Are you welcoming a St. Bernard, the national dog of Switzerland, to your family? We’ve fetched St. Bernard names harking back to this noble dog’s first role performing life-saving alpine rescues, as well as popular Swiss dog names, famous St. Bernards and much more!
Female St. Bernard Names
Here’s a look at some of the most popular baby names in Switzerland for girls:
- Agathe
- Alina
- Amélie
- Arianna
- Carina
- Elea
- Elena
- Emilia
- Emma
- Finja
- Frieda
- Hannah
- Heidi
- Juliana
- Kiara
- Lili
- Lina
- Maia
- Margot
- Matilde
- Mia
- Mila
- Nayla
- Noemi
- Pippa
- Roma
- Rowena
- Serafina
- Tania
- Valeria
- Vilma
- Viola
- Vivienne
Male St. Bernard Names
These baby names are popular in Switzerland for boys…or maybe for a male St. Bernard?
- Alexis
- Alfi
- Andri
- Ari
- Bernardo
- Bjorn
- Christos
- Darius
- Enzo
- Etan
- Flurin
- Frederik
- Gaspard
- Hans
- Henrik
- Jans
- Jeremi
- Lars
- Lucio
- Lukas
- Lyam
- Mads
- Matheo
- Mattias
- Maxim
- Mika
- Nils
- Theodor
- Thiago
- Thierry
- Tommaso
- Tobias
- Tymon
- Valentin
Famous St. Bernards
Beethoven — A St. Bernard named Kris starred as the dog named after the master of classical music in the first two Beethoven movies.
Chief — The slobbering St. Bernard brings the silly to the FOX adult animated series Housebroken.
Cujo — Looking for a frightfully fun name? How about the scary St. Bernard conjured up by the King of Screams, Stephen King? Definitely one of the most recognized St. Bernard names!
Nana — In the eyes of many Disney devotees, the Saint Bernard is synonymous with the Darling children’s canine caretaker in Peter Pan. The name Nana means “grace” in Hebrew, “Lady” in Swahili and “spring” in Japanese.
Porthos — A proud pet parent to a Saint Bernard named Porthos at the time the Peter Pan author penned the tale about the boy who wouldn’t grow up, Barrie did not name his barking buddy after the character in The Three Musketeers. Instead, the name Porthos was inspired by the name of a dog in the novel Peter Ibbetson by author George du Maurier.
St. Bernard Names Harking Back to the Breed’s Origin
Avalanche: The Saint Bernard’s first duty was to rescue travelers trapped by avalanches.
Barry: An early name for the St. Bernard was the “Barry Dog,” harking back to one of the most famous St. Bernards named Barry. The dog was said to have saved as many as 100 lives.
Bernard: The St. Bernard’s breed origins can be traced back to an 11th century monk named Bernard of Menthon, the founder of the Great Saint Bernard Hospice. This hostel helped travelers in the mountain passes, aided by large dogs who could locate lost travelers in the heavy snows. St. Bernard lent his name to this breed. Bernard of Menthon was canonized in 1681; he is the patron saint of the Alps as well as skiing, hiking, mountaineering, snowboarding and backpacking.
Bernhard: Bernard in German
Bernhardus: Bernard in Latin
Menthon: Bernard was most likely born in the Château de Menthon, a castle in France’s Menthon-Saint-Bernard. Originating in 923, this castle was enlarged throughout the years. It is believed that the castle was Walt Disney’s inspiration for Sleeping Beauty!
Saint: St. Bernards were originally known as Saint Dogs.
Valais: The Swiss canton where the Great Saint Bernard Hospice was located.
Names Based on the St. Bernard’s Size
- Amazon
- Bigfoot
- Biggie
- Bruiser
- Bruno
- Butch
- Colossus
- Fang
- Godzilla
- Goliath
- Hercules
- Jumbo
- King Kong
- Loki
- Marmaduke
- Mr. Big
- Sheena
- Spike
- Tank
- T-Rex
- Thunder
- Wolverine
- Yeti
Swiss Terms of Endearment
The Swiss use many of the German terms of endearment but also have some of their own!
- Bärli: little bear (and the name of our dog!)
- Herzli: darling, little heart
- Knudel: cuddle
- Müsli: little mouse
- Schätzli: little treasure
How to Make Any Name Sound Like a Cute Swiss Name
Just like you might turn burro into burrito (little burro) in Spanish by adding -ito as a diminutive, you can use the Swiss German -li to make your favorite dog names extra cute!
Words & Brands Associated with Switzerland that Make Good Names
- Cocoa: Switzerland is renowned for its chocolates, most especially milk chocolate, which got its start here.
- Fondue
- Helvetica
- Lindt: one of Switzerland’s most famous chocolatiers
- Nescafé
- Nestle
- Omega
- Piguet
- Rolex: just one of the many luxury brands for which Switzerland is known
- Suisse
- Swatch
- Tissot
Swiss Place Names
- Basel
- Bernina
- Geneva
- Gstaad
- Lucerne
- Matterhorn: Switzerland’s most famous mountain peak.
- Moritz: St. Mortiz, the town known as a celebrity getaway and ski resort
- Verbier
- Vevey
- Zermatt
- Zurich
More Dog Names You Might Like!
400 French Dog Names {and their meanings!}
Pin it to remember
- Who are the Top Pet Influencers and Should Your Dog Join In the Fun? - April 10, 2024
- Should Dogs Sleep on the Bed? - April 9, 2024
- 10 Spring Cleaning Tasks for Dog Homes - April 9, 2024