• I havent gotten my puppy yet but am having the hardest time trying to come up with names that suit a Basenji. This is what I have- feel free to comment:

    I am hoping for a R/W:
    For Girls: my favorite is Lilly
    For Boys: Simba, Mars and my other half loves Aries (which I am not fond of but I will try to like it for him)

    If we go with a B/W:
    For a Girl: Jade, Zoe or still Lilly (I am very attached to that name)
    For a Boy: Onyx, Indy

    Thanks for your input


  • Does other half mean Aries like the Zodiac sign or Ares like the Greek god of war? (As a counterpart to the Roman Mars)

    And Lilly fits a female b of any color.


  • For the r/w - I love Lilly and I love Mars (Mars is an interesting and unusual name).

    For the b/w - all the girl names you have are nice. BTW, Eldorado had a tri named Onyx (she has since passed away) - I always loved that name, she was my girl Ruby's mother (she was such a little sweetie :D:D). If you get a black & white pup, Onyx (Eldorado's Barcelona) is in that pedigree (grandmother of Eldorado's Bejeweled - my Ruby).

  • Houston

    I like Lilly a lot, one of my female names on the list of high potentials should I all of a sudden have more room , to be able to squeeze one more dog in our home…ggrr, or Nellie (-y) or well you see, here I go..
    Mars is fun, and defintely different, Aries and Simba are more predictable, not that it is bad or anything..and once you have your little B bundle, it is going to feel as if you live on Mars or your household has turned into Mars…in a good way.

    For B/W male I like Indy, the best, Onyx is nice and definitely goes, but again I think too predictable..and it will be sure to do Indy-500's so then the name goes well..


  • It's fun thinking up names, i like Lily and Indy for a boy, these Dogs are certainly individuals 😃
    We too are thinking of names, we are hoping to get a bitch. The names we have come up with are Milly, Malaika (an African name meaning Angel 😉 Freya.


  • @thunderbird8588:

    It's fun thinking up names, these Dogs are certainly individuals 😃
    We too are thinking of names, we are hoping to get a bitch. The names we have come up with are Milly, Malaika (an African name meaning Angel 😉 Freya.

    I like those names you have come up with for your pup.

    I had the hardest time naming Aaliyah…Her registered name was easy, but I was beginning to think her call name was going to be Puppy Girl #2. 😃


  • I really like Lilly!!

    And I have your problem the other way around.. I already have a name.. but no real plans for a new puppy yet! 😃

  • Houston

    I am with Janneke, I usually have a name for quite some time and then I get the pet..
    In Otis' case I wanted him to be Bruno..but my family totally shot that down, so Otis it was..he looks like an Otis..to me, and it means "the one whom hears"…not the one whom listens..


  • In respone to AJ's human- he meant Ares… sorry- I disn't differentiate the spellings! Thank You all for your suggestions... I figure the name is going to be the easy part and raising the puppy will be the hard part so I am a little scared that the naming has been so hard!.... It's like having a baby in the house- you have all those emotions..anxious,scared,tired,joyful and excited.. I'll be sure to post my roller coaster ride once I hop on board.
    Thanks again everyone


  • @thunderbird8588:

    Malaika (an African name meaning Angel 😉

    Do you know which language? I am fascinated by this because the Hebrew word for angel is Mal'akh. Very similar.

    I like Malaika.

    -Nicole


  • Nicole i found the name listed under African girls names ?
    Not sure if it would be too long , having 3 syllables but i do like it.
    Chealsie, can't wait to hear of your adventures 🙂


  • @Basenjimamma:

    I am with Janneke, I usually have a name for quite some time and then I get the pet..
    In Otis' case I wanted him to be Bruno..but my family totally shot that down, so Otis it was..he looks like an Otis..to me, and it means "the one whom hears"…not the one whom listens..

    What an apt name for a Basenji Petra


  • Nicole, have just googled Malaika, it means Angel in Swahili and Arabic


  • "I figure the name is going to be the easy part and raising the puppy will be the hard part" – that's the truth!
    Call the names out loud - as if you were calling a dog to come in the house and change your tone of voice as if calling it to come for dinner or to sit on your lap. Then see which name you like.


  • However, remember that the Basenji will try and live up to it's name… so choose carefully!!!! Or you may have named he/she something you will live to regret!!!


  • @wizard:

    "I figure the name is going to be the easy part and raising the puppy will be the hard part" – that's the truth!
    Call the names out loud - as if you were calling a dog to come in the house and change your tone of voice as if calling it to come for dinner or to sit on your lap. Then see which name you like.

    That's how I ruled out a couple for Aaliyah…In my case, one of the other dogs actually answered to one of the proposed names, so that ruled it out.


  • @tanza:

    However, remember that the Basenji will try and live up to it's name… so choose carefully!!!! Or you may have named he/she something you will live to regret!!!

    hehehe, I was just going to say something about my reservations about naming a basenji after a god of war.


  • @tanza:

    However, remember that the Basenji will try and live up to it's name… so choose carefully!!!! Or you may have named he/she something you will live to regret!!!

    I've heard that before!! Ha, ha…:D:D


  • It took me ages to come up with Maya's name, and i had to be difficult and pronounce it the original chinese way (ie my-a not may-a) which confuses everyone! lol I do like pretty names and tend to give my dogs human names as well. Of your choices I would go with Lily (beautiful name and was on my shortlist for Maya!) for a girl and Indy for a boy. I had a female parrot called Indy so it could be used for either as well 😉


  • @Maya:

    It took me ages to come up with Maya's name, and i had to be difficult and pronounce it the original chinese way (ie my-a not may-a) which confuses everyone!

    How funny, it never occurred to me to pronounce it any way other than my-a

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