How much thought do you put into a name?

[JacksonsMom]

Do you enjoy naming your pets? Or is more just a 'fun' thing for you and kind of use whatever pops in your head? Or do you think REALLY long and hard about names? Or did your dog come to you with a name already and you either liked it or just didn't want to change it for other reasons? Do you like your dogs name as much as you did originally?

Jackson was Jackson from the start basically. I saw his picture a week before I went to pick him up, and I remember staring at it, and trying out other names.... but Jackson just stuck. I couldn't get it out of my head, and to me, he just LOOKED like a Jackson. The name suggestion came from my mom because we had just watched Walk the Line about Johnny Cash and loved his song 'Jackson'.

But I honestly think Jackson was named Mason in another life.

I've had 3 people that have been around him often that accidentally call him Mason, ALL the time. lol. My dad has an employee that works out of our house and she's over every day and has often times mistakenly called him Mason. She's like WHY do I do that?! And then a while back, one of my friends who I see often as well did the same thing (and the two people don't know each other, or the fact that they both have called him Mason lol). then someone at the dog park did it once.

And honestly, I think he does kind of look like a Mason. But I couldn't really picture him being anything else but Jackson now of course.

So yeah if I could name him anything else, I think I'd have to go with Mason, LOL. Plus it comes out easier for some reason than Jackson. My one complaint about his name is that sometimes it just doesn't 'flow' off the tongue easily. 'Jackson' seems too long, so I often just call him Jax in real life. Also, it's becoming so popular! I know so many parents naming their babies Jackson these days. Crazy... when I chose it, I guess maybe it was just getting popular because I didn't think it was a popular first name at the time.

 

[RBark]

Ollie was named Ollie by the shelter. Same with Kobe. I am not a creative man.

Priscilla was from the P litter. And I wanted something German. That's the only German name I knew.
Syl was hard. I had just read the stormlight archive. A quote in it just seemed to fit.

 

[Dizzy]

No I hate it!!!!

And we ended up with Fred....

 

[Ozfozz]

As always Oz and Ruby didn't exactly get the most thought, nor were they all that "fun" for me to name.
I was 12 when I brought Oz home. He had no name until later that night when I was watching an episode of Buffy and saw Oz the Werewolf. Figured it was a good name so it stuck lol.
And Ruby SoHo was just from a song that I like to keep up with the music theme I had going.


Cobain was my first registered dog. Aside from not really knowing the "rules" or what I was doing, I enjoyed naming him. "Enniskillen Boddah Cobain" is his full name, and I think I attached a lot more meaning to the name than I had intended.

For the longest time I wanted a dog named Rigby to go along with Cobain. A pile of friends told me it was a stupid name, but that didn't matter to me.
A pile of dogs were rejected for the name when I was originally searching petfinder. Then "Jorja" caught my eye, and I just knew it was Rigby. I just felt that they lyrics of "Eleanor Rigby" really related to a lonely shelter dog that had been rejected so many times.

 

[Fran101]

Naming takes a while for me but dogs are planned so far in advance that most of the anguish happens before I bring them home, once I meet them usually it doesn't take long.
Merlin was definitely Merlin within a few days of being home.

Chaz named Merlin technically :rofl1: it was in the running but a few members here were like "It just feels right"
so I went with it and I'm so glad I did.

Names have to be original yet easy to pronounce, 2 syllables or less, and suit them.
I think Merlin LOOKS like a Merlin, if that makes sense haha and he's such a goof it suits him.

 

[yv0nne]

I told my boyfriend he could name Penny.. I was mostly teasing as I had picked out what I wanted to name but he took it SO seriously that I ended up not being able to tell him I hated the name LOL! Poor Penn.

So she was supposed to be E.'s won and only but ended up being E.'s wishing well. And you throw pennies in wishing wells.. so Penny for her call name. I hate hate hate the name Penny but I LOVE her as Penn.

 

[Elrohwen]

I think pretty hard about names. My husand and I throw names around for a while before we get the pet, and the name is set before they come home. I'm not one to wait until the pet is home before naming it. I will pretty much always rename a pet when it comes into my home, unless I really loved the original name.I strongly prefer people names, but ones that are a bit more unusual or uncommon (I wouldn't name a dog "Mike" or something, because I know a million human Mikes).

I still really like Watson's name. He meets a lot of people who say "What a perfect name!" I do regret it slightly because it has a connection to the company I work for. When we got him that wasn't a big deal, but with how things are now it's kind of annoying and work friends make fun of us for naming him that. I still say we named him after Sherlock's sidekick.

I don't care nearly as much about registered names. I want to not hate them, but I don't have to love them.

 

[Locke]

I had/have a whole list of names picked out for future dogs, and had I known I was going to keep Smiley, I would've changed his name the first day he stayed with us. But after three weeks of introducing him to family and friends as Smiley, I didn't care to change it. I totally regret that!

I realllly don't like his name, especially because people think I say "Miley" and then they think he's a girl and named after Miley Cyrus....

It is unique though.

 

[RD]

Now that I think about it, I don't think a whole lot about names.

Breeder picked the puppy and when I sent her some name ideas, she said Eve was perfect. I trusted her to pick my dog based on temperament, so I trusted that the name suited her, which it totally does. I can't remember any of the other names I'd planned for her because Eve fits so well.

Ripley was my first puppy. I named him after a TV show I frequently watched. The only name that would've fit him better was Gizmo, but I'd already met too many Papillons named Gizmo and at that age, Gremlins still freaked me out.

They don't live with me, but my parents' BCs were also named by me. Quickly.

Dash was a name I'd liked for a compact, flashy BC and it was between Dash and Spark for her. We liked Dash better. Nobody actually calls her Dash, because she was nicknamed Noodle as a puppy and that's what stuck.

I don't entirely recall how I wound up naming Dakota. I know I intended to give him a manly name like Diesel or Bruiser, but it didn't fit him very well and Dakota just did. I have a hard time breathing logic into my 14-year-old choices. It is what it is.

All future pets will likely be named after some character or thing in a book/movie/show/game I enjoy, because my interests have careened off the "full-on nerd" cliff.

 

[RD]

Also, human names for dogs. Best ever.

 

[Laurelin]

I didnt name Summer or Hank. Mia was so hard to name. I wanted something more unique but Mia just fits. Nothing else we tried worked for her at all.

I have a cousin named Summer so they were all offended when they thought I named my dog Summer too. I had just known dog Summer for four years prior to me ever getting her under the name Summer and it fit her well.

With Hank I played around with some names but Hank fits. Trey, rose, and Bernard all also came named. Apparently we just keep names in my family. Everyone in my family regretted keeping Trey's name. It just never fit him. He needed to be a Buddy or something like that. But we didn't realize no one liked the name till he was around 8 years so it never got changed. I called him Buddy more than Trey.

The three dogs I've named have been Rosie, Nikki, and Mia. So Apparently I'm not creative at all. Lol

 

[JacksonsMom]

I didnt name Summer or Hank. Mia was so hard to name. I wanted something more unique but Mia just fits. Nothing else we tried worked for her at all.

I have a cousin named Summer so they were all offended when they thought I named my dog Summer too. I had just known dog Summer for four years prior to me ever getting her under the name Summer and it fit her well.

With Hank I played around with some names but Hank fits. Trey, rose, and Bernard all also came named. Apparently we just keep names in my family. Everyone in my family regretted keeping Trey's name. It just never fit him. He needed to be a Buddy or something like that. But we didn't realize no one liked the name till he was around 8 years so it never got changed. I called him Buddy more than Trey.

The three dogs I've named have been Rosie, Nikki, and Mia. So Apparently I'm not creative at all. Lol

I think Mia is unique and I love it! Easy to slide off the tongue. And I don't really meet any dogs named Mia that I can recall.

I also kind of love Hank. I wouldn't have normally thought it would be a name I'd like but I think it's awesome. It reminds me of Breaking Bad though My dad and I always say it would be hilarious to have dogs named after our fav show, we often call our dogs Buddy, Jackson and Lilly: Walter, Jesse and Skylar as a joke because the personalities fit too.

 

[Slick]

I always seem to just name animals on a whim. I thought Leo might be different and was excited to really brainstorm the perfect name. But then he came with the name Leo already, he already responded to it quite well, it wasn't a bad name, and it just fit.

I don't think I ever would have come up with Leo by myself, and indeed, probably would have stayed away from it because it is kind of a cat name. But he had it, and it fit, so it stayed.

 

[*blackrose]

Oh, gosh. I hate hate HATE hate hate HATE coming up with names.

When a name doesn't just pop into my head right off the bat, I will struggle to name something. Luckily for me, I tend to have names pop into my head right off the bat.

Abrams was always an Abrams, before I even met him. Sadie was always a Sadie, before I met her. Rose was named from birth, Blackie was named during the car ride home after adopting him. Chloe was originally going to be Raina (and the meaning of the name still fits her to a "T"), but my mom didn't like it, so Chloe it was. Cynder's original name may have been Pepper? Or something to that extent. Michael didn't want her to have any part associated with her former home, so he changed it to Cynder.

As soon as Michael said, "What about Histamine?" for the cat, it was an immediate fit.

When I picked out Tater from the rescue, I think he was being called Squirt or Squid or something like that. I said that he looked like a little potato and Tater/Spud/The Po-tay-toe has been his name from day one.

Most of my other past animals have all either come with names, or been named from books/TV shows/movies/videogames.

Hamsters: Freddie, Bonnie, Clyde, Pikachu, Cid
Rats: Choco, Bees, Biggs
Guinea Pigs: Chum, Lucy, Dot, Louie, Tater
Birds: Abby, Joey
Bettas: Hobo, Draco, Sin, Gabranth, Maria, Cecil, Luna
Ferrets: Cassandara Nukpana (Casey), Dameon Michael, Rinoa Marie (Rinnie), Ruben Gustauve.
STO: Reggie
Cats: Rush, Pheobe, Apollo, Junior, Penelope, Mitzi, Lilly, Mikey
Fosters (that we named): Levi, Kiba, Seabee, Medea, Indi, Cloud Strife Nathaniel

 

[Beanie]

I like coming up with names that I think would make a cute dog name - and I really like the names I pick to suit the dog. But I hate it when it's a difficult choice LOL.

We were coming up with a list of names for Auggie before we picked him. We went to visit the puppies and I got my pick between two males. I decided on Auggie and at first I was kind of leaning toward "Harley" being the name... then after I picked him, we were all kind of like "I think he's an Auggie..." It just fits him absolutely 100%. There is no other name in the world for Auggie.

Payton was the worst trying to come up with his name. I was trying NOT to pick out a name since before we went to see him I wasn't sure he was coming home with me and I was really trying hard not to get attached. DON'T NAME IT. IT WILL JUST BE WORSE. But from the pictures, I was kind of thinking Cowboy. But when he was in my lap on the drive home I said "Yeah, he's not a Cowboy." (He was Willy at the breeder's house.)
I settled on different names at least three times and then changed my mind and kept thinking. I liked Payton for him a LOT but I already knew a Payton, so I thought it would be awkward. And everybody thought he was named for Peyton Manning. NO NO NO WRONG FOOTBALL PLAYER. So I vetoed it at first... but nothing else suited him. He's really grown into the name, and into his namesake too. Poor guy was "Puppy" for I think almost two weeks while I tried to settle on something LOL.

Pepper came with her name and I don't like it, but she's co-owned, so I couldn't really change it. I can't think of anything else I like better anyway. The only possibility I ever came up with was Daisy and I'm just not wild about it. I wouldn't mind a Jett after Joan Jett, but actually Pepper's grandma's name is Jett. =P I do boy dog names, not girl dog names, haha.
I hardly call her Pepper though - she usually gets one of her various nicknames. So it works out fine. I actually kind of like her as "Drizzy."

Georgie is also co-owned but her name wasn't set in stone since she was still a puppy. She was Rockette (pronounced like Rocket) when she showed up and my mom hated it. She wanted to name her Monkey and the breeder vetoed it. I came up with Georgette as a twist on "Georgia" with the idea of Georgie for short - also as a reference to Curious George who is my mom's favorite children's book character (and a monkey!) I knew that wouldn't get vetoed because of the homage to Georgia hahaha. And sure enough it passed with a "she does remind me of Georgia..."
Nobody really calls her Georgette though. Funny enough, Auggie's name is technically Augustine, but we never use that either.


I have two names picked out for the next puppy and I'm leaning heavily toward one in particular. Actually when I speak of them they are assigned to two different potential future dogs, LOL. One is if I still get a puppy out of Auggie's brother... the other is Payton's son. I have a feeling I will find neither name will end up working though! It's okay... I have a really long list of future puppy names. One of those will work.
God I really hope the name I picked works out though. I have a registered name to go with it and I LOVE IT UGHHH hahaha.


Mine are all actually athlete names. I can cheat and say we named Pepper after Julius Peppers haha. The one I really want to use is an athlete too. I like the theme for now but I won't use it forever.

 

[meepitsmeagan]

I wanted to start a country name theme with Harlow, but could not find a name that fit. My third cousin has an ESS named Harlo and I heard my grandma talk about her one day and I was like "that's it!" That was the day before I picked her up.

I debated changing it once she got home to either Nub or Smudge, but josh didn't like either. I love the name Harlow, so I'm glad it stuck. She was definitely the hardest. Breeder called her Nakita.

Rider came as Gunner and I hated it. I wanted to call him Preacher, but again Josh didn't like it. I like the name Rider and we really didn't struggle coming up with it. Oh- based off his picture he was going to be LeDoux, but once I met him it didn't fit.

For Tulsa I wanted a rodeo themed name as I planned on workin cows with her. I had a whole list, but most didn't sound feminine. Tulsa just seemed to fit and it allowed for a great registered name of Livin on Tulsa Time. Breeder had been calling her Riley, which just no.

I have a list for future dogs, but most are male so probably will never be used for dogs, but will be for horses.

 

[PWCorgi]

I love naming pets.

I love the name Siri. LOVE LOVE LOVE! NO RAGRATS!

Frodo, well, I still love LOTR, and people love his name. I don't regret his name, but my sister wanted to name him George when I brought him home, and I think that would have suited him. I kind of wish she had bullied me a little more into calling him George, LOL.

My girl rats were all flower themed (Daisy, Tulip, Lily, Peony, Petunia), and then there was Esther, who came with that name. I kept the boys' original names, just because they fit them (Garfield, Touille) though I did change Track's name to Tank. Because he is such a tank

 

[skittledoo]

Bamm came to me with Bamm... I didn't change it because I thought it suited him.

Cricket was originally Poppy (named by RD). I had a list of names I went through when deciding on a name for her, but Cricket just fit her so well.

Joey was originally Rodger. Yuck! I didn't like that name for him at all. I ended up choosing Joey right away. I don't even like people names for dogs, but he is a Joey through and through. I don't even think any other name would work for him.

Itztli's name I struggled with and had a whole slew of names to choose from. I kept coming back to Itztli. Itztli is unique as well so I don't have to worry about running into a bunch of other people with dogs named Itztli.

 

[pinkspore]

I absolutely cannot stand overused names, and working at dog daycare I see dozens of Bellas and Coopers and Mayas and Dexters. Doing mid daycare was similar, so many Madisons and Rileys and Masons. "Gonna give my kid a unique name!" *picks one on the top ten list for years*

So unique names are important. I have met a lot of cattledogs with city names, but no other Brisbanes. I had a list of potential names before I got him, second choice was Sir Vincent Wigglesworth after my favorite entomologist.

My husband named Ru for his tendency to stand up on his hind legs and look like a tiny kangaroo. I regret this, I know way too many Roos and Rues. I insisted on spelling Ru weird because I was intent on making him a real dog and not a Winnie the Pooh dog. (He is a Winnie the Pooh dog.)

I dearly love long names with nicknames, Ulysses needed something familiar but not common, with a good nickname. I plan to name my next foreverdog Brontosaurus, or possibly Godzilla. I could call him God for short. I also love Lovecraftian names, and it's kind of obvious which of the pets I named myself.

Cats: Youma, James, Solstice
Tortoise: The Great A'Tuin "Tui"
Box turtles: Euclid, Pythagoras, Cassandra, Georgie, Hyperion, Skell, Cupid
Cockatiels: T.S. Eliot "Ellie", F. Scott Fitzgerald " Scotty the Gimp", Piper
Parrotlets: Arnold, Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo "Buffy"
Newt: Dragon
Gecko: Sir Ramses von Niblick the Third, Kerplunk, Kerplunk, Whoops Where's My Thribble? "Ramses"

 

[release the hounds]

I usually end up saying "hey" or just a command anyway. I hardly ever get the names right when it counts anyway

when it comes to naming, I put enough thought in so that I remember to remind my wife she needs to come up with a name.