Rick and Morty Pet Names: Wubba Lubba Dub Dog

There are roughly 10,000 ways to name a dog. Most pet owners land on the top 50 and call it done. But a specific type of person — the one who watched the Rick and Morty season 8 premiere and immediately thought "I need to adopt something this week" — deserves a more interesting list. This is that list.

Why Cartoon Names Work So Well for Pets

The psychology here is real. Pet names don't carry the social weight of baby names. You can name a cat Pickle Rick and the only consequence is that you'll say "Pickle Rick, dinner time" out loud in your apartment. That's not a consequence. That's a feature. The lower stakes of pet naming is exactly why animated series have always had outsized influence on what we call our animals. Rick and Morty, with its particular brand of chaotic brilliance, offers something that most shows don't: names that are funny, weird, and still actually usable in a dog park.

The Direct Lifts That Work

Let's start with the obvious ones that pass the dog-park test — meaning you can yell them without getting a concerned look from a stranger.

Rick — Yes, it works for a dog. Especially a senior rescue with world-weary eyes and a talent for escaping the yard. The name lands with energy and it's short enough to recall a dog mid-sprint.

Morty — Perhaps the perfect anxious-but-lovable dog name. If you have a golden retriever who vibrates with happiness and panic in equal measure, Morty is doing a lot of work here. It's also genuinely charming — the Mortimer root gives it unexpected gravitas.

Summer — For the energetic, sharp-eyed dog who always seems to know more than she lets on. Summer is already a top-tier pet name on its own merits. The Rick and Morty connection is just a bonus.

Beth — Particularly good for a cat. There's something about Beth that fits the morally ambiguous indoor predator archetype perfectly. Cool, contained, occasionally terrifying.

Jerry — This is the name for the dog who always gets into trouble through no fault of his own. The dog who sat in front of the open refrigerator for four minutes. The dog who is somehow still everybody's favorite. Jerry is legitimately underused as a pet name and we're ready to champion it.

The Deep-Cut Picks for True Fans

If you want to signal your fandom to exactly the right people while remaining legible to everyone else, these are the names to reach for.

Pickle — Yes, as in Pickle Rick. It's a ridiculous name for a dog. It's also an incredible name for a dog. Short, punchy, impossible to say without smiling. This is particularly excellent for dachshunds, obviously, but really any small dog with outsized energy.

Plumbus — Hard pass for a dog you take to a vet regularly. Save this for a fish.

Squanchy — Surprisingly good for a cat, actually. The rhythm is right and cats deserve names that sound like they were designed by a committee of chaos creatures.

Birdperson — Only if you have an actual bird. In which case: required.

Glootie — For a dog who seems to be running some kind of side operation you've never fully understood.

The Sci-Fi Adjacent Picks

If you love the show but want a name that doesn't require a ten-minute explanation at the dog park, these names carry the same energy — cosmic, strange, a little bit chaotic — without the direct franchise flag.

Nova is the move here. It's astronomical, beautiful, increasingly popular, and carries exactly the kind of expansive energy the show traffics in. Same with Cosmo — classic in its own right, but very much in the Rick and Morty spirit of gesturing at the infinite. Orion works for larger dogs — there's a grandeur to it that suits a Lab or a shepherd. For cats, Pixel sits in an interesting space: technical, slightly retro-futuristic, works across genders.

If you're adopting from a shelter and want to give a fresh start while still nodding to the fandom, Portal is an underrated choice. The connotation is pure Rick and Morty but it reads as a completely original pet name to anyone outside the fandom.

Breed-Specific Recommendations

Some names fit certain dogs better than others. Morty for a golden retriever is almost too perfect — the perpetually overwhelmed but ultimately sweet energy maps exactly. Rick is ideal for a terrier of any variety, or honestly any dog who escapes the fence and then looks confused about why you're upset. Beth is a strong choice for a female German shepherd — the combination of warmth and intensity is right. Jerry, somehow, is perfect for a beagle. You already knew that.

The Case for Leaning Into the Absurd

Here's what Rick and Morty has actually taught us about naming, if you squint at it philosophically: in a chaotic universe where nothing means anything, a name is just the sound that makes something real. The show's whole premise is that the universe is enormous and random and occasionally horrifying, and you still come home to your family and your dog every episode. Naming your dog Morty or your cat Beth is a small act of making the show's warmth — because there is warmth in there — into something you get to say out loud every day. That's not a bad reason to name anything.