200+ Best Sourdough Starter Name Ideas

ByKate Freebairn Modified:

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Have you named your sourdough starter? It's a bit of a quirky trend, but if your sourdough starter is just a part of your family (like mine is), then giving it a name seems perfectly reasonable!

I've put together the biggest list of names for your sourdough starter on the internet!

There are over 200 names on the list and it's growing! Seriously, there is so much choice, you're sure to find one you love and that means something to you.

I'd love to know what you've called your sourdough starter, it's such a fun part of the sourdough journey!

Make sure you leave a comment to let us know what you've decided on!

2 jars of sourdough starter that have faces on the jar to give them some personality. The text on the photos says "does your sourdough starter have it's own personality?"

Sourdough Starter Names

If you're reading this, chances are you've recently created your first sourdough starter. Or perhaps you've been gifted one from a friend?

However you've become a "sourdough parent", chances are you'll want to name your new bubbly best friend! It's a great way to add an element of fun to your sourdough journey and tune into to your sourdough starter's vibe.

Plus, you'll be feeding your starter twice a day for a considerable amount of time - you may as well make it fun, right? It's kind of like taking care of a pet (although as a puppy mama, I'd have to say my sourdough starter is so much easier to care for).

If you're looking for easy instructions on how to make a sourdough starter, head here. Or perhaps you want to strengthen your sourdough starter?

I've put together a huge list of sourdough starter names - the biggest list you'll find anywhere! There's sure to be the perfect name for your sourdough starter here, depending on the types of sourdough starter names you're looking for.

Maybe you've called your starter something that's not on the list? I'd love to hear it so make sure you comment below.

160+ Sourdough Starter Names - The Biggest List Ever!

Celebrity Sourdough Names

  1. Adam Levain
  2. Angelina Doughli
  3. Ayeasta Franklin
  4. Avril Levain
  5. Bill Murrye
  6. Bob Baguette
  7. Bread Paisley
  8. Bread Pitt
  9. Bread Sheeran
  10. Bread Sullivan
  11. Bread Zepplin
  12. Breadany Murphy
  13. Breadie Mercury
  14. Breadie White (or Bready White)
  15. Breadney Spears
  16. Breadstreet Boys
  17. Bridget Bar-dough
  18. Bun Jovi
  19. Carrie Breadshaw
  20. Clint Yeastwood
  21. Crust Hemsworth
  22. Crustin Hoffman
  23. Crustin Timberlake
  24. Danny Doughvito
  25. Dolly Start'n
  26. Dough Jay Kaloaf
  27. Dough Pesci
  28. Doughis Day
  29. Doughnald Trump
  30. Doughpra
  31. Doughy Parton
  32. Eddy Breader
  33. Elon Crust
  34. Emilio Yeastevez
  35. Engelbert Pumpernickel
  36. Hugh Jackmanin’ the Dough
  37. Jason Doughrulo
  38. Jennifer Doughpez (J Dough)
  39. Joseph Gordon Leaven
  40. Leonardough Di Caprio
  41. Loafra Winfrey
  42. Maddoughna
  43. Margot Loafbie
  44. Marlon Brando (Bran-dough!)
  45. Nicole Kidcrumb
  46. Olivia Gluten John
  47. Otis Breading
  48. Post Doughlone
  49. Puff Daddy
  50. Ringo Starter
  51. Rise-a Minelli
  52. Russell Crustrow
  53. Ryean Reynolds
  54. Ryean Seecrust
  55. Ryehanna
  56. Shannon Dougherty
  57. Sharon Scone
  58. Sheena Yeaston
  59. Sir Rise A Lot
  60. Taylor Sift (Why not make this sourdough funfetti loaf - inspired by Taylor Swift)
  61. Wheatney Houston
  62. Winona Ryeder
  63. Yeast 17
  64. Yeast Witherspoon
  65. Yeastie Boys
  66. Yeaston Blumenthal
2 jars of sourdough starter with faces on them. They have speech bubbles coming out of the top of each jar.

Historical Sourdough Names

  1. Bread Kelly (Ned Kelly)
  2. Thomas Breadison
  3. Thomas Loaferson
  4. Edgar Allan Dough
  5. Leonardough Da Vinci
  6. Vincent Van Dough
  7. Isaac Gluten
  8. Albert Ryenstein
  9. Alexander Hamilton (Rise Up)
  10. Dough Biden
  11. Sourdough Doughmingo
  12. Herculyeast

Classical Sourdough Names

  1. Florence (it means to flourish or blossom)
  2. Eve
  3. Elvis
  4. Patience (because you'll need a lot of it)
  5. Mabel
  6. Hope
  7. Albert
  8. Myrtle
  9. Milton
  10. Ruby
  11. Betty
  12. Blanche
  13. Victoria
  14. Bob
  15. Oscar
  16. Nancy
  17. Boris
  18. Rose (because it rises)
  19. Frannie (like San Francisco)
  20. Pearl
  21. Gertie
  22. Helen
  23. Geraldine

Corona Sourdough Names

  1. Quarantina
  2. Corona
  3. Rona
  4. Doughvid-19
  5. Covina
  6. Domicron

General TV/Movie Character Sourdough Names (including Disney)

  1. Audrey (Little Shop of Horrors)
  2. Angedough
  3. Austin Flours
  4. Austin Sour
  5. Beauty and the Yeast
  6. Bread Flintstone
  7. Bread Watch
  8. Breadward Cullen
  9. Captain Hooch
  10. Captain Jack Sparrough
  11. Cindoughrella
  12. Cruella Doughville
  13. Days of Our Loaves
  14. Dough Rye Me
  15. Doughafee (Dorothy)
  16. Doughba Fett
  17. Doughbastian (The Little Mermaid)
  18. Doughbert
  19. Doughdeer
  20. Doughene
  21. Doughlores
  22. Doughnald Duck
  23. Doughy Tribiani
  24. Eduardough
  25. Expecto Padoughnum
  26. Feed Phil 
  27. Fernandough
  28. Ferment the Frog
  29. Fi-Dough
  30. Frankenstarter
  31. Frodough Breadins
  32. Gremlins
  33. Homer
  34. Jane Dough
  35. John Dough
  36. Judge Bread
  37. Leonard Hoffbreader
  38. Little Bread Rising Hood
  39. Loaf-E (Wall-E)
  40. Luke Ryewalker
  41. Optimus Rise
  42. Order of the Doughnix
  43. Pillsbury Dough Boy
  44. Romedough
  45. Rye Hard
  46. The Child
  47. The GodFlour
  48. The Minions
  49. The Yeast of My Worries
  50. Theodough
  51. Walter Wheat
  52. WeirDough
  53. Wicked Witch of the Yeast
  54. Will Wheaton
  55. Zebreadiah

Play on Words

  1. Doughlene
  2. Weirdough
  3. Fernandough
  4. Theodough
  5. Doughlores
  6. Angedough
  7. Pillsbury Dough Boy
  8. The Yeast of My Worries
  9. Doughbert
  10. Dough Rye Me
  11. Fi-Dough
  12. John Dough
  13. Jane Dough
  14. Eduardough
  15. Romedough
  16. Doughadeer
  17. Zebreadiah

Other Starter Name Ideas

  1. Kneady
  2. Cocoa (perfect for a chocolate sourdough starter)
  3. Dimples
  4. Bubbles
  5. Puffy
  6. Malferment
  7. Rise One
  8. Sour Pants
  9. Phoenix
  10. Polar (cos it lives in the fridge)
  11. Our Flour Child
  12. Hoochie Mama (because it will produce hooch).

Harry Potter Inspired Sourdough Starter Names

My kids are Harry Potter obsessed, so coming up with this list is an ongoing hobby!

  1. Albus Dumbledough
  2. Albus Raisinbread
  3. Basilisk Baguette
  4. Buckwheatbeak
  5. Doughbby the House Elf
  6. Doughlumos
  7. Doughmione Granger
  8. Doughy Potter
  9. Expecto Pantronum
  10. Fawkes the Phoenix (Rising Starter)
  11. GryffinDough
  12. Harry Starter
  13. Hedwig’s Crust
  14. Hermione Grain-ger
  15. Hogwart’s Hooch (Starter of Butterbeer Dreams)
  16. Horcrux Crumbs (a piece of soul in every loaf)
  17. Hufflepuff
  18. Hufflepuff Crumb
  19. Leviosa Loaf
  20. Luna Loafgood
  21. Neville Longrise
  22. Niffler’s Doughlight
  23. Polyjuice Provisions
  24. Professor McGonidough
  25. Ron Yeastly
  26. Rye Weasley
  27. Sevengrain Snape
  28. Sirius Grain
  29. Slytherin Crust
  30. The Golden Crust
  31. Vol-dough-mort

Yellowstone Inspired Sourdough Starter Names

  1. Bar Y Dough
  2. Beth Proof-er
  3. Big Sky Bread Beginnings
  4. Big Sky Starter
  5. Bison Bread Starter
  6. Bunkhouse Bread
  7. Casey Crust
  8. Cowboy Crust
  9. Dutton Dough
  10. Frontier Ferment
  11. Homestead Heirloom Starter
  12. Jamie Jam Loaf
  13. John Dough-ton
  14. Loafin’ on the Range
  15. Monica’s Mountain Loaf
  16. Montana Magic Starter
  17. Proofing with Rip
  18. Rip Rye-wheeler
  19. Sourdough at the Yellowstone
  20. Tate's Rising Starter
  21. The Yellowstone Yeast
  22. Trail Dough Blaze
  23. Wrangler's Wheat Starter
  24. Yeast of the West

Star Wars Themed Sourdough Starter Names

  • 3CP-Dough
  • Doughba Fett
  • Doughbie-Wan Kenoughi
  • Madoughlorean

Geographical Inspired Names

  1. San Fran (for San Francisco sourdough vibes)
  2. Paris (nod to French baking)
  3. Roma (Italian roots of pizza & bread)
  4. Vienna (for Viennese bread tradition)
  5. Brooklyn Crumb
  6. Alamo Loaf
  7. Seattle Rise
  8. Dakota Dough

Names Based on Sourdough-Related Words

  1. Dough-Licious
  2. Doughlas Fir
  3. Doughminator
  4. Doughminique
  5. East of Yeast
  6. Flour Power
  7. Flourentine
  8. Flourever Young
  9. Holy Doughly
  10. Kneady Baby
  11. Kneadles & Crust
  12. Lady Floursence
  13. Need for Knead
  14. Proof Positive
  15. Proofessor Crumb
  16. Rise & Shine
  17. Rise Against
  18. Sir Flours-a-Lot
  19. Slow Riser
  20. Take What You Knead
  21. The Daily Knead
  22. The Final Flour
  23. The Great Proofer
  24. To Knead is to Love
  25. Yeast Mode
  26. Yeast at Last
  27. Yeast of Eden
  28. The Yeast You Can Do

Other Ideas for Naming Your Sourdough Starter

If none of the above take your fancy, there are lots of other ways you could name your sourdough starter. Here are a few ideas:

  • Are you using a certain jar to grow your starter (ie pasta, coffee, salsa etc). Name your starter after what was in the jar originally. For example Tostitos Joe or Napolitana.
  • Name your sourdough starter after your favorite place in the world.
  • Name your sourdough starter after the place you live (can be town, street, locality etc) - since the local yeast is what makes it unique.
  • Name your starter to remember someone special or someone who perhaps gave you your sourdough starter.

Why Name Your Sourdough Starter?

Many people view their sourdough starter as simply a tool for making sourdough bread. But for many sourdough bakers it's so much more - so why shouldn't it have a name?

Your sourdough starter is actually a living collection of yeast and bacteria. It needs regular feeding and maintenance. It's just like taking care of a pet.

And in fact, many sourdough bakers say their sourdough starter has its own unique personality so naming it becomes a heartwarming tradition and something that sparks a lot of conversation among the sourdough community.

This living element is what propels many people to name their scoby (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). It endears their sourdough starter and creates a familiar culture around the daily ritual of feeding.

Do you have a reason for naming your starter? I'd love to know, make sure you comment below.

I hope this guide to the best sourdough starter names has helped you to name your own sourdough starter. Come and join in the fun in our sourdough community of over 300k bakers!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do you name a sourdough starter?

Your starter is a unique colony of yeast and bacteria. It's alive and needs regular feeding - just like you! Many sourdough bakers give their sourdough starter a name to differentiate it from other starters. It also brings an element of fun to what can be a tedious and long process.

How do you feed your sourdough starter in the fridge?

You can't store your sourdough starter in the fridge until it's mature. You really need to leave it on the counter and feed it twice a day during the establishment phase. Once it's mature, you can store it in the fridge and feed it more infrequently. You'll find a full guide to storing your starter in the fridge here.

Does older sourdough starter taste better?

A more mature sourdough starter can definitely bring a more diverse flavor profile to a loaf of sourdough. However, a 12 month old starter can bring just as a robust flavor as a 20 year old starter. A starter that is less than 12 months old will not have developed a full bodied flavor. You'll definitely taste the difference between a younger starter and an older one - especially if the younger one isn't mature.

What is the 1:1:1 rule for sourdough?

1:1:1 refers to the flour and water mixture ratios, so 1:1:1 denotes 1 part flour, 1 part water and 1 part sourdough starter. Expand your knowledge of this topic with this guide to sourdough starter ratios.

Sourdough Made Easy Ebook
BEST NAME FOR SOURDOUGH STARTER

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111 Comments

  3. I’m just starting out! Thank Lynette for the inspiration. I’m naming my starter after my mom and favorite person in the world (heaven). Ruby Mertalicious! Ruby was my grandma and she was the best cook and baker and she was my fav person ever and my mom/best friend’s nickname is Mert. So Ruby Mertalicious it is. Mert for short.

    Reply

    2. I named my starter Mother Nature and my discard Esperanza (always hoping she will perform and she hasn’t failed me!).

      Reply

  5. My hubby started spouting off these Movie themes ones he made up! Too Hilarious not to share!

    Fairy Dough-Mother
    Cindoughrella
    Dough White
    Gail gadough
    Captain doughmerica
    A Few good yeast
    The Doughminator
    ..You can’t handle the Dough
    Doctor Dough
    YODOUGH (instead of YOLO)
    Double Dough7
    Dough another day
    Dough dough Baggins

    Reply

    1. These are great! Mine is named Persephone, because half the time she’s alive 💐 and half the time she’s dead ☠️

      Reply

  7. Was gifted a sourdough starter for Christmas made from einkorn flour and a bunch of equipment to get into bread making. I named the starter Einakin Doughstarter.

    Reply

  8. Mine is "Thayne's theorem". Named for my uncle who got me interested in the finer points of cooking. And won local Sourdough completions for many years.

    Reply

  11. I did not go the celebrity route in naming my starter. I call mine Billy-Bob! My father-In-law's name was William (who went by Bill) and my father's name was Robert (who went by Bob). I loved them both dearly and they are both deceased. Billy-Bob is almost 3 years old has produced some pretty amazing sourdough loaves!

    Reply

  13. Meet Picky Penelope. I'm still waiting for her to double consistently. We are on week 3+. My house is cool, I've moved her around, tried the oven and microwave with the light on. Had skin and crust form. Started with AP unbleached flour, changed to whole wheat - which she loved and doubled. Switched back to AP, bubbles decreased, became watery with hooch on top. Fed her 1:2:<1 this morning. It's a process for sure, but I'm enjoying it.

    Reply

  16. I just got started in this world... My first was inherited from my DIL last month, so I gave it her last name, which is Francis and I love it. Then I started my own, just last Sunday, for the sake of learning, and I called her "Maria", after The Sound of Music's Maria Von Trapp ("How do you solve a problem like Maria??" - seemed perfect lol). I have no idea what I am doing! =)

    Reply

  17. I am new to sourdough. When it came to the first discard, the husband suggested keep it as a spare in case the main one died. So they became William and Harry, after Harry's book 'Spare'. Then a week or so later I took some of William and tried adding whole wheat instead of the bread flour, and got George. Keeping them all going became a chore and they were collectively the Royal pains. Now that I read your advice to only keep one, there will be a royal purge.

    Reply

  19. Used to have starters made from different grains. Weaned one off of the various whole-grain flours and fed it only white flour, as an experiment. Explaining it to someone I said, "And this one is all-white, all-the-time." So my starter's name is JIM CROW for a couple-three years now.

    Reply

  23. I've always called my starter, MyLady. I was watching some midevil show the time. I think I will now call her MyLady Doughna.... After my sister Donna, who have me my starter.

    Thanks for all the suggestions.

    Reply

  24. I nearly went with Coloradough but I will forget too fast since that’s where I am.
    Would have gone with SpeedDough, since he was born during the summer, but I’ve got a slow guy. And he’s cold (fridge). I think I like Edwardough from above. And he’s going to get a mustang glued to the jar tomorrow.

    Reply

    1. I laughed so hard at your comment ... and then I read your next comment 🙂 I still think you should glue a sports car to the jar lol 😉 xx

      Reply

  26. Hi!
    I’m very new at making sourdough, and have messed up my starter several times. I’ve been a little frustrated, as I’m sure some of you have been, too.
    There are times when I’m muttering out loud to myself while I’m working with it. So, I’ve named my starter Patience. That way, if anyone hears me muttering about my starter, they’ll think I’m just telling myself to have patience, instead of quietly yelling at her! It works for me!! 🤗🤪😁

    Reply

  28. hey, my family think im crazy for naming my yeast friends but I named my white sourdough Wendy and my wholemeal Gerald. no real reason just liked the names

    Reply