91 Famous horse Names: Choose the Best Name 2024
When you breed or bring home a new horse, you’ll want to choose the perfect name. Finding the right name can take some time and creativity, though. But don’t worry. It can be helpful to draw some inspiration from other horses.
Top Famous Racehorse Names
If you want to name your horse after greatness, then turn to these most famous racehorses for inspiration:
- Affirmed
- Alydar
- American Pharoah
- A.P. Indy
- Barbaro
- Black Caviar
- Bold Ruler
- Citation
- Count Fleet
- Dr. Fager
- Eclipse
- Holy Bull
- Justify
- Kelso
- Lost in the Fog
- Man o’ War
- Native Dancer
- Phar Lap
- Red Rum
- Ruffian
- Seabiscuit
- Seattle Slew
- Secretariat
- Smarty Jones
- Spectacular Bid
- Sunday Silence
- War Admiral
- Winx
- Zenyatta
Tips for Naming Your Horse
There are some important principles to keep in mind when naming your horse. If you’re brainstorming a name you’ll use to register your horse, then start by reviewing the breed association’s regulations for names.
Each breed registry has its own set of strict rules about what types of names it allows. These rules may specify character limits, restricted phrases, and more. You can save yourself some time by learning these requirements before you start brainstorming names.
Ensure the Name Is Easy to Pronounce
If you plan on competing with your horse, consider choosing a registered name or show name that’s easy to pronounce. Names that are tongue twisters or that contain unusual or foreign words will be a real challenge for show ring announcers.
Choosing a name that’s easily read and pronounced can help ensure the announcer gets the name right when calling out results.
Refer to Your Horse’s Parents
When it comes to identifying potential names for your horse, start by looking at your horse’s dam and sire. Many horse owners include aspects of a horse’s parents’ names in his registered name, honoring those horses.
This practice also makes it easier for breed enthusiasts and owners to track offspring and recognize bloodlines when they see your horse at a competition or race. Plus, it’s a great way to recognize the significance of your horse’s bloodlines.
Choosing a Barn Name
Once you’ve chosen your horse’s registered name, you’ll need to think about what his barn name should be. A barn name should be short enough that it’s easy to pronounce—usually, names with one or two syllables work best.
Try to avoid barn names that rhyme with other commands you give, like “whoa” or “no.” If you want to change things up a little, consider experimenting with different spellings of some more common names to give your horse’s title a unique touch.
Look for Inspiration
Famous racehorse names are great sources of inspiration. Maybe some of these horses are in your horse’s bloodlines. You can use these names to help you come up with ideas that you might not otherwise think of. Play around with phrases similar to these names.
For instance, if you love the name “Lawyer Ron,” then you might come up with something similar like Legal Eagle, Law of the Land, Lay Down the Law, and more.
A single name can inspire dozens of ideas. Add all of these potential names to a running list, then narrow the names down to choose the best option for your horse.
Related: Horse Feeding Guide
More Famous Racehorse Names for Inspiration
- Afleet Alex
- Animal Kingdom
- Arrogate
- Assault
- Bernardini
- Big Brown
- Blushing Groom
- Bricks and Mortar
- Conquistador Cielo
- Curlin
- Damascus
- Easy Goer
- Eight Belles
- Exterminator
- Ferdinand
- Foolish Pleasure
- Gallant Fox
- Game On Dude
- Genuine Risk
- Ghostzapper
- Giant’s Causeway
- Go For Wand
- Graydar
- Gun Runner
- Hail to Reason
- Havre de Grace
- I’ll Have Another
- John Henry
- Key to the Mint
- Lady Eli
- Lady’s Secret
- Lawyer Ron
- Lava Man
- Lexington
- Mariah’s Storm
- Mineshaft
- Omaha Beach
- Palace Malice
- Personal Ensign
- Point Given
- Pulpit
- Rachel Alexandra
- Raise a Native
- Regret
- Riva Ridge
- Round Table
- Runhappy
- Seeking the Gold
- Serena’s Song
- Shanghai Bobby
- Silver Charm
- Sir Barton
- Skip Away
- Slew o’ Gold
- Storm Cat
- Street Sense
- Tabasco Cat
- Thunder Gulch
- Tiznow
- Tonalist
- War Emblem
- Wise Dan
Other Horse Name Ideas
For more horse name ideas, check out:
