233 of the Best Horse Names for Your Equine Companion

Horses are companions, therapists, competitors, and friends, and they need a horse name that suits them well. If you care for a horse its entire life, the name should grow with both of you since horses commonly live into their 20s and sometimes 30s. No matter how you got your horse or what their role is, finding the perfect name can strengthen the bond you share.

Here are 233 of the best horse names for any type of horse.

Top Horse Names

Many top horse names come from popular books, movies, and famous racehorses.

• Billy: the oldest horse on record
• Black Beauty: from the novel Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
• Chad: a famous horse racing trainer, Chad C. Brown
• Chance: a racehorse
• Charlie: from the book Charlie the Horse by Deanie Humphrys-Dunne 
• Chief: the last U.S. cavalry horse
• Chip: from Zips Chocolate Chip, a famous horse
• Cinnamon: a racehorse
  
• Dakota: a racehorse
• Dash: from the book Dash by J. Elizabeth Mills
• Doug: a racehorse
  
• Dusty: from the show The Backyardigans
• Flash: from the movie Flash
  
• Fury: from the TV series Fury
• Gypsy: from Gypsy King, a famous Gypsy Vanner horse
• Hidalgo: from the movie Hidalgo
• Jack: a racehorse
• Jackie: from Jackie’s Warrior, a famous racehorse
  
• Joey: from the book Joey: How a Blind Rescue Horse Helped Others Learn to See by Jennifer Marshall Bleakley
• King: a horse in the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame
• Lucky: from the TV show Yellowstone
• Magic: a famous miniature therapy horse
• Maximus: from the movie Tangled
• Mister Ed: from the TV show of the same name
• Misty: from Misty the Pony
• Mocha: a racehorse
• Molly: from Molly the Pony
• Napoleon: a racehorse
• Nutmeg: a racehorse
• Parmesan: from the book Parmesan, the Reluctant Racehorse by Jacqui Halpin
  
• Poppy: from the book Poppy the Police Horse by Gavin Puckett
• Ranger: a racehorse
• Rose: from the book Robert the Rose Horse by Joan Heilbroner
• Ruby: a racehorse
• Rusty: a famous horse actor
• Scout: from the TV show The Lone Ranger
  
• Silver: from the TV show The Lone Ranger
• Snowball: from the movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame
• Sparky: from the TV show Sheriff Callie's Wild West
  
• Spirit: from the movie Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
• Star: a famous horse actor
• Sugar: a horse that went viral
• Sunny: a famous horse
• Sunshine: a racehorse
• Teddy: a famous horse
• Toffee: a racehorse
  
• Trixie: a horse actor
  

Coat Color Names

When you’re not sure what to name your horse, consider naming them after their beautiful coat color.

Black Horse Names

• Enigma
• Midnight
• Noir
• Onyx
• Storm
  

Chestnut Horse Names

• Cedar
• Chai
• Chestnut
• Henna
• Scarlet
  

Bay and Brown Horse Names

• Cocoa
• Espresso
• Mahogany
• Merlot
• Mocha
  

Pinto Horse Names

• Aurora
• Domino
• Moonshadow
• Shadow
• Sky
  

Palomino and Buckskin Horse Names

• Goldie
• Nevada
• Sandy
• Sonora
• Sundancer
  

Gray Horse Names

• Ash
• Dusky
• Pewter
• Smokey
• Starlight
  

Male Horse Names

Whether you have a gelding or a stallion, these following names are great ideas for any male horse.

• Al
• Albert
• Angus
• Barbaro
• Bart
• Bert
• Benjamin
• Benny
• Blaze
• Bucephalus
• Buddy
• Carl
• Cash
  
• Chuck
• Chucky
• Dart
• Dennis
• Denny
• Doggy
• Donnie
• Ed
  
• Edison
• Edward
• Elmer
• Frankel
• Freckles
• Godolphin
  
• Jameson
• Jim
• Joe
• Manny
• Marengo
• Marvin
• Max
• Ned
• Ollie
• Opus
• Pal
• Percy
• President
• Sergeant Reckless
  
• Sheldon
• Sheriff
• Stewart
• Stewie
• Tank
• Ted
• Timmy
• Traveller
• Trigger
  

Female Horse Names

If you have a mare or a filly, here are some good female horse names.

• Abby
• Annabelle
• Annie
• Autumn
• Bella
• Berta
• Betsy
• Bossy
• Carly
• Caroline
• Chloe
• Cookie
• Daisy
• Dolly
• Eleanor
• Ellie
• Fancy
• Flo
• Ginny
• Hailey
• Holly
• Jade
• Jasmine
• Jenny
• Juliet
• Lady
• Ladybird
• Luna
• Marigold
• Martha
• Mary
• Meadow
• Nancy
• Nel
• Nelly
• Pearl
  
• Penny
• Piper
• Princess
• Queen
• Queenie
• Roseanne
• Rosebud
  
• Rosie
• Sadie
• Sally
• Sassy
• Shania
• Shelby
• Shirley
• Valerie
• Venus
• Wanda
• Wendy
• Willow
  

Names for Horse Pairs

If you have a pair of horses, you can give them names that go together perfectly.

• Bonnie and Clyde
• Fortune and Cookie
• Romeo and Juliet
• Venus and Serena
• Yin and Yang
  

Western Horse Names

Horses can remind you of the Old West, and that could inspire some names, such as the following.

• Clint
• Goldrush
• Reno
• Roy
• Stetson
  

Draft Horse Names

A large draft horse deserves a name that stands out. Below are a few ideas.

• Diesel
• Excalibur
• Maverick
• Renegade
• Thunderbolt
  

Sport Horse Names

For your athletic horse, you can choose a name that projects speed and strength.

• Ferrari
• Jet
• Rocket
• Turbo
• Victory
  

Unique Horse Names

If you want to give your horse a unique name, consider the following.

• Camelot
• Carnival
• Furby
• Ferris
• Grazer
• Harley
• Hay Fever
• Houdini
• Hoof Hearted
• Lollipop
• Night Rider
• Pinto Bean
• Snowglobe
• Turnip
  

Racehorse Names

The racehorse world is full of rules around horse naming, leading to comedic and creative names, names that are a little longer than you'd expect, and names that honor the names of the parents of the horse or horse's owner, jockey, trainer, or place of birth.

• American Pharaoh
• Apollo
• Big Brown
• Canonero II
• Gallant Fox
• Grindstone
• Jet Pilot
• Joe Cotton
• Omaha
• Seabiscuit
• Secretariat
• Sir Barton
• Twenty Grand
• Unbridled
• War Emblem
• Whirlaway
• Wintergreen
  

Tips for Naming Your Horse

Some good horse names are taken from books, movies, and television shows while others are a reflection of your horse's color or personality. If you own a retired racehorse, you may want to utilize their track name, or if you rescued your horse, perhaps the location of where they came from.

Find something that feels comfortable for you to say when talking to your horse, and you'll know when you find the right name. Stay away from names that may sound like common commands you would give like "whoa," "walk," "trot," "easy," and other words that could cause confusion during training.