The 230+ Best Alaskan Dog Names and Their Meanings

Alaskan Dog Names
© format35 from Getty Images, alkir from Getty Images, and evenfh from Getty Images Pro/ via Canva.com

Written by Kellianne Matthews

Published: March 29, 2024

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Whether your dog is a fiery husky or a warmhearted Malamute, an Alaskan-inspired name can be the perfect fit. Alaska’s rich heritage stamps from the traditions of 11 distinct Alaska Native groups, each with its own language. Echoes of Russian influences and the gold rush era further add to the state’s unique culture. And of course, Alaska’s breathtaking landscapes and bounteous wildlife make the state a true paradise for any adventure seeker. Let’s delve into the best Alaskan dog names, along with their captivating meanings, to help you find the perfect one for your new canine companion!

A quick note: Alaska’s Inuit heritage encompasses a variety of languages and dialects. To ensure respectful representation, consult reliable sources to confirm the meanings, spellings, and pronunciations of Inuit names and words.

Alaskan Dog Names Inspired by Animals

Grizzly Bear of Shores of Alaska.

Bears are common in Alaska.

©Robert Frashure/Shutterstock.com

  • Aarluk: Orca or killer whale (Inuktut).
  • Iqaluk: Fish
  • Aklaq: Bear.
  • Tuktu: Caribou.
  • Amaruq: Wolf.
  • Qimmiq: Dog.
  • Natseq: Seal.
  • Amaruq: Wolf.
  • Tuttu: Caribou (Iñupiaq).
  • Nanook: Polar bear.
  • Nanuq: Polar bear.
  • Nanuk: Polar bear.
  • Tulugaq: Raven (Inuktitut).
  • Kanut: White goose (Inuktitut)
  • Tikaani: Wolf.
  • Ookpik, Ukpik, or Uppik: Snowy owl.
  • Nauja: Seagull (Inuktitut).
  • Kanguq: Snow goose (Inuktut). 
  • Yaqulpak: Eagle (Yupik). 
  • Tiriaq: Ermine or weasel (Inuktitut). 

Nature-Inspired Alaskan Dog Names

white Alaskan Klee Kai in the snow

There are several Alaskan words for “Snow”.

©Caro M/Shutterstock.com

  • Aluk: Berry (Iñupiaq).
  • Taqqiq, Tarqik, or Tarkik: Moon (Inuktitut).
  • Ujaraq: Stone (Inuktitut).
  • Aput: Snow.
  • Cupun: Coal.
  • Ikiaq: Red spruce.
  • Sesi: Snow.
  • Pukak: Crystalline snow. 
  • Yuka: Bright star (Inuit).
  • Aqpik: Cloudberry (Inuktut).
  • Ukiuk: Winter.
  • Aput: Snow.
  • Sesi: Snow.
  • Anuġi: Wind (Iñupiaq).
  • Taktuq or Taktuk: Mist or fog.
  • Siku: Ice (Inuit).
  • Imaq: Water / a body of water (Inuktut).
  • Imiq: Water / drinking water (Inuktut).
  • Akumik or Ukumik: To go with the wind
  • Saunâk: Peanut.
  • Tagiuk: Sea.
  • Adlartok: Clear sky.
  • Qanuk: Snowflake (Yupik).
  • Aġra: Ash (Iñupiaq).
  • Tuvaq: Sea ice (Inuktitut). 

Female Alaskan Dog Names

husky alaskan malamute pomski puppy run with toy on grass

Alaskan Malamutes are larger and more powerful than huskies.

©Alina Ziabrieva/Shutterstock.com

  • Alasie: The Inuktitut form of Alice.
  • Panik: Daughter.
  • Panikpak: Youngest daughter.
  • Suusan: Lily
  • Arnaq: Woman (Inuktitut).
  • Amka: One with a friendly spirit.
  • Ila: Friend or companion.
  • Alasi: Dream or dreaming. 
  • Suluk: Feather (Inuktitut).
  • Ulu: A women’s knife (Inuktitut). 
  • Ticasuk: “Where the four winds gather their treasures from all parts of the world…the greatest which is knowledge” (Iñupiaq/Inuit).

Male Alaskan Dog Names 

Siberian Husky and an Irish Wolfhound in snow

Arctic dog breeds often love spending time in the snow.

©Vivienstock/Shutterstock.com

  • Aki: Prince (Inuktut).
  • Hanta: Hunter.
  • Juatan: To flow down or descend. 
  • Muktuk: Whale blubber.
  • Toklo: Spontaneous and versatile (Inuit).
  • Tulimaq: Rib.
  • Anik: Brother of a girl.
  • Kayu: Strong (Yupik). 
  • Akkak: Uncle (Iñupiaq). 
  • Umik: Beard (Inuktitut).

Cute Alaskan Dog Names

A Lilac Alaskan malamute dog half sitting and tongue out

Alaskan Malamutes commonly weigh 85 to 90 pounds.

©LeeSensei/Shutterstock.com

  • Nugget: Nugget Falls is a waterfall near Juneau. 
  • Willow: The official state bird of Alaska is the willow ptarmigan.
  • Moose: The official state land mammal. 
  • Jade: The official state gem. 
  • Puffin
  • Alaska
  • Aurora
  • Borealis
  • Alpine
  • Arctic
  • Aspen
  • Beluga
  • Pakak: “One who gets into everything”. 
  • Blizzard
  • Nini: Porcupine.
  • Nuuniq: Porcupine (Yupik).
  • Wolfie
  • Deniki: Moose (Athabaskan)
  • Chena: A river in Alaska. 
  • Kissimmee: Alone.
  • Kilak: Heaven (Iñupiaq).
  •  Pukiq: Smart.
  • Sakari: Sweet.
  • Miki: Small (Inuit).
  • Yura: Beautiful (Inuit). 
  • Iji: Eye (Inuktitut). 
  • Piqati: Friend (Inuktitut). 
  • Aqittuq: Soft (Inuktut).
  • Akisiq: Pillow (Inuktut).
  • Nipi: Voice or sound (Iñupiaq). 

Strong Alaskan Dog Names

Little gray puppy of Alaskan malamute with purple collar is howling

Alaskan Malamutes do not bark a lot.

©Kseniia Grigoreva/Shutterstock.com

  • Byron: A glacier in Alaska.
  • Kallik: Lightning (Inuit). 
  • Akiak: Brave
  • Atka: Guardian spirit.
  • Arrluk: Killer whale. 
  • Kavik: Wolverine.
  • Aquti: Driver (Inuktut).
  • Maguyuk, Makhuk, or Maqhuk: To bark or howl.
  • Shila: Flame.
  • Tukkuttok: Generous (Iniut).
  • Kajuq or Kajuk: Brown (Inuktut).
  • Avalu: Wall (Inuktut).
  • Suka: Fast.
  • Aktok: Big (Inuktut).
  • Kuulti: Gold (Inuktut).
  • Sølvi: Silver (Inuktut).
  • Savik: A knife (Inuktitut). 
  • Qavvik, Qapvik, or Qappik: Wolverine (Iñupiaq).
  • Ullumi: Today (Inuktitut). 

Alaskan Dog Names From Inuit Mythology

Siberian Husky of agouti color in the winter landscape

Alaska has a diverse cultural heritage.

©Vivienstock/Shutterstock.com

  • Akna: The Inuit mother goddess of fertility. 
  • Pinga: The goddess of strength and the hunt
  • Sedna: The goddess of the sea and marine animals.
  • Siqiniq: The sun. 
  • Tootega: A wise, old goddess who walks on water. 
  • Asiaq: The goddess of weather. 
  • Ataksak: The goddess of the sky, light, joy, and happiness. 
  • Igaluk: The god of the moon. 
  • Nanook: The polar bear god and master of bears. 
  • Nootaikok: A spirit who lives inside icebergs and glaciers. 
  • Pana: The god who cares for souls in the underworld.
  • Torngarusk: The god of the sea, death, and the underworld. 
  • Tornat: A group of protective gods.
  • Pinga: The goddess of the hunt and medicine. 
  • Malina: A sun goddess.
  • Tulok: The warrior god of the stars. 
  • Arnaaluk: A female sea spirit. 
  • Tulugaak: The creator of light.
  • Sila: A spirit of the air.

Dog Names Inspired by Cities in Alaska

scenic landscapes of Sitka Alaska southeast Alaska and the inside passage

An Alaskan atlas can offer a plethora of fun Alaskan names!

©Jnjphotos/Shutterstock.com

  • Sitka
  • Chignik
  • Akutan
  • Kivalina
  • Anchorage: This city has the largest population in Alaska. 
  • Cordova
  • Adak
  • Edna: Edna Bay.
  • Kodiak
  • Noorvik: An Iñupiat city in Alaska. Its name means “A place to move to”. 
  • Yukon
  • Homer: A city in Alaska known as the “Halibut fishing capital of the world”. 
  • Tanana: The name of a city and a river in Alaska. 
  • Huslia
  • Kenai: This city’s name means “flat, meadow, open area with few trees”. 
  • Atka
  • Nulato: This city’s name means “chum salmon fish camp”. 
  • Juneau: The capital of Alaska. 
  • Kake: This city’s name means “mouth of dawn” or “opening of daylight”. 
  • Chevak
  • Kobuk
  • Shaktoolik: This city’s name means “scattered things”. 
  • Akiak: This city’s name means means “the other side”. 
  • Koyuk
  • Nenana
  • Seldovia
  • Ketchikan: This city’s name means “the river belonging to Kitschk” or “thundering wings of an eagle”. 
  • Nome
  • Aniak
  • Ouzinkie
  • Pelican
  • Savoonga: An Alaskan city known as the “Walrus Capital of the World”. 
  • Angoon 
  • Selawik: This city’s name means “place of sheefish”. 
  • Togiak
  • Anvik: This city’s name means “exit”. 
  • Wasilla
  • Yakutat: This city’s name means “the place where canoes rest”. 
  • Skagway
  • Kaktovik 
  • Sterling
  • Palmer
  • Talkeetna

Famous Landmarks in Alaska

Denali (also known as Mount McKinley) - Alaska - USA

Mount Denali was previously called Mount McKinley.

©SteveAllenPhoto/iStock via Getty Images

  • Tenakee: Tenakee Springs.
  • Denali: A famous mountain in Alaska; its name means “The Great One”. 
  • Togiak: The Togiak National Wildlife Refuge. 
  • Katmai: Katmai National Park and Mount Katmai. 
  • Ahklun: The Ahklun Mountains. 
  • Nunivak: Nunivak Island.
  • Tikchik: Tikchik Lakes.
  • Noatak: Noatak River.
  • Steele: Steele Creek
  • Toksook (Toksook Bay).
  • Bristol: Bristol Bay. 
  • Matanuska: The Matanuska Glacier
  • Eklutna: A glacier in Alaska. 
  • Iliamna: The largest lake in Alaska.
  • Bering: Alaska and Russia are separated by the Bering Strait.
  • Shishaldin: Mount Shishaldin, a volcano in Alaska
  • Augusta: Mount Augusta. 
  • Elias: The Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. 
  • Oratia: Mount Oratia
  • Eska: Eska Creek Falls and Eska Peak.

Alaskan Dog Names Inspired by Winter

The portrait of a fawn and white Welsh Corgi Pembroke dog posing outdoors standing in a deep snow in winter

Dogs can also suffer from frostbite.

©Eudyptula/Shutterstock.com

  • Winter (or Winnie for short)
  • Alpine
  • Berry
  • Cedar
  • Granite
  • Klondike
  • Nomad
  • Snowbird
  • Spirit
  • Terra
  • Aspen
  • Beaver
  • Beluga
  • Chinook
  • Grizzly
  • Mukluk
  • Moose
  • Polar
  • Storm
  • Tundra
  • Shadow
  • Avalanche
  • Arctic
  • Blizzard
  • Glacier
  • Wolverine
  • Bear

Sporty Alaskan Sled Dog Names

Sled dog racing alaskan malamute snow winter competition race

There are many dog breeds used as sled dogs.

©freevideophotoagency/Shutterstock.com

  • Togo: Togo was the lead dog who ran most of the 1925 Serum Run in Alaska (over 260 miles!). 
  • Balto: Balto ran the final stretch of the 1925 Serum Run. 
  • Fritz: One of the sled dogs in the 1925 Serum Run. 
  • Seppala: Leonhard Seppala was Togo’s musher. 
  • Maya: The lead dog in Eight Below (2006).
  • White Fang: The wild wolf-dog in Jack London’s famous novel, White Fang. 
  • Quiche: White Fang’s mother in White Fang. 
  • One-Eye: White Fang’s father in White Fang. 
  • Chinook: A type of sled dog originally bred in the Pacific Northwest. 
  • Taro: One of two Sakhalin huskies left behind in Antarctica for 11 months before being rescued in 1958.
  • Jiro: One of two Sakhalin huskies left behind in Antarctica for 11 months before being rescued in 1958. 

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About the Author

Kellianne Matthews is a writer at A-Z Animals where her primary focus is on anthrozoology, conservation, human-animal relationships, and animal behavior. Kellianne has been writing and researching animals for over ten years and has decades of hands-on experience working with a variety of different animals. She holds a Master’s Degree from Brigham Young University, which she earned in 2017. A resident of Utah, Kellianne enjoys creating, exploring and learning new things, analyzing movies, caring for animals, and playing with her cats.

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