Love this! The act of "naming" something is so powerful, and I love the way you've shown us this in a fun playful way. Really enjoy reading your blog! Always learn something without feeling like I'm learning something!
I've always had difficulty assigning a name to a pet initially. I want the name to have meaning, depth. I usually steer away from generic. I want the name to be easy and distinctive for training. I usually start with a list of names, many gleaned from books and movies, then as I get to know the dog something falls into place. And sometimes, the name just happens without reason or background. Koba started life as Cuna, which I hated. I tried a handful of prepicked names that just didn't work, then started playing with the sounds and syllables. Koba was the name of a background character (truly a character with no depth or meaning) in a movie I liked so when the sounds aligned I went with it. Rain was easy; rain gives life to a desert. Maddie, for Matilda Jane Roberts a great character in Larry McMurtry's Dead Man's Walk.
And I love the idea that the name is powerful. Not only is it important for the dog, but it mirrors how I see myself. And with luck, I'll be calling the name I've chosen for years to come.
Emily, thank you for sharing about your naming process. You're an amazing writer! I've always wondered where Maddie's name came from - it fit her perfectly and was so cute. I still remember the day Ashley and I found her on the street and brought her to your work. I miss her and Rain, and I hope I get to meet Koba at some point (may she live forever). I also tried to be thoughtful and meaningful when I was naming Sam (who came to me as Max), but I kept accidentally calling him Sammy, so I figured it must be his name. Sometimes the decision is made for you, I guess!
We haven’t adopted a dog yet, but when we do, we plan to name him/her “Coqui.” Yes, after those loud, invasive frogs in Hawaii. We hope that “Coqui” won’t actually live up to the name, but it’s so fun to say!
I tend to name my dogs after characters in shows or movies that I’ve loved. Rory (Dr.Who), Starbuck (Battlestar Galactica), Firefly (Firefly), Milo (Atlantis movie).
I LOVE dog names. And I was jealous when I heard your dog is named Pants. I have an entire draft written about the best/funniest dog names I've ever come across and will publish it eventually.
As for my current dog, Dezi just sort of happened. I think I rationalized it as short for "Destiny" because she really was my destiny. If I ever get a second dog while Dezi is still alive I'll name it Donut because Dezi and Donut has a nice ring.
My old dog was Mojo. My son named her when he was 8 and it was during the Austin Powers Era. That's why he picked it.
I can’t wait to read that article! Tag me when you post it! Dezi is a great name, and thanks for sharing! My wife and I also have a list of names we want to bestow upon our future pups. They’re all food, and many of them need to be given to corgis, like Taco and Tofu. I mean, a corgi named Taco? I’d die.
Thank you for asking this excellent question on dog naming. I adopted my little senior one week ago. Her rescue group gave her the name Starfish. I dropped the fish. She likes being called Star and responds well to her name. A keeper all the way around.:)
Love this! The act of "naming" something is so powerful, and I love the way you've shown us this in a fun playful way. Really enjoy reading your blog! Always learn something without feeling like I'm learning something!
Thanks so much for reading, Deb, and for all you've done to make this project possible!
We named our dog "Winter" because our kids had a friend who named their dog, "Summer."
This is so cute. If I had been there, I would have tried to convince you that you needed two more dogs named Fall and Spring.
I've always had difficulty assigning a name to a pet initially. I want the name to have meaning, depth. I usually steer away from generic. I want the name to be easy and distinctive for training. I usually start with a list of names, many gleaned from books and movies, then as I get to know the dog something falls into place. And sometimes, the name just happens without reason or background. Koba started life as Cuna, which I hated. I tried a handful of prepicked names that just didn't work, then started playing with the sounds and syllables. Koba was the name of a background character (truly a character with no depth or meaning) in a movie I liked so when the sounds aligned I went with it. Rain was easy; rain gives life to a desert. Maddie, for Matilda Jane Roberts a great character in Larry McMurtry's Dead Man's Walk.
And I love the idea that the name is powerful. Not only is it important for the dog, but it mirrors how I see myself. And with luck, I'll be calling the name I've chosen for years to come.
Emily, thank you for sharing about your naming process. You're an amazing writer! I've always wondered where Maddie's name came from - it fit her perfectly and was so cute. I still remember the day Ashley and I found her on the street and brought her to your work. I miss her and Rain, and I hope I get to meet Koba at some point (may she live forever). I also tried to be thoughtful and meaningful when I was naming Sam (who came to me as Max), but I kept accidentally calling him Sammy, so I figured it must be his name. Sometimes the decision is made for you, I guess!
We haven’t adopted a dog yet, but when we do, we plan to name him/her “Coqui.” Yes, after those loud, invasive frogs in Hawaii. We hope that “Coqui” won’t actually live up to the name, but it’s so fun to say!
Love that! I’m so excited for you guys to be dog parents. You’re going to be amazing!
I tend to name my dogs after characters in shows or movies that I’ve loved. Rory (Dr.Who), Starbuck (Battlestar Galactica), Firefly (Firefly), Milo (Atlantis movie).
Rory and Milo are the best boys, in real life AND in those stories!
I LOVE dog names. And I was jealous when I heard your dog is named Pants. I have an entire draft written about the best/funniest dog names I've ever come across and will publish it eventually.
As for my current dog, Dezi just sort of happened. I think I rationalized it as short for "Destiny" because she really was my destiny. If I ever get a second dog while Dezi is still alive I'll name it Donut because Dezi and Donut has a nice ring.
My old dog was Mojo. My son named her when he was 8 and it was during the Austin Powers Era. That's why he picked it.
I can’t wait to read that article! Tag me when you post it! Dezi is a great name, and thanks for sharing! My wife and I also have a list of names we want to bestow upon our future pups. They’re all food, and many of them need to be given to corgis, like Taco and Tofu. I mean, a corgi named Taco? I’d die.
Looool! I actually know a dog named Tofu. I thought it was brilliant 😁
I'll definitely tag you in the post when it comes out!
Yay thank you! As for Tofu, we’re not above stealing dog names. 😂
Thank you for asking this excellent question on dog naming. I adopted my little senior one week ago. Her rescue group gave her the name Starfish. I dropped the fish. She likes being called Star and responds well to her name. A keeper all the way around.:)
Congratulations on your new pal! That's so exciting! Star is a great name, and will let everyone know just how wonderful she is.