Several friends of mine have recently added new pets to their households and I’ve been following their posts on social media about how they’ve decided what to name their new family members. I decided to ask more friends online to share their stories about how they chose their pets’ names.
I asked: “How did you pick your pet’s name? Tell us how you decided!”
I added: “First—what is the pet (cat, dog, rabbit, hamster, bird, fish)? Second—what is the pet’s name (full registered, nickname, many variations of the same name, maybe)?”
I detailed: “Why this name (or names)? What was your inspiration? Did you ask friends and family for help? When you picked the name, what did you hope it would convey to anyone who heard it? As it’s turned out, did that happen? Have people misheard or misunderstood the name?”
I encouraged: “More stories, please, about how your choice of a name has become important in your pet’s life! Thank you so much for answering. Join in and enjoy the fun!”
They came through—with answers that fill this week’s blog and last week’s … and will fill one more next week, too!
Christine Hale Vertucci (Tennessee) Two of my dogs were named after characters from my favorite TV show, The Wire. Their names are Omar (registered name Omar Comin’) and Kima (registered name Akima because she was from the A litter). My youngest dog was born on May 4, so I wanted to give her a Star Wars name. She was the only pup from the “C” litter, so her registered name is Calrissian, call name Cali. Some people used to figure out how Omar got his name, but that was a long time ago. It was hilarious when his registered name was read out loud at nosework trials. I got lots of strange looks for that one. Once when Kima was waiting for a cardiology appointment, the receptionist called her name and another couple stood up with their Corgi. They had named her Kima after the same TV character!
Oona McGuinness (Washington) Clover, because she is my good-luck charm, and the word love is in there. Just turning 17 now.
Photo by Oona McGuinness
Tim Beau (Oregon) I like food names: Biscuit, etc. We are bilingual, so our tiny Chihuahua, Chiquis, had a nickname, Mirruña, which means something like a tiny morsel in Spanish. Chiquis is also a Spanish name that’s something like teensy. When we got Coco, his name was Zoro (misspelling), and he didn’t answer to that name. Coco means coconut. Our latest pup, Dina, had been Diana at the rescue. We didn’t want her to have the same name as my SIL, so we finally settled on Dine (DEE-nah). Oh, and then there was Lalo. He came to us as Raab. Who names a dog Raab? We had been thinking of Lola, but it was way too popular, and besides, Lalo was a male. Switched the letters and it means something like Eddy.
Marilyn Marks (Connecticut) Puppy got her name because I was “just fostering” her from the humane society and we called her “the puppy.” Eventually we decided to adopt her of course, and I tried a bunch of names but she was already Puppy. Billie (gee, she looks a lot like Puppy, 30 years later … ) got her name because my grandfather Bill left me a little money and I paid for her with some of that. I knew that would be my next dog’s name before I got her, but it really fits! Puppy was so wonderful that I thought I was the best dog trainer, but the dogs I’ve had since then (trying but of course not able to replace her) have taught me how to learn more and more.
Annie Zeck (Washington) My breeder and I started the flower girl names about 25 or so years ago with Petunia and Poppy. Years later, there’s finally a flower boy—Spiked Speedwell (Spike) and many more girls—Daffodil, Hibiscus my Bisky, and more I can’t even remember. We will never run out of names!
Amy Suggars (Ohio) I am an entomologist so I like to name my pets after insects. My cat’s name is Mellifera, after the scientific name for the honey bee (Apis mellifera). I call her Mel for short. Mel came from a feral colony and I wasn’t sure how well she would adapt to living indoors with me and my dogs. After a few days of transition as I gradually introduced her into the household, she displayed curiosity about everything and wanted to explore her new world. She was not intimidated by the dogs and wasn’t afraid to swat them if she felt they needed a reprimand. I could tell that she was going to be the queen bee!! And that’s why she was named Mellifera!
Darcey Byrne (Washington) Yakkie O. Is one of the hens here. She talks. She talks a lot! And sometimes LOUD. Couldn’t just call her Yakkie, she needed some regal in there hence: like Jackie O = Yakkie O!
Rebekah Piedad (California) While I normally take great pride in giving my dogs epic names, Truman came with his, and it was the right name.
Photo by Rebekah Piedad
Dawn Heaton (United Kingdom) Henry, because he is the Eighth dog. Lenny, because he is number seven! If you are in the UK, [you know that] Len Goodman—a judge on Strictly Come Dancing—used to say, “SEEEEVVVVVVEEEEENNNNN!!!!”
Carrie-Anne Selwyn (United Kingdom) Dodge was originally named after the [car model] Charger, but turns out he handles like a Ram truck so it still suits him. It answers the question if your dog was a vehicle. Viper is the lighter sports-model Dodge.
Shelly Keel (Idaho) I have a bit of a backstory for my dog’s name. In 2020, my previous dog, Dakota, and I moved to Idaho after we lost our home, business, and town in the Camp Fire. We closed on our new home on the day of the COVID shutdown on March 13 and on May 27, I had to help my then almost 15-year-old girl to the Rainbow Bridge. I was devastated. In a new place, being on lock-down without my girl was hard. My heart was broken into a million pieces.
After a year, my dear friend and breeder told me it was time to get back on the dog-mom horse and told me she had a litter of Bernadoodle pups planned. She told me if I wanted a pup, I would have one. I did what any dog trainer would do—learned [everything I could] about the mom and dad dogs, their health, behavior, any genetic history, etc. I don’t know if I was looking for an out or just being a dog geek. Anyway, both dogs checked out; turns out I had trained momma as a puppy, she just had a new owner. I said yes to a puppy.
June 5th, 2021, a litter of 11 puppies was born. There were 8 boys and 3 girls. I wanted a girl and had second pick behind another breeder who had first pick. I got to spend a lot of time with the litter as they developed. What a wonderful group of dogs! Playful, confident, loving, and no obvious fears or concerns. Of the three girls, two were all black with small white patches on their head, feet, or chest, and one was a tri-color. I figured the other breeder would go for the tri so I focused on the other two until I was informed the breeder had passed up the tri and I could take her if I wanted. So all the puppies are super-awesome temperamentally and I could pick the cute package with the eyebrows?!? Done.
Now I needed a name for what was then “wine girl” for the color of her collar. After all I had been through the previous couple of years, and now starting a new journey with a puppy, I decided “Journey” would be a fitting name. There you have it.
NEXT WEEK: More pet guardians chime in with their answers to the simple question: how did you decide what to name your pet? Interesting answers, fascinating stories … more to come for another week, too!
