Alaska Dog Names

Introduction

The state of Alaska is located in the most northwest part of North America and is the largest state in the United States while being the most sparsely populated. The economy of Alaska includes fishing, as well as the natural gas and oil industries. Alaska was admitted to the United States as the 49^th state on January 3, 1959. Whether you live in Alaska, have visited the state or yearn to do so, giving your pooch a name inspired by the state is a great way to honor a special place. And you will enjoy the regular reminders of a unique location every time you call your canine friend.

Alaska Dog Names in Pop Culture

Featured Famous Alaska Dog

Balto

A famous Alaska dog is Balto. In January of 1925, doctors determined that a potentially deadly diphtheria epidemic was about to make its way through the young people of Nome. The serum that was needed to contain the outbreak was, unfortunately, in Anchorage, Alaska. The only aircraft that could provide quick delivery of the serum had a frozen engine and could not be started. It was decided that the medicine would be moved by numerous dog sled teams. The serum first traveled from Anchorage to Nenana by train, where a dog sled team was ready to start a relay to deliver the serum to Nome. More than 20 mushers participated; conditions were extremely cold; -23 degrees Fahrenheit, with strong winds.

On February 2, Gunnar Kaasen drove his team, which was led by Balto, into Nome. Balto was able to keep his team on the trail in near whiteout conditions. Kaasen reported that he could barely see his hand in front of his face. Balto and his team did their portion of the run almost completely in the dark. When they arrived at the final stop, the team and its sledder were sleeping; thus Kaasen decided to keep going. While Balto received much of the attention, the longest and most hazardous portion of the journey was completed by Leonhard Seppala, a Norwegian, and a team of dogs led by Togo. A movie very loosely based on the events of 1925, titled Balto, was made in 1995.

A 2002 movie Snow Dogs also features dogs in Alaska. A prominent dentist in Miami, Dr. Brooks, receives a letter notifying him that he is the sole heir of a woman from a village in Alaska. It turns out that Dr. Brooks was adopted and this woman was his biological mother.

Dr. Brooks heads to Alaska to claim his inheritance, which is seven Siberian Huskies and a Border Collie. While visiting, Dr. Brooks has the opportunity to discover his roots, yet is a fish out of water as he faces challenges like blizzards, ice, wildlife, an old mountain man who wants to buy the dogs and a defiant, aggressive lead dog. While in town, Dr. Brooks tries to find out why he was adopted and who his biological father is. He also learns how to deal with the dogs and drive a sled. Dr. Brooks learns that the old mountain man is his biological father and falls in love with a good friend of his biological mother, ultimately moving his dental practice to the small Alaska town.

Alaska Dog Name Considerations

When bringing home a new dog, choosing the right name can feel like quite the challenge. You want to find a name that “matches” your new friend and perhaps has some meaning to you at the same time. For those who have fond feelings about the state of Alaska, a name inspired by the state may be an ideal option, providing ongoing reminders of a place that has meaning to you each time you call the name of your new pal. Even if you don’t feel strongly about the state of Alaska, there are other reasons to choose an Alaska-inspired name for your pet. Your dog may resemble a particular dog from the state, whether in breed, personality or appearance. For example, a Siberian Husky may bring to mind Balto, who made the serum run in 1925, thus leading to a name inspired by the state. Your dog may show an affinity for snow, or the cold, of which Alaska has plenty. If something in particular about the state stands out to you as something special, it may make sense to give your dog a name that will regularly remind you of it. The state of Alaska offers plenty of naming opportunities to consider and is a great place to turn when choosing a name for your new pet.

Male Alaska Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
7	Nome A small city in Alaska located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea
7	Arctic Parts of Alaska are included in the arctic, which is a polar region at the northernmost part of the earth
7	Amak Means “playful” in a language native to the state
6	Kennicott Now a ghost town, this used to be the richest copper mine
5	Avalanche When snow flows quickly down a slope
5	Brooks For the Brooks mountain range in Alaska, located in northern Alaska into the Yukon Territory of Canada
5	Eskimo An English term for the indigenous people who have lived in the northern circumpolar region from eastern Siberia to across Alaska, Canada and Greenland
5	Adak For the smallest National Forest in the United States with only 33 trees
4	Glacier A mass of ice formed from snow falling and accumulating over the years, while moving very slowly
4	Salmon For the Salmon river and the Salmon run
3	Balto For the dog made famous for his role in the serum run to Nome
3	Togo The lead dog on the most treacherous route in the serum run to Nome
3	Clark For Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, where there are turquoise lakes and steaming volcanoes
3	Elias For the St. Elias mountains, of the Pacific Coast Ranges in southeastern Alaska
2	Blizzard A severe snowstorm; not unusual in Alaska
2	Moose An animal found in Alaska; the largest extant species in the deer family
2	Kaskae Means “chief” in a language native to Alaska
2	Iditarod For the Iditarod National Historic Trail
1	Hallo For Hallo Bay, a sandy bay found beneath the peaks of the Aleutian Range
0	Kodiak The largest of seven communities located on Kodiak Island
0	Igloo A shelter built of snow, usually when the snow can be compacted easily
0	Pole North Pole is a small city that is part of the Fairbanks metropolitan area
0	Chukchi The Chukchi sea, a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, bordered in the east by Point Barrow, Alaska
0	Klondike For Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park
-1	Akiak Means “brave” in a language native to Alaska
-2	Toolik For Alaska’s Toolik River
-2	Yukon For Fort Yukon, a city in Alaska known for having the record highest temperature in Alaska

Female Alaska Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
8	Juneau The capital city of Alaska, located on the Alaska mainland
7	Bona For Mount Bona, with a peak of 16,550 feet in the St. Elias Mountains
7	Bear Bears are commonly seen in Alaska
6	Orca Also known as Killer Whales, Orca Whales can be found in Alaska
5	Iliamna An active volcano in the Aleutian mountain range
5	Ice With the precipitation Alaska receives, along with the cold temperatures, ice is prevalent in the state
5	Denali Located in Alaska, Denali is the highest mountain peak in North America
5	Katmai For Katmai National Park and Preserve located in southern Alaska
5	Talkeetna A group of coastal volcanoes that have been extinct for a long time; the mountains connect the Chugach Mountains to the Alaska Range
4	Alaska In honor of the northernmost state in the US
4	Izembek The Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, located in Alaska, is the smallest National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska
3	Truuli A mountain peak located in Alaska’s Kenai Mountains
3	Oratia For Mount Oratia, located in the Kuskokwim Mountains, which begin in the interior west of Fairbanks
3	Chisana For the Chisana River, which connects with the Nabesna River, forming the Tanana River, which is a significant tributary of the Yukon River
3	Tracy For Tracy Arm Fjord, located near Juneau and named for the Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Franklin Tracy
2	Sitka An Alaska city and borough, site of the transfer ceremony for the purchase of Alaska on October 18, 1867
2	Gisasa In the Yukon River Basis, the Gisasa River is 70 miles in length
2	Kiska For Kiska Island, among the Rat island group of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands
2	Aniakchak For the Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, which includes the Aleutian Range in southwestern Alaska
2	Augusta For Mount Augusta, located in the Saint Elias Mountains, with a peak of 14,070 feet
1	Akna Means “goddess” in a language native to the state
1	Aiktak Island in Alaska located among the Aleutian Islands
0	Kenai A city located in the Kenai Peninsula Borough in Alaska
0	Glory For Glory Lake, a natural lake in Alaska with about three miles of shoreline
0	Sierra Spanish word for “mountain range”, of which you will see many in Alaska
0	Tanana For the Yukon-Tanana Uplands which include a number of low mountain ranges
0	Nuka For the Nuka River, an Alaska river that is 50 miles in length
0	Jewel For Jewel Lake, located in Anchorage, Alaska
0	Tongass Located in southeast Alaska, the Tongass National Forest is the largest national forest in the United States
-2	Snow Alaska has a lot of snow
-2	Tundra Where tree growth is limited by low temperatures and short growing seasons