What's in a name?

One of the first things we think about, often in the planning stage of finding a new pet, is what will be a fitting name for this new family member. Besides just a fondness for a particular name, people choose a name for all sorts of reasons— it may remind them of something, somewhere, someone, or just seem fitting or amusing. A question I frequently ask people that visit the clinic is how they chose the name for their pet.  While many pets keep the name they had from the shelter or a pet parent “just liked the name”, I find that there is an interesting story behind many names.   

Often, a name will come from a popular movie or television show, book, beverage, or celebrity.  My time in veterinary medicine has taken me from Belle of The Little Mermaid to Bella of the Twilight series.  For every animated children’s movie released, there will be a group of pets bearing the name of the lead characters. 

Many people choose a classic “people” name for their pet.  A pair of floppy Basset Hounds named Fred and Gertrude come to mind.  Others pick the “people” name they did not use as they named their children.  Some breeds truly lend themselves to a “people” name. 

Humor is the goal for others.  Some of my favorites for creativity include the mix breed terrier named Casserole, the rough and tumble lab named Deogee (hint:  spell D-O-G), and the pretty calico feline named Eeko (the last 2 syllables of “calico” instead of the more typical Cali).      

I have had many kittens come in for their first exam with a given name, only to find out that the gender was not correctly identified, starting the arduous task of finding a suitable name all over again. 

According to Vetstreet.com, in 2014, the most popular dog names were Max, Charlie, Rocky, Buddy and Cooper for males, and Bella, Daisy, Lucy, Sadie, and Molly for females.  The most popular cat names were Oliver, Milo, Leo, Charlie, and Max for males.  Bella, Luna, Lucy, Kitty, and, not surprisingly, Elsa topped the list for females.

So, what will you name your next pet? 

Source:  www.vetstreet.com

article written by:

Laura Rau-Holl, DVM

Wolf Merrick Animal Hospital, Kenosha, WI