The Meaning of Pet Names

[Rob]

I'm curious to hear what made you all decide to give your pets the names that they have, and what the meaning of or thought behind those pet names are.

Not a whole lot of thought went into my dog's name Spike, I'm afraid - we just liked the sound of it. Perhaps we remembered it from the cartoon (Spike & Tike, I think it's called? Spike & Tike, Scooby and Drooby..? I can't remember). Also, it has a very distinctive sound. Unlike, say, "Thessalonicenses" - that would probably utterly confuse a puppy A friend of mine used some interesting tribal pet names for his dogs: Wappo (means "brave") and Tejas (means "friendly"). I heard egyptian pet names are quite popular as well.

So what made you decide to give your pets the names that they have?

PS: I'm not talking about pet names for a partner here - that's a whole other subject

[Leon]

Nice topic Rob, I'll explain my cats name Calvin:

The person I got Calvin from had several kittens and she named each kitten after a fragrance. There was Joop, Hugo (Boss) and another one I can't remember..and of course, Calvin (Klein). I thought the idea was original and liked it, so he kept his name

[pmacbohlen]

Chico's name was from my bestfriend she used to have a dog named that, Shilo I heard the name and liked it, Tar-a had Tar covered all over her when she was found, Chiba well my husband came up with that, Kitty and Baby were named by my daughter than two those were her favorite words and Buddy is kind of funny at the shelter when we went to play with him I said come here buddy. Asking the kids what his name should be the reply was "Mom his name is Buddy"!!!!! and Leo came with his name.

[mandy29061993]

My cat Minka was a name we found on a Whiskas cat food website

My other cat misty's name was thought of because her fur was a misty colour

[Xedu]

Well I have had pets for over 30 years but will only tell of the latest crew. Funny I don't remember some of my friends names but I remember all of the pets and their names.

My cat Penny, he is an orange tabby, but looks like a new penny in the sunshine.
Spunky, black and white cat, he got his name for his attitude and his brother
Patch, also black and white, he had a big white patch on his side.
My dog Ranger was a foundling that someone left at a dump site by a boat dock and was picked up and brought down to my parents house and my mom said he looked liked a ranger, and he was in the camper of the ranger truck, so the name stuck.
Rangers' son Rogue, he got his because he was a little rapscallion, always wanting to go out on his own to investigate things.

Now the horses, Comanche had his name when I got him, Nostalgia got her name because she just had that look in her eyes, like she was remembering the good old days, her son Sam, well he just looked like a Sam. The 4 brothers I got because they were being mistreated in my eyes anyway, went to get one and came home with all 4, Thunder since he ran around stomping all the time, Lightning because he had a white narrow stripe down part of his face like a lightning bolt, Jetsam and Flotsam because they seemed to be something the tide brought in and nobody wanted and Omni has his name when I got him, and Stormy got her name due to her birth being after a stormy night the day before the KY Derby, she was born on Derby day.

[pmacbohlen]

Sounds like you have your own little petting zoo too.

[kristin]

Dexter's name just came to me...i thought it fit..his middle name (lee) was after my mom..
Lokki's name is in honor of my hubby's favorite dog (ironicly means the god of mischief) and his middle name, Khan, is for my late iguana.

one of my favorite cartoons is dexter's lab so maybe subconsiously that's where his name came from...

[Yme2]

Well where to start.. Ok Cat's first Bobby Cat Bobbit he was the stray that bit my daugther 16 years ago. So when he had to stay at the vet to make sure he didn't have rabies she told the vet to fix him while he had him there (don't get my daugther mad lol ). He's still with us and a lap cat. Now you have the girls Alice my 11 year old black cat she was named after Alice Cooper. Then you have Francis the 4year old torte and Christmas Snow Crissy for short. Now on to the dogs oldest first is Stevie Y. R. U. So Bad he's the alpha so he thinks. Then you have Walter he came with his name and he's not the smartest so we kept his name not to confuse him. Last but not least our little girl Holly Bell she's the baby of the house.
Up date we now have a 4th dog her name is Sasha she came with that name.She's 6 years old so too late to change it...

[special8]

My Rottie was named Tank by my son, and he fits his name perfectly. When he starts his running and playing, he could barrel down on you and not even look back. He's just a playful guy lol.
My mixed chow is named Squirt because she was so little when we got her next to our other dogs, it just fit!
Had a black lab/shepherd mix who we sadly lost last year, but his name was Snowball. He was jet black with not a spot of white until he got old. Needless to say, I thought naming him that would be different and amusing.
Our Cockatiel is named Happy because she chirped and squawked from the day we brought her home. Maybe she should have been named Noisy?

[dolls65109]

I got my Elkhound, Jake from the pound, he was already named so I just kept it, it fit him anyway. I never name a pet until I've had it for a few days to make sure the name fits. When I got my Pom, I was thinking about what to name her and after a couple of days I came up with a name. However, that night I woke up in the middle of the night with the name Tallulah running through my brain. She has been Tallulah ever since. Of course both of them have nicknames, Jake is Jakie or if I'm really upset with him Jacob. Tallulah is Tallu, Widdle Woo Woo, my running buddy calls her Lulu, she answers to all of them.