225 Best Car Names, From Sedans to Minivans to SUVs

2 ladies driving in a vintage convertible
225 Best Car Names, From Sedans to Minivans to SUVKen Redding - Getty Images


Of course, you don’t need to name your car, but coming up with car names for all your vehicles is one of life’s simple pleasures and may also help you make an emotional connection to your daily ride. Additionally, naming your car after a beloved relative helps to keep their memory alive and well!

To name their car, Nat Raum, founder of Fifth Wheel Press, took a cue from some of the poems they publish and used a great rhyme to come up with Yolanda the Honda. Picking a name that refers to the color of your car is also a popular option, and feel free to dip into other languages, too, as writer Rebecca M. Romani did in naming their green car Zeitouna, which means "olive" in Arabic.

How To Find The Best Name For Your Car

As you begin to ponder possible car names, start with the make, model, size and shape, because cars have different vibes, just like humans. Is your car big and bulky, quirky and dainty, or sleek and sophisticated? All of these attributes may point toward the perfect car name. Tom Cruiser, for example, is the ideal name for a PT Cruiser (and was writer Danielle Barr’s car name while in high school).

You can choose a character name from books or TV that matches your car’s color and size, such as The Hulk for a big green SUV. Finally, consider if your car is a he, she, or they. Its gender might make finding the perfect name that much easier.

Speaking of gender, have you ever wondered why cars are usually given feminine names? This ritual dates back to the tradition of naming boats. It makes sense that ships were, and still are, usually named after women or goddesses because, like mothers, they carry their crews in their bellies and deliver them safely to port.

Okay, it’s time to decide — what will you name your car? To help, we’ve collected over 225 unique car names, from funny ones like Mr. Bean (maybe for a silly little hatchback) to ominous ones like The Grim Reaper for your jet-black SUV.

Funny Car Names

Thinking up hilarious nicknames for your car can be fun, but just like picking new passwords for your bank accounts and social media channels, it may also be a stressful experience! We’re here to help with the LOL-worthy funny car names. Inside jokes can also make funny names for cars. This is what archaeologist David Mullin did, in naming his VW Polo 'Ken' because, as he detailed it: Polo>Pollo>chicken>Kentucky fried chicken>Ken!

  1. Bluey

  2. Mr. Bean

  3. Frodo

  4. Fraggle

  5. Doozer

  6. Wembley

  7. Wicket

  8. Jedi

  9. Shake and Bake

  10. Little Miss Muffet

  11. Wienermobile

  12. Mr. Potato Head

  13. Gru

  14. Chinchilla

  15. Dumbledore

  16. Gandalf

  17. Doughboy

  18. Booger

  19. Squeaker

  20. Pocket Rocket

  21. Cheeto

  22. Dorito

  23. Hot Sauce

  24. Nermal

  25. Puddle Jumper

  26. Homer (perfect if you drive a Honda Odyssey)

  27. Marge

  28. Oatmeal

  29. TARDIS

  30. Chucky

  31. Scott Pilgrim

  32. Taco

  33. Taylor Drift

  34. Violet Beauregarde

classic cars
Rena-Marie - Getty Images

Cool Names for Cars

Cool is a subjective concept and a bit of a moving target as you age, evolve, and find new passions. When trying to give your name a cool car, go with something retro that will always be in style, some hip and modern slang or use a pop culture reference that has staying power. Here are some of the coolest car names:

  1. Thor

  2. Valkyrie

  3. McLovin’

  4. Deetz

  5. Beetlejuice

  6. Mr. Juice

  7. Bob

  8. Cannonball

  9. General Lee

  10. Spitfire

  11. Cyclone

  12. Gremlin

  13. Gizmo

  14. Undertaker

  15. Chaos

  16. Ponyboy

  17. Judge Dredd

  18. Beep Beep

  19. Ecto-1

  20. Mad Max

  21. Optimus Prime

  22. Bumblebee

  23. The General

  24. Bandit

  25. Grey Goose

  26. Dorian Gray

  27. Maverick

  28. Nitro

  29. Beep Beep

  30. Roadkill(er)

Names for White Cars

Thanks to winter words and pop culture references from film and TV, there are plenty of fun names available for white cars.

  1. Casper

  2. Betty White

  3. The Snowmobile

  4. Pearl

  5. Frosty

  6. Abominable

  7. Bumble

  8. Snowball

  9. Draco

  10. Malfoy

  11. Elsa

  12. Fang

  13. Herbie

  14. Marshmallow

  15. Jon Snow

  16. White Witch

  17. Snow White

  18. Milkshake

  19. Great White

  20. Stormtrooper

  21. Moby

  22. Herbie

  23. Fluffer

  24. Blizzard

  25. Whisper

  26. Walter White

Names for Black Cars

Whether it’s a car or a computer, the color black never fails to exude a heightened level of elegance, with a little bit of mystery to boot. Going back to Knight Rider and those legendary Model T Fords, black is a classic car color. There are many tried, true and tested car names for black SUVs, sedans, and even electric vehicles! Here are some of the best names for a black car.

  1. Elphaba

  2. Wednesday

  3. Cougar

  4. Cat Noir

  5. Ash

  6. Draco

  7. Nightshade

  8. Dementor

  9. Demon

  10. T’Challa

  11. Blackjack

  12. Grim Reaper

  13. Smoke

  14. Kitt

  15. Nightcrawler

  16. Obsidian

  17. Onyx

  18. Raven

  19. Shadow

  20. Witcher

  21. Malice

  22. Morticia

  23. Selene

  24. Hades

  25. Elvira

  26. Mystique

  27. Zorro

  28. Mosquito

  29. Black Beauty

  30. Black Widow

  31. Gru

  32. Undertaker

  33. Warhammer

  34. Sirius

  35. Friday

  36. Greaser

  37. Voldemort

  38. Enigma

  39. Magic

  40. Dahlia

  41. Paul Bearer

  42. Phantom

  43. Death Star

  44. Vader

  45. Vortex

  46. Tux

a man driving old black classic car
Kiuikson - Getty Images

Names for SUVs

Big, beefy and capable of handling all types of terrain and lots of passengers, your SUV should have a name that is strong and evokes largeness!

  1. Land Shark

  2. Kraken

  3. Big Foot

  4. Roadrunner

  5. Rhino

  6. Honey Badger

  7. Judge Dredd

  8. Mad Max

  9. Optimus

  10. Law and Order

  11. Beefcake

  12. Meatball

  13. Boss Baby

  14. Sasquatch

  15. Pork Chop

  16. Renegade

  17. Hurricane

  18. Ares

  19. Axl

  20. Big Boy

  21. Blunderbuss

  22. Bombshell

  23. Cap’n Crunch

  24. Jodie Forester (for Subaru drivers)

  25. Groot

Names for Minivans

Because your kiddo will be using this name a lot as they talk about the car that takes them to daycare and soccer practice, minivans lend themselves to a playful, childlike moniker. Here are 20 fun names for your minivan.

  1. Rock Lobster

  2. Vanny

  3. Vanilla

  4. Clifford (especially if red)

  5. BingBong

  6. Van Gogh

  7. Pac-Van

  8. Vanna White

  9. Tank

  10. Brown-Eyed Girl

  11. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (or Chitty for short)

  12. Van Dyke

  13. T-Rex

  14. Wonka

  15. Big Bird

  16. The Hulk

  17. Cherry Bomb

  18. King Kong

  19. Simba

  20. Tadpole

family exiting minivan at gas station
Tony Anderson - Getty Images

Best Names for Small Cars

Teeny, tiny and diminutive, small cars give you the opportunity for a funny name that pays homage or pokes fun of the size of your ride. Check out these cool names for compact cars.

  1. Teacup

  2. Skittle

  3. Tidbit

  4. Trinket

  5. BonBon

  6. Peanut

  7. Cricket

  8. Polly Pocket

  9. Nugget

  10. Tiny

  11. Furby

  12. Jellybean

  13. Gummy

  14. Niblet

  15. Wee man

  16. Applejack

  17. Scoot

  18. Pinkie Pie

  19. Fun Size

  20. Slimey the Worm

  21. Munchkin

  22. Frodo

  23. Rosebud

  24. Nemo

  25. Dory

  26. Smurfette

  27. Sonic

Best Names for Trucks

Thanks to classic imagery of beefy trucks ably crashing through rocky creeks and sending water flying from side to side to a rich history of country songs that romanticize a good ol’ American pickup, every great truck deserves an equally great name. Here are 20 of the best names for your truck, whether you’re driving an F-150 or a Dodge Ram. Not seeing something you like here? No worries, we’ve got many more awesome truck names for you to consider! Unsurprisingly, many truck names could easily double as a name for man’s best friend.

  1. Duke

  2. Rocky

  3. Lucky

  4. Rex

  5. Buster

  6. Daisy

  7. Goldie

  8. Betty

  9. Bertha

  10. Loretta

  11. Thelma

  12. Johnny Cash

  13. Hank

  14. Hank Jr.

  15. Willie

  16. Champ

  17. Bear

  18. Moose

  19. Hades

  20. Rusty

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