And have you formed any bad associations (or simply “that sounds like a dog” associations) because of this? Is over-the-top or silly to be bothered by this, IYO?
In the “nicknames you love, but…” thread I forgot to mention [name]Chet[/name]. I knew someone with an obnoxious, badly-behaved dog named [name]Chester[/name] and can’t seem to shake the association I have of [name]Chester[/name] (but not [name]Chet[/name], which I still love) with a bad dog.
It’s unfortunate and I’d say it makes me wish people would stop giving dogs perfectly good human names, but I know taste varies widely on this. I think of [name]Daisy[/name] and [name]Shiloh[/name] as dog (or other pet) names, but many seem to love them for humans. And I always thought of [name]Fifi[/name] as a dog name, but the singer a singer named Fefe (and her spelling) made me see it as a plausible human nickname. For all I know, [name]Chester[/name]'s owner might have seen [name]Chester[/name] as a “dog name” that would sound ridiculous on a human and had no idea it would bother anyone.
For some reason this only happens with dogs - I didn’t mind when someone used my first name for a horse.
it bothers me…but then again my name is [name]Molly[/name]…very popular for dogs…use them anyways…because people will continue to name there dogs people names…
This is why I tend to give my pets uncommon people names or pet names like Calcifer and Mittzy (originally was mittens)… I don’t like people names on pets, not sure why… also there are some names I don’t like on people and prefer on pets like [name]Felix[/name], [name]Cleo[/name], and [name]Chloe[/name]… it’s odd… [name]Shiloh[/name] is dog to me because of the movie and my cousin’s dog is named [name]Shiloh[/name].
It doesn’t bother me since I know a lot of people name their cats [name]Luna[/name], but I don’t personally know one and I love cats so no issue there… it really depends how much you love the name I guess
Yeah, it does sort of bother me to know that [name]Daisy[/name] is such a popular name for dogs, because I love it for a girl! I think I would use it anyway, though, because it isn’t associated completely with Dogs in my mind. Although, I guess if I have personally known a dog with a human name, that sort of rules it out. (Like, my boyfriend actually grew up with his grandparents’ dog, [name]Chester[/name] =.)
But, yeah, I agree with catloverd. I use “dog names” like [name]Duke[/name] or Duchess for dogs, or over the top names. (I once named a cat [name]Horatio[/name]. Great name, almost regret it!)
It doesn’t bother me. I tend to give all my pets “people” names (including lizards and turtles) so even though I know lots of dogs named [name]Lucy[/name], and [name]Sadie[/name], and [name]Molly[/name], I still love those names for girls. (Does it only happen with girl names, I wonder?) My own Border collie is [name]Annabel[/name] [name]May[/name] and we call her [name]May[/name], but that is her “papers” name. It doesn’t change the fact that I love both [name]Annabel[/name] and [name]May[/name].
Lately I’ve been naming cats names I could never use, since I’m past the stage of having kids myself, so I have or have had, [name]Milo[/name], [name]Tamsin[/name], [name]Tybalt[/name], [name]Simon[/name], and [name]Duncan[/name].
I feel pretty sure that I’m not using my future grandchildren’s names, lol.
My family had a dog named [name]Daisy[/name] when I was growing up and I’ve met several other dogs with the name, but no humans (I suppose watching “Driving Miss [name]Daisy[/name]” doesn’t count). Maybe it’s a more common dog name in my area than yours! You could ask around to see if people in your area associate it with dogs or people more.
Names are safe from “dog name” associations unless I’ve met one. [name]Molly[/name] just makes me think of my friend named [name]Molly[/name], but she’s complained about meeting dogs with her name.
Agree that over-the-top names and traditional pet names are the best way to go. I have a cat named Duchess now. [name]Horatio[/name] and Calcifer are fab!
Hmm. I keep meeting dogs with the names [name]Sam[/name], [name]Max[/name] and [name]Bo[/name]/[name]Beau[/name]. Maybe it only happens with boys’ names if they’re nicknames and girls’ names across the board (but especially nicknames).
Not really. It bothers me more when people tell me “That’s a dogs name…” when it’s a human name, and act like because their neighbours dog is named it, it’s off limits and an insult.
Dogs are animals, yes. But they’re well loved, generally speaking, and are deemed “man’s best friend”, they do amazing things like save lives, help the blind, and keep people entertained.
If it’s a bad behaved dog, like you’ve mentioned then yeah, it taints the name a bit. [name]Just[/name] like a negative child/adult with the name would as well.
I don’t like the very human names on dogs though, like [name]Alexandra[/name], and [name]Gabriella[/name] etc. I think that’s silly tbh.
My animals all have people names: [name]River[/name], [name]Lola[/name], [name]Katerina[/name], and [name]Bella[/name].
Objectively, no, it doesn’t bother me to know that some of my favorite names are popular with the furry set. I used to have a cat named [name]Daisy[/name] and dogs named [name]Maggie[/name] and [name]Ruby[/name], but none of those names feel off limits to me now. An ex-boyfriend of mine had a dog named [name]Vinnie[/name], and [name]Vincent[/name] is one of my favorite names.
To tell the whole truth, though, it does bother me when an animal I currently interact with has one of my favorite people names. My neighbor has a min-pin named [name]Lucy[/name] who runs all through the neighborhood, and they’re always standing in their front yard yelling her name. [name]Lucy[/name] is one of my absolute favorites, but I imagine myself outside calling for my daughter while they call for their dog, and…well, [name]Lucy[/name] suddenly doesn’t feel so usable.
At what point was there ever a handbook or set of guidelines on what names are suitable for dogs VS people? There is no “dog name” there may be names we associate more with pets than people but it doesn’t make it strictly for pets and there aren’t any names that are off limits for pets. [name]Even[/name] if it’s your very very favorite baby name and your neighbor used it for their dog. I know that sucks to a lot of people but the truth is there is no offense in using whatever name you want on an animal.
I think some of these are proof that pet names really depends on your perception of the name, for instance I’ve never met a dog named [name]Rex[/name] but I know a 93 year old man with this name which makes me think he’s had it longer than its been associated with dogs (which I didn’t know it was) and I grew up with a [name]Rex[/name], no one thought he had a dog name. I’ve also be never met a dog named [name]Rusty[/name] but I know more than one guy with the name.
People might also want to consider that some people are unable to have children so their only chance to use a name They would love to use is on an animal.
I have had dogs named [name]Casey[/name], [name]Jonah[/name], [name]Maggie[/name], [name]Delilah[/name], and [name]Charlie[/name], but I still see those as people names. I have had cats named [name]Annabel[/name], [name]Leo[/name], [name]Lily[/name], [name]Eli[/name], [name]Lucas[/name], [name]Leia[/name], but still think of those as people names too. Well, [name]Leo[/name] seems pretty catlike.
I personally don’t care for human names on dogs though with that said I do have a dog named [name]Amy[/name] (my husband gets naming rights with the pets). It wouldn’t bother me to meet a dog with my name or my child’s name nor would a name being popular for dogs such as [name]Max[/name] deter me from using it for my child. I don’t think it’s wrong to use human names for pets, I just don’t understand it. What’s wrong with the good old names like Spot and Rover? My pets are Amy, Lil Chocolate, Radar, Chimera, Onyx, and Hobbes.
[name]Rufus[/name] is a dogs name to me, along the lines of Rover and [name]Lucky[/name]. I totally picture a big, clumsy, ox of a dog when I hear “[name]Rufus[/name]”.
[name]One[/name] potential ‘problem’ with giving your pet a ‘very common’ name for their species is this: When you call the Vet, it can take longer for them to find your animal’s records and even to remember your pet as the receptionist is saying “WAIT-HOLD ON PLEASE-we have about 400 [name]Max[/name]'s in our system…” I got that recently when my Vet’s receptionist misheard me say my puppy’s name, which is [name]Mack[/name], NOT [name]Max[/name]!! When I immediately corrected her on his name, she pulled his chart up right away. It’s nice to be able to call & say “My English Pointer Puppy, [name]Mack[/name]…” and have the staff immediately know the exact dog you are speaking of. Another issue is with dog parks and the like…I think it’d be a lot more difficult to deal with a calling out an extremely popular name–you could have multiple dogs coming towards you more often than you’d prefer!
However, the 3 ‘family’ dogs at my parents house have more common names: the 2 Chocolate Labs are [name]Sophie[/name] & [name]Sampson[/name], & the [name]German[/name] [name]Shep[/name]/Malamute/Lab mix was named [name]Cara[/name] (this name was not given to her by my parents, but it really does suit her, and they kept it).
I still [name]LOVE[/name] the name [name]Sophia[/name]/[name]Sophie[/name]. And I dig the name [name]Sampson[/name] (but not [name]Samson[/name] so much) still.
Those are just some of my ramblings…
