | a great name for a tan dog with black patches |
Triumph | the Insult Comic Dog (puppet character) |
Vigilante | Raid Shadow Legends character |
Violin | “Violi” or “Viola” for short – the violin is a wooden instrument with black accents |
Wiener | for the Dachshund dog breed |
🟤⚪ Tan and White Dog Names
There are so many incredible tan and white breeds of dog, like the Jack Russel, Boxers, Corgis, and the great big Saint Bernard. Whatever the size and whatever the breed, we are sure you will find a great name to honor their tan and white coat here.
Bambi | a tan deer with white spots |
Beethoven | a tan and white Saint Bernard dog from the movies |
Boxer | for the Boxer dog breed |
Bulldog | for the Bulldog dog breed |
Coconut | light brown on the outside, white on the inside |
Collie | for the Rough Collie dog breed |
Eddie | Eddie Crane from Frasier is a tan and white dog |
Enzo | The 2nd dog to play Eddie Crane in Frasier |
Freckles | freckles are typically light brown spots on lighter skin |
Jack | for the Jack Russel dog breed |
Lassie | the most famous movie dog |
Marble | for 2 tone cake – a mix of chocolate and vanilla sponge |
Moo | for all the brown and white cows |
Patches | for a dog with tan and white fur |
Qinling | Pandas that carry a recessive gene for brown fur. They present in brown and white when they inherit the recessive gene from both parents |
Rubble | dog from Paw Patrol |
Russel | for the Jack Russel dog breed |
Skewbald | for the patchy horses |
Skip | from the movie “My Dog Skip” |
Spot | if your dog has tan spots on a white coat |
Swirl | for the 2 color chocolate spread – could also call your dog “Swirly” |
Yam | yams are light brown outside and white inside |
Last thoughts
As you can see there are some great names here for all sizes and breeds of tan dogs, from the tiny Chihuahua to the great and mighty Mastiffs and Rotti’s. Let us know your favorite tan dog name in the comments below.
I’m Shelley, a content creator and copywriter from Wicklow in the Irish countryside. I am a big animal lover, so writing about dogs is a dream come true! I’m the crazy lady who will stop you in the street while you’re out walking your dog to give it cuddles. I adore all dogs, but I would have to say the big slobbery ones are my favorite.