Horses and the Wild West go together like peanut butter and jelly. It's hard to think about anything western-related without a horse popping into your mind! Western names and references make excellent name choices for your pet horse. There are so many fun and creative western horse names to choose from.
Borrow an Outlaw or Famous Figure Name
The Wild West is a large part of the American story. All of these names were inspired by iconic outlaws or famous westerners who became widely recognized for their role in that aspect of American history or lore.
- Jesse James
- J.J. - short for Jesse James
- Billy - inspired by Billy the Kid
- Bill
- Wild Bill
- Buffalo
- B.B. - short for Buffalo Bill
- Sundance
- Davy Crockett
- Dave
- Crocker
- Calamity Jane
- Janie
- Annie
- Annie O.
- Oakley
- Butch
- Butchy
- Cassidy
- Wyatt
- Doc
- Doc Holliday
- Texas Tom
Western Horse Names for Mares
If you have a female horse needing a solid Western name, look no further. These names all have old Western flair.
- Dolly
- Dixie
- Sunny - play on Sundance Kid
- Bonnie - Bonnie and Clyde
- Belle - famous cowgirl Belle Star
- Star
- Lottie - Lottie Deno
- Pearl - for Pearl James
- Della - nickname for Laura Bullion, who was a part of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch
- Dell
- Lily - after quick shooter Lillian Smith
- Kitty - Miss Kitty Russel of Gunsmoke
- Patsy
- Reba
- Betsy
- Wynona
- Jolene
- Delta
- June - June Carter
- Sierra - after Sierra Mountain Range
- Ruby
- Sugar
- Spirit
- Rain - horse from animated show Spirit
- Goldie
- Goldstar
- Alene
- Abigail
- Birdie
- Dinah
- Sue
- Flossie
Western Horse Names for Stallions
Horses of the Wild West were strong, powerful creatures, always by their owner's sides. These male horse names all make great choices for a stunning stallion.
- Sully - play on the saloon
- Bucky
- Woody - character from Toy Story
- Bullseye - horse from Disney's Toy Story
- Buck
- Chief
- Patrick - horse from Home on the Range
- Clyde
- Maverick
- Mav
- Teddy - President Teddy Roosevelt was president at the time of the rise of the Wild West
- Roosevelt
- Johnny - Johnny Cash
- Sam Brown - character in Disney movie Home on the Range
- Buck - horse from Disney's Home on the Range
- Pancho
- Scout
- Soldier
- Bull
- Black Jack
- Hank
- Bronco
- Jack Daniels
- J.D.
Famous Western Horses From Film
So many western movies have featured horses. Use those famous horses in naming your own.
- Trigger - Roy Rogers' horse
- Silver - Buck Jones' horse
- Thunder - original name of Will Bill Elliott's horse
- Buttermilk - Dale Evans's horse
- Champion - Gene Autry's horse
- Koko - Rex Allen's horse
- Loco - Pancho's horse
- Rush - Lash LaRue's horse
- Rebel - one of Johnny Mack Brown's horses
- Ring Eye - starred in movies with several well-known actors
- Wonder - nickname for Tom Mix's horse
- Tony - Tom Mix's horse
- White Flash - Tex Ritter's horse
- Flambow - one of Bob Steele's horses
- Shiek - one of Bob Steele's horses
- El Granito - back up horse for a famous horse named Raider
- Nappy - Hopalong Cassidy's original horse
- Topper - Hopalong Cassidy's replacement horse
- Calico - Gabby Hayes's horse
- Pie - Jimmy Stewart's horse
- Dollor - John Wayne's horse
- Sport - Pernell Roberts's horse
- Target - Annie Oakley's horse
Excellent Names for a Brown Colored Horse
Does your brown horse need a name with Western flair? There are plenty of options.
- Clay
- Brown Sugar
- Sandy
- Chocolate
- Brownie - Bob Steele's horse
- Bear
- Griz
- Sunset
- Hickory
- Biscuit
- Desert
Excellent Names for a Black Colored Horse
For a dark horse, turn to names such as these.
- Coal
- Midnight
- Rattlesnake
- Zorro
- Raven
- Nightmare
- Nightsky
- Black Stallion
- Black Beauty
- Leather
- Domino
Excellent Names for a White or Grey Colored Horse
These names give off an old west vibe and work well with light grey or white horses.
-
Sky
-
Ghost
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Snow
-
Flurry
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Steel
-
Blanca
-
Cloud
-
Flash
-
Shadow
-
Moonbeam
-
Moonlight
-
Sooty
-
Powder
-
Jagged
-
Misty
-
Apache
-
Silver Bullet
-
Lightening
-
Gunny
-
Gunnar
Use Common Wild West Words
Think about the wild west and cowboy culture. There are plenty of words that come to mind. Many of these will work well for cute western horse names.
- Spur
- Arrow
- Boots
- Bullet
- Rodeo
- "Ro"
- Rider
- Sundown
- Lasso
- Bandit
- Shooter
- Roper
- Yee-Haw
- Sling
- Quickdraw
- Ranger
- Dusty
- Rusty
- Blaze
- Skillet
- Whiskey
- Bourbon
- Banks - since the outlaws robbed them in the wild west so often
- Banjo
- Canyon
- Smoke
- Smokey
- Gallop
- Freedom
- Chaps
- Chappy
- Wrangler
Geography Based Horse Names
The western landscape and well-known places that are located west of the Mississippi make for great western Horse Names.
- Tombstone
- Rio
- Nevada
- Tex
- Dodge - inspired by Dodge City, Kansas
- Durango - city in the high plains of Colorado
- Dallas
- Dakota
- Montana
- Bandera - Texas
- Deadwood - South Dakota
- Denver
- Cody - Wyoming
- Amarillo - Texas
- Worthington - play on Fort Worth, Texas
- Ark - Arkansas
- C.C. - for Cripple Creek
- Oatman - located on Route 66 in Arizona; bonus! Horses love oats.
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Abilene - Kansas
-
Reno
-
Boothill - Wild West graveyard
Horse Names Inspired by Old West Gun Fights
Look to famous gunfights and shootouts for an edgy Old Western name.
- Cimmaron
- Frisco
- Tascosa
- Hunnewell
- O.K. Corral
- Lincoln
- Snake
- Hyde
- Bellevue
- Vaudeville
Western Names Inspired by Fictional Characters
Think about turning to pop culture for a western name that will work on a horse.
- Kane - inspired by Will Kane from High Noon
- Lone Ranger
- Tonto - the Lone Ranger's sidekick
- Hopalong - Hopalong Cassidy
- Cisco - Cisco Kid
- Josey - The Outlaw Josey Wales
- Rooster - inspired by Rooster Cogburn from True Grit
- Barbosa
- Lonesome Dove
- Anton - No Country for Old Men
- Red Ryder
The Hardest Part
The hardest part of naming your horse will be which name to choose. There are so many great options available! Make a list of your favorite names, and then shorten it to a handful of options. Play around with them and have fun!
