Dachshund Names
Dachshund is German for “badger dog” — the breed was developed in Germany several centuries ago to dig into burrows after badgers, which explains the long body, short legs, deep chest and surprisingly loud bark. Today’s Doxies are just as brave, stubborn and funny, and their names usually reflect it.
Below are 110+ Dachshund names sorted by theme: proper German names, sausage and snack puns, jokes about that long-and-low silhouette, fearless hunter names and famous Dachshunds from history. For more inspiration, browse our German names, small dog names and funny dog names.
German names for Dachshunds
A German name honors the breed’s homeland. Explore more in our German names for boys and German girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Fritz | Nickname for Friedrich, “peaceful ruler” | Boy |
| Hans | Short for Johannes, “God is gracious” | Boy |
| Otto | “Wealth, fortune” | Boy |
| Klaus | Short for Nikolaus, “victory of the people” | Boy |
| Günther | “Battle army” | Boy |
| Wolfgang | “Wolf path” | Boy |
| Dieter | “People’s army” | Boy |
| Heinz | Nickname for Heinrich, “ruler of the home” | Boy |
| Ludwig | “Famous warrior” | Boy |
| Kaiser | “Emperor” | Boy |
| Bruno | “Brown” | Boy |
| Max | Short for Maximilian, “greatest” | Boy |
| Greta | Short for Margarete, “pearl” | Girl |
| Heidi | Short for Adelheid, “noble kind” | Girl |
| Gretchen | Diminutive of Margarete | Girl |
| Liesel | Diminutive of Elisabeth | Girl |
| Frieda | “Peace” | Girl |
| Hilde | “Battle” | Girl |
| Elke | Frisian form of Adelheid, “noble” | Girl |
| Anja | Form of Anna, “grace” | Girl |
| Lotte | Short for Charlotte, “free” | Girl |
| Ilse | Form of Elisabeth, “God is my oath” | Girl |
| Gisela | “Pledge” | Girl |
| Mitzi | Austrian nickname for Maria | Girl |
| Schatzi | “Little treasure” (term of endearment) | Either |
Sausage and hot dog names for wiener dogs
The “wiener dog” nickname begs for sausage puns. Our food dog names have even more.
| Name | Sausage or snack | Why it’s funny |
|---|---|---|
| Frankfurter | Sausage from Frankfurt | The original hot dog |
| Wiener | Sausage from Vienna (Wien) | The breed’s nickname |
| Bratwurst | German grilled sausage | Nickname “Brat” |
| Weenie | Slang for a hot dog | Tiny and cute |
| Kielbasa | Polish smoked sausage | Long and proud |
| Chorizo | Spanish spicy sausage | Red Doxies |
| Pepperoni | Italian salami | Spotted dapples |
| Salami | Cured sausage | Stocky dogs |
| Hot Dog | The ballpark classic | Obvious and perfect |
| Corndog | Battered hot dog on a stick | Golden-red coats |
| Slim Jim | The meat stick | Long, lean Doxies |
| Vienna | The city that named the wiener | Elegant girls |
| Bangers | British slang for sausages | Loud barkers |
| Linguica | Portuguese sausage | Unusual pick |
| Knackwurst | Short, fat German sausage | Chubby Doxies |
| Chipolata | Thin British sausage | Mini Doxies |
German food names
Hearty, tasty and oh-so-German.
| Name | Food | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Pretzel | Twisted baked bread (Brezel) | Wiggly pups |
| Strudel | Layered pastry | Sweet girls |
| Schnitzel | Breaded cutlet | Golden-red coats |
| Kraut | Short for sauerkraut | Scrappy boys |
| Spätzle | Egg noodles | Long-haired Doxies |
| Streusel | Crumb topping | Dapple coats |
| Stollen | Christmas fruit bread | Holiday puppies |
| Lebkuchen | Spiced gingerbread | Red-brown dogs |
| Pumpernickel | Dark rye bread | Black-and-tan coats |
| Knödel | Dumpling | Round little dogs |
| Kuchen | “Cake” | Sweet girls |
| Bienenstich | “Bee sting” honey-almond cake | Honey-colored coats |
Funny names for long-and-low Dachshunds
Poke gentle fun at the famous silhouette.
| Name | Why it fits | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Slinky | The stretchy spring toy | Also the Toy Story Dachshund |
| Noodle | Long and floppy | Perfect for lanky pups |
| Stretch | Built for it | Long bodies |
| Tube | A long cylinder | Minimalist humor |
| Limo | A stretch limousine | Luxury length |
| Bologna | A long lunch meat | Pun on the sausage |
| Hoagie | A long sandwich | Philly Doxies |
| Subway | Long sandwich, long train | City dogs |
| Baguette | Long French bread | Chic Doxies |
| Zucchini | The long squash | Green-harness pups |
| Cucumber | Cool and long | Laid-back dogs |
| Caterpillar | Many tiny legs | Wiggly walkers |
| Choo Choo | A little train | Dogs who lead the pack |
| Snorkel | A long tube with a nose on the end | Diggers |
| Taffy | Stretchy candy | Sweet and stretchy |
| Accordion | Folds up when curled on the couch | Musical households |
Brave hunter names for Dachshunds
Dachshunds were bred to face badgers underground. These names honor that fearless spirit — see our badass dog names for more.
| Name | Meaning / origin | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Badger | The animal the breed was built to hunt | Fearless diggers |
| Digger | Loves to dig | Garden excavators |
| Hunter | One who hunts | Keen sniffers |
| Scout | An explorer sent ahead | Curious noses |
| Ranger | Guardian of the forest | Outdoor Doxies |
| Tracker | Follows a trail | Scent hounds |
| Bandit | An outlaw | Treat thieves |
| Napoleon | The famously short French emperor | Small dogs with big ambitions |
| Baron | A noble title | Proud boys |
| Viking | Norse seafaring warrior | Brave boys |
| Valkyrie | Norse warrior maiden | Fierce girls |
| Brunhilde | Germanic, “armored battle”; the Valkyrie of opera | Big-personality girls |
| Sergeant | Military rank | Bossy Doxies |
| Rebel | One who resists authority | Stubborn Doxies (all of them) |
| Tank | Armored vehicle | Barrel-chested dogs |
| Blitz | German, “lightning” | Speedy Doxies |
Cute Dachshund names for girls and boys
Sweet names for mini Doxies and puppies. Also try our cute girl dog names.
| Name | Meaning / idea | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Oscar | Irish, “deer lover”; think Oscar Mayer wieners | Boy |
| Penny | From Penelope; copper coin | Girl |
| Peanut | Small legume | Either |
| Winnie | From Winifred or Winnie-the-Pooh | Either |
| Lola | Nickname for Dolores | Girl |
| Rudy | From Rudolph, “famous wolf” | Boy |
| Pickles | Brined cucumbers | Either |
| Daisy | The flower | Girl |
| Bean | Small and sweet | Either |
| Olive | The olive tree | Girl |
| Milo | Possibly “merciful” | Boy |
| Dottie | Short for Dorothy; great for dapples | Girl |
| Cinnamon | Red-brown spice | Either |
| Roo | Short for kangaroo | Either |
| Mabel | Latin, “lovable” | Girl |
| Biscuit | The baked treat | Either |
| Poppy | The red flower | Girl |
Famous Dachshunds
The breed has charmed artists, emperors and the internet.
| Name | Who they were | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Waldi | Mascot of the 1972 Munich Olympics | The first official Olympic mascot |
| Lump | Pablo Picasso’s Dachshund | Appears in some of his paintings |
| Archie | One of Andy Warhol’s Dachshunds | Often joined Warhol in public |
| Amos | Warhol’s second Dachshund | Archie’s companion |
| Fred | E. B. White’s Dachshund | Featured in his essays and letters |
| Crusoe | The “celebrity Dachshund” of social media | Star of books and videos |
| Obie | The Oregon Dachshund famed for his weight-loss journey | Went from obese to fit |
| Buster | The Dachshund in Toy Story | Andy’s real dog |
Tips for naming a Dachshund
- Pick a name with a strong start. Dachshunds are famously independent; a crisp, short name (Fritz, Otto, Greta) helps get their attention.
- Use your chosen name consistently. Doxies can be stubborn about training, so pair the name with high-value treats every time.
- Consider coat type. Smooth, longhaired and wirehaired Doxies look very different — a wirehair might suit Kraut or Klaus, a longhair Strudel or Liesel.
- Dapple or piebald? Spotty coats suit Dottie, Streusel or ideas from our spotted dog names.
- Keep the pun gentle. Sausage names are a joke everyone gets — choose one you’ll still enjoy in ten years.
Frequently asked questions
What does Dachshund mean?
Dachshund is German for “badger dog” (Dachs = badger, Hund = dog). The breed was developed in Germany to hunt badgers and other burrowing animals.
What is a good name for a Dachshund?
Popular Dachshund names include Oscar, Frankfurter, Fritz, Greta, Heidi, Slinky, Pretzel, Peanut and Winnie.
Why are Dachshunds called wiener dogs?
Their long, low body looks like a wiener (Vienna) sausage, so Americans nicknamed them wiener dogs and sausage dogs.
What is a good German name for a Dachshund?
Fritz, Hans, Otto, Klaus and Ludwig are classic German boy names; Greta, Heidi, Liesel, Frieda and Lotte are great for girls.
What was the name of the Olympic Dachshund?
Waldi, a striped Dachshund, was the mascot of the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich and is considered the first official Olympic mascot.