Find a Perfect Name that Honors Your Pet’s Story
How can you choose a name that’s meaningful and special? Here’s a great method to mine your pet’s story and find the perfect name.
Was your new baby a rescue? How did they arrive in your life? Where did they live before they came to you? Your pet’s unique history can help.
How about their job? Most pets have a role to play, such as herding, hunting, guarding, companionship, or teaching your children how to care for animals.
All of these are great starting places to find a special name that fits your furry baby perfectly. By spending an hour to two with a thesaurus and Google, you can discover fantastic potential names that related to your unique little one.
8 Steps for building a list of meaningful name options, tailored to your new pet.
Write down some words connected with their history or job.
For example. A new pup will be a hunting dog for his human dad. Jot down words like hunter, brave, alert, quick, good nose.
Open an online thesaurus. It’s a gold mine for related words. Search your words and search any of the resulting synonyms that catch your eye. Write down anything you like, even if it doesn’t make perfect sense.
Example: Searching hunter, quick, and scent gives us tracker, archer, gunner, two-shakes, trace, chase
Open Google and search for animals famous for some of these qualities.
Query: What animals are known for good eyesight, being smart hunters, or having a great sense of smell? We get a lot of possibilities, including dragonfly, orca, eagle, hawk, wolf, falcon, greyhound, great white shark
Your list is growing. Now search for fictional characters orhistorical figures that might relate to the best words on the list you’re building. Search for as many words as you wish.
What fictional characters are known for good eyesight or being fast? Who is famous for being a great hunter? We get lots of ideas, including, Legolas, Hawkeye, Bolt, Flash, Corbett, Teddy Roosevelt, Buffalo Bill
Translations can yield beautiful results. Narrow down your list to focus on the qualities you like best. Ask Google for translations of some words on your list from other languages.
This pup has striking eyes, so we decide to explore animals with sharp eyesight. We ask Google, What are some translations for Eagle or Hawk in other languages? Google gives us Kotka (Finnish, eagle), Aquila (Latin. eagle), Taka (Japanese, hawk)
Name meanings. Ask Google for names that mean some of the words on your growing list.
What are some male names that mean eyesight, vision, brave or hunter? Darsha (to see/have vision) Cyrus (sun/master of vision), Wyatt (brave), Leonardo (brave), Jaeger (hunter)
Make a short list of your favorites and then try them out loud, preferably to your pet. Don’t rush. The right name will become obvious with time as you connect with your pet.
These case studies are great examples of this method.
Case study 1
A smart little pup who will be a hunting companion for his new dad.
Keywords: Hunter, good nose, alert, sharp-eyed, quick.
Short list
Hawk-eye, Taka, Falco, Nox, Washi, Hunter, Bolt, Gunner, Shadow, Mohini, Kage, Neno, Jaeger, Aquila, Katka, Peregrin, Cyrus
Long list
Hunter, Archer, Gunner, Trapper, Tracker, Sport, Chase, Quest, Bolt, Dash, Shadow, Trace, Eagle-eye, Snappy, Crafty, Split-Second, Jiffy, Two-Shakes, Ticker, Falcon, Hawk, Eagle, Peregrin, Tiger, Lynx, Hawk-Eye, Legolas, Heimdall, Kal-El, Alastor, Cyclops, Flash, Quicksilver, Washi, Katka, Aquila, Halcon, Taka, Falke, Vista, Sagacia, Neno, Shikim, Zelador/Zeladora, Vivo, Ari, Arvid, Ezio, Iolani, Gawain, Altair, Falco, Casey, Darsha, Grier, Ira, Eran, Jaeger, Leonardo, Wyatt, Buffalo Bill, Roosevelt, Corbett
The winner: Hawkeye
True to the pup’s alert nature with a nod to a favorite TV character.
Case study 2
A sweet rescue dog who spent most of her life in a small cage. Now she delights in her grassy, fenced-in yard. She’s full of happiness and gratitude for being free.
Keywords
Rescue, escape, freedom, liberation, happiness, gratitude, miracle, magic, green grass
Short list
Breezy, Xanadu, Flora, Jane Eyre, Harriet, Mirabel, Kimaya, Zelda
Long list
Ransom, Liberty, Free, Freedom, Blessed, Cheery, Breezy, Sunny, Beans (full of beans), Blythe, Houdini, Celie, Huckleberry, Finn, Andy (Andy Dufresne), Leia, Rapunzel, Harriet, Mandela, Sojourner, Jane Eyre, Daenerys, Maya, Francis (of Assisi), Pooh Bear, Winnie, Dory, Andromeda, Fairy, Hermione, Xanadu, Tabitha, Wisteria, Flora, Thalia, Mirielle, Mirabelle, Alazne, Marvella, Pelia, Nessa, Zelda, Ayah, Kimaya
The winner: Mirabelle
A beautiful-sounding name that reflects wonder and nature.
An hour or two with Google and a thesaurus can give you amazing choices.
How do you know if you’ve chosen the right name for your dog or cat?
When you find the right name, you’ll know it. It will feel right somehow because it will match the pet’s energy. Your pet will feel it too.
What makes a good dog or cat name?
It should also be easy for you to pronounce and for your pet to understand—less than three syllables is recommended. If you really love a longer, more complex name, go for it—but remember that your pet may not always percieve it. We recommend picking a short nickname (aka call name) with strong consonant sounds to use for getting their attention and giving commands, such as Buddy or Kitty.