When it comes to naming our furry friends, sometimes their appearance gives the best inspiration. For those scruffy, shaggy, and tousled pups, a name that matches their unique look can be both fitting and utterly adorable. Here’s a list of scruffy dog names inspired by their delightful disheveled appearances!
Unisex Scruffy Dog Names
- Bärli – A Swiss-German term of endearment meaning little bear (and the name of our scruffy male dog!)
- Bear – For pups resembling the shaggy coat of a bear.
- Blizzard – Because you know you’ll be covered in a blizzard of fur as soon as you start to brush it.
- Bristle – For the rough and tough coat.
- Bumble – Like a bumblebee, fuzzy and lively.
- Chaos – For that perfectly messy look.
- Char – A play on the word “charcoal” for darker scruffy coats.
- Chewie – Short for “Chewbacca” from Star Wars.
- Cloud – For fluffy, light-colored scruffs.
- Cobble – For those with a bumpy, cobblestone-like appearance.
- Cotton – Soft, fluffy, and white like cotton.
- Curly – For those with a curly, scruffy mane.
- Drizzle – Perfect for a grayish, scattered coat.
- Duster – Because they might look like a dust mop.
- Fidget – For those who are always ruffling up their fur.
- Flint – Rough on the outside, sparky on the inside.
- Fluffernutter – A playful name for a scruffy yet fluffy pup.
- Fringe – When the fringe overshadows their eyes.
- Frost – For those with a light, scattered, frost-like appearance.
- Fuzz – Simple and cute, perfect for a shaggy coat.
- Fuzzy-Wuzzy – After the playful children’s rhyme.
- Grizzle – A mix of grayish and scruffy appearances.
- Hairy – Self-explanatory, but fun!
- Hobo – A bit ragged but full of charm.
- Jazz – Messy yet rhythmic and flowing.
- Knot – For those with tangled fur.
- Mop – When hair covers their eyes just like a mop head.
- Muffin – A sweet name for a scruffy little dog.
- Noodle – For those with long, curly, noodle-like hair.
- Nugget – Small, golden, and a bit rough around the edges.
- Patch – Perfect for scruffy dogs with patchy fur.
- Pebbles – When their fur has a pebbly appearance.
- Puff – For the fluffy scruffs.
- Rags – Draped in a raggedy old coat.
- Ripple – For fur that has waves or ruffles.
- Rough – For that rough, uncombed look.
- Ruff – An obvious classic.
- Rug – Might be mistaken for a small area rug.
- Rumble – For the wild, untamed look.
- Rusty – Perfect for a reddish, scruffy coat.
- Scrappy – For a small, scruffy dog with a big personality.
- Scrapper – One who looks like they’ve had a few tussles.
- Scratch – For the scruffy pup who’s always itching.
- Scuff – A mix of scruffy and rough.
- Shear – For pups who look like they need a trim.
- Smokey – Perfect for grayish, scruffy coats.
- Snarl – For those with tangled and twisted fur.
- Spike – For those with spikey tousled fur.
- Spindle – For thin dogs with long, scruffy hair.
- Splash – For dogs with a splatter of scruffiness.
- Sprout – For the little scruffy dogs with a wild side.
- Static – For fur that looks like it’s been shocked.
- Stitch – Looks like they’ve been sewn together with love.
- Stormy – For a wild, unpredictable coat.
- Strand – For long, flowing scruffy fur.
- Suede – A velvety, rough look.
- Tangle – For those with a knotted appearance.
- Thistle – After the rugged plant.
- Thread – For pups with long, stringy hair.
- Thunder – For a powerful, scruffy appearance.
- Tousle – Just like their tousled mane.
- Tumble – Looks like they’ve tumbled through the bushes.
- Twirl – For a slightly curly scruff.
- Twist – For curly, twisty fur.
- Waffle – Textured and a little messy.
- Werewolf – For the werewolf‘s shaggy appearance.
- Whisker – Scruffy, especially around the snout.
- Wisp – Thin, light, and scruffy.
- Woolly – For the sheep-like scruffs.
- Wookiee – Because of the Chewbacca resemblance.
- Zigzag – For the unpredictable, scruffy fur pattern.
Scruffy Dog Names: Female
- Blossom – A bloom, representing the blossoming fur.
- Buffy – Inspired by ‘buffed’ or tousled fur.
- Cameo – A carved gem; for a unique and standout appearance.
- Dolly – After Dolly Parton, for her voluminous hair.
- Elsa – Inspired by the snow queen with a flowing mane.
- Feather – Soft and fluffy.
- Feather – Soft and fluffy.
- Heather – Named after the mixed-color shrub.
- Ivy – Wild and untamed like the plant.
- Kerani – Means “curls” in Sanskrit.
- Medusa – Although known for her snake hair, the name evokes intricate and curling patterns.
- Nala – The lioness from The Lion King; for a fierce, scruffy appearance.
- Ondina – Latin for “little wave”, capturing the wavy essence of curly hair.
- Ursa – Latin for “bear”; for bear-like shaggy coats.
- Willow – A free-flowing tree, much like a dog’s flowing coat.
Our scruffy dogs
Both our dogs are scruffy! Our cream-colored dog is Isla, a mix of Aussiedoodle and seven other breeds–and all fluff!
Our black dog is Barli (little bear); his shelter name was Baby Bear, named for his bear-like appearance, even as a puppy!
Shaggy Dog Names: Male
- Alfie – Short for “Alfred,” it evokes the appearance of a distinguished yet disheveled gentleman.
- Bardan – Derived from Sanskrit, meaning “curly-haired”.
- Barkley – Combining “bark” with a playful suffix.
- Bramble – English for a thorny shrub; wild and untamed, much like scruffy hair.
- Brennan – Irish origin, meaning “little raven”; indicative of dark and wavy locks.
- Caden – Of Gaelic origin, can relate to wild spirit.
- Curly – English, directly describing curly hair.
- Cyrus – Of Persian origin, often associated with the sun and its rays, symbolic of wild, radiant hair.
- Drake – Means “dragon”, symbolizing wildness and untamed nature.
- Eoghan – Celtic origin, meaning “born of the yew”; related to wild, natural growth.
- Forrest – English, symbolizing the wild and natural growth, like hair.
- Guthrie – Gaelic origin, meaning “windy spot”; resembling wavy, windswept hair.
- Harley – Old English, meaning “hare’s meadow”; wild nature.
- Lionel – Latin origin, meaning “young lion”, which can symbolize a thick mane.
- Maxwell – “Great stream”; flowing nature resembling wavy hair.
- Nash – Derived from “at the ash tree”; nature-inspired.
- Orson – Latin origin, meaning “bear cub”; symbolizing a thick, unruly mane.
- Ridge – English, symbolizing the highs and lows, like the undulations in curly hair.
- Rowan – Gaelic, meaning “little redhead”, can symbolize a scruffy red mane.
- Silas – Latin, meaning “wood, forest”, which is wild and untamed.
- Thorne – Old English, representing the wild, untamed nature.
- Troy – Greek origin, an ancient city known for its strength and endurance.
- Tyson – French origin, meaning “high-spirited”, representing the wild nature of curly hair.
- Vance – Old English, meaning “someone who lives near marshland”; wild, natural settings.
- Wilder – English, directly signifying something untamed and wild.
- Yael – Hebrew, meaning “mountain goat”, which can be symbolic of the curly horns.
Scruffy Cartoon Dogs
- Astro (from The Jetsons)
- Bandit (from Jonny Quest)
- Brain (from Inspector Gadget)
- Dodger (from Oliver & Company)
- Duke (from The Secret Life of Pets)
- Einstein (from Oliver & Company)
- Gnasher (from the Dennis the Menace UK comics)
- Goddard (from The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, although a metal dog, has a scruffy appearance)
- Gromit (from Wallace and Gromit, though he’s clay, his appearance is somewhat scruffy)
- Huckleberry Hound (from Huckleberry Hound Show)
- Little Dog (from 2 Stupid Dogs)
- Max (scruffy terrier in The Secret Life of Pets. Always one of the most popular dog names.)
- Muttley (from Wacky Races and Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines)
- Poochie (from The Simpsons, a parody character)
- Precious Pupp (from The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show)
- Runt (from Animaniacs)
- Sam Sheepdog (from Looney Tunes with Ralph Wolf)
- Scruffy (from the animated film Scruffy based on the children’s book Scruffy: The Tuesday Dog)
- Snert (from Hagar the Horrible comic strip)
- Spike (from Tom and Jerry)
- Tramp (from Lady and the Tramp)
Fictional Characters Known for their Scruffy Appearance
These characters are known for their wild, unruly, or iconic hair that stands out:
- Annie (from Annie)
- Bellatrix (from Harry Potter series)
- Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo (from Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo)
- Chewbacca (from Star Wars)
- Cosmo Kramer (from Seinfeld)
- Count Olaf (from A Series of Unfortunate Events)
- Cruella de Vil (from 101 Dalmatians)
- Doc Brown (from Back to the Future
- Edward Scissorhands (from Edward Scissorhands)
- Encino Man (from Encino Man)
- Frodo Baggins (from The Lord of the Rings)
- Gollum (from The Lord of the Rings)
- Hagrid (from Harry Potter series)
- Harpo (from Marx Brothers films)
- Heat Miser (from The Year Without a Santa Claus)
- Helga Pataki (from Hey Arnold!)
- Hermione Granger (early books/films from Harry Potter series)
- Howard Wolowitz (from The Big Bang Theory)
- It (Pennywise the Dancing Clown from It by Stephen King)
- Jareth the Goblin King (from Labyrinth)
- Joe Dirt (from Joe Dirt)
- Lloyd Christmas (from Dumb and Dumber)
- Mad Hatter (from Alice in Wonderland)
- Madam Mim (from The Sword in the Stone)
- Mad-Eye Moody (from Harry Potter series)
- Marv (from Home Alone)
- Medusa (from various Greek myth adaptations)
- Merida (from Brave)
- Mufasa (from The Lion King)
- Ned Stark (from Game of Thrones)
- Olaf (from Frozen; though made of snow, his twiggy hair stands out)
- Oscar the Grouch (from Sesame Street)
- Pee-wee Herman (from Pee-wee’s Playhouse)
- Pippi Longstocking (from Pippi Longstocking)
- Princess Poppy (from Trolls)
- Professor Trelawney (from Harry Potter series)
- Rick Sanchez (from Rick and Morty)
- Rip Van Winkle (from the story “Rip Van Winkle”)
- Rubeus Hagrid (from Harry Potter series)
- Rumpelstiltskin (from various adaptations of the fairy tale)
- Shaggy (from Scooby-Doo)
- Sideshow Bob (from The Simpsons)
- Simba (from The Lion King, especially his adolescent phase)
- Sonic the Hedgehog (from Sonic games and media)
- Sybill Trelawney (from Harry Potter series)
- The Beast (from Beauty and the Beast)
- The Bride of Frankenstein (from Frankenstein adaptations)
- The Grinch (from How the Grinch Stole Christmas!)
- Winn-Dixie (the scruffy dog in Because of Winn-Dixie)
- Wolverine (from X-Men)
While some of these characters’ hair might be considered more “wild” or “iconic” than strictly “scruffy”, they’re all known for their distinctive hairstyles!
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Paris Permenter is the award-winning co-author, with John Bigley, of over 30 pet and travel books including The Healthy Hound Cookbook and Texas with Dogs, both available through Simon and Schuster. Paris is also a member of the Dog Writers Association of America.
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