Dachshund Names: German Words That Suit the Breed, and What They Really Mean
The best dachshund names often come from German, the breed’s own language: food like Brezel and Strudel, woodland words like Dachs and Fuchs, and affectionate ones like Frechdachs. Below, every German name comes with what it means in the Duden, Germany’s standard dictionary, so you’re not guessing.
That matters more than you’d think.
A couple of names that sound charming in English mean something unflattering in German, and I’ve flagged them near the end so you don’t find out from a German-speaking neighbor after the name has already stuck, which is the kind of thing that’s hard to undo once a dog answers to it.
Start with the breed’s own name
Dachshund is two German words: Dachs, which the Duden describes as a silver-gray to brownish-gray mammal with a black-and-white head, a long snout, a stocky body and short legs, and Hund, dog. In other words, a badger dog.
German also has a shorter word, Dackel. The Duden says it began as a southern German short form of Dachshund, and lists Teckel as meaning the same thing. Both are tempting as names, but don’t pick Dackel before you’ve read the warning below.
Food names
My miniature is called Pretzel, and that’s a better dachshund name than it looks. The Duden traces the German Brezel back to the Latin brachium, meaning forearm, because the looped shape recalls folded arms.
| Name | What the Duden says it means |
|---|---|
| Brezel | A salted, lye-dipped or sweet pastry with a characteristic looped shape |
| Strudel | First a whirlpool in water; second, a very thin rolled dough filled with apple and raisins and baked |
| Schnitzel | A thin slice of veal, pork, turkey or chicken, often breaded, fried in a pan |
| Knödel | A dumpling |
| Streusel | Little crumbs of butter, sugar and a bit of flour for topping cakes |
| Kringel | A small, loosely drawn circle or squiggle, or a ring-shaped thing |
| Zwieback | A bread slice toasted after baking, so it’s crisp and keeps |
| Keks | A dry, long-lasting small baked biscuit |
| Senf | Mustard |
| Bratwurst | A sausage, mostly pork, made for frying |
Kringel is a nice one if your dog sleeps curled into a ring. And if you choose Strudel, you’ll be naming your dog after a whirlpool first and a pastry second.
Food names are a Reddit favorite too. A February 2025 r/Dachshund post asking for girl names (1,636 upvotes) wanted nothing “super popular (like Sadie, Luna, Zoe, etc.)” and was open to food names. One reply suggested:
“Macaroni, nickname Mac or Roni (because she’s a little noodle)”
– r/Dachshund, February 2025 (44 upvotes)
Woodland and hunting names
Dachshunds were bred to hunt, so it’s no stretch to give one a name from the forest. Each of these is a standard entry in the Duden:
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dachs | Badger |
| Fuchs | Fox |
| Jäger | Hunter, a person who goes hunting |
| Wald | Forest, a large area densely covered with trees |
| Igel | Hedgehog |
| Tanne | Fir tree |
| Moos | Moss |
Names for a personality
Some German words describe a character, and a few fit a dachshund almost too well. My favorite is Frechdachs, which literally contains the word for badger: the Duden defines it as a child who is cheeky in a loveable way.
| Name | What the Duden says it means |
|---|---|
| Frechdachs | An endearingly cheeky little child |
| Racker | Someone, especially a child, who likes to play pranks; a rascal |
| Knirps | A little boy, or a small, unremarkable person |
| Kobold | In folk belief, a dwarf-like house spirit given to pranks, sometimes malicious |
| Wichtel | A dwarf or goblin; a household brownie |
| Brummbär | A grumpy, growly person |
| Liebling | Someone who is especially loved; darling |
| Schatz | Treasure |
| Blitz | Lightning |
| Funke | Spark |
| Donner | Thunder |
If your dachshund barks at everything, Brummbär or Donner will feel accurate. Pretzel barked at everything, so I can see the appeal.
Names with a famous dachshund behind them
Waldi. The first official Olympic mascot was a dachshund named Waldi, created for the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics by the designer Otl Aicher. According to the account on Wikipedia, he was modeled on a real long-haired dachshund called Cherie von Birkenhof, and an earlier mascot idea, Lumpi, was a dachshund too.
Lump. Pablo Picasso shared his home with a dachshund called Lump, owned by the photographer David Douglas Duncan. Lump lived with Picasso for six years and appears in several of his works, including his reworkings of Las Meninas, where Lump takes the place of the original dog.
Two names to think twice about
Here’s where the dictionary earns its place. Should you name your dachshund Dackel? It’s the breed’s German nickname, but the Duden lists a second meaning: a colloquial insult for a dumb, stupid guy. It’s worth knowing the other sense exists before you shout it across a park.
Lump is the bigger surprise. Wikipedia says Picasso’s dog was named after the German word for rascal, but the Duden defines Lump far more harshly, as a person of low character, unprincipled or deceitful, often used as an insult. It’s a famous name, just not a flattering one in German.
Dachshund names: common questions
What are cute dachshund names?
The food names are the usual favorites: Brezel, Strudel, Schnitzel, Streusel or Kringel. Frechdachs, an endearingly cheeky child, is cute and fits the breed’s attitude.
Who is the most famous dachshund?
Two have a strong claim: Waldi, the dachshund mascot of the 1972 Munich Olympics and the first official Olympic mascot, and Lump, Picasso’s dachshund companion who appears in his paintings.
What are good wiener dog names?
Sausage names are the obvious joke, and the German ones work well: Bratwurst, Wurst or Knödel. If you’d rather avoid food, Dachs or Fuchs nod to the breed’s hunting past.
Is a German name better for a dachshund?
Not necessarily, but it suits a German breed, and you’ll know exactly what you’re saying if you check the meaning first. Our dachshund vs doxin page explains a few of the breed’s other names.
