Does your pet have a "people"name?

OMG. I want a dog called Bernard really bad. I just think it gives them personality on a whole another level, and it’s hilarious. :)

I get you rh. I never really thought of it like that. However, I’m pretty sure I’ll never meet anyone named Bernard. Maybe I should amend my statement to say: people names for pets are acceptable only if the name is not widely used by the human population. Like Milo.

I call my cat “Random” because she just showed up on day and never left. I think it works well.

And we don’t normally give pets people names. One of the dogs (Leo) is the only one with a person name.

My parents joke about getting a cat called Richard when I move out and go to university. I say joke, I’m really not sure.

I have a border collie-black lab named Matilda, and a weimaraner named Gertrude.

@jp But leo means lion. Leo is acceptable.
@mcb I see my amendment is proving true

@richardhenry
If they don’t, I will.

@tinyfaery
I didn’t know that. I didn’t name him but that makes sense. He is a big dog that can easily knock me over if he runs into me.

Mike.

He’s the one on the right. He’s always like “Sup, I’m Mike”.

Disclaimer: Not my pet, a friends.

Furry goodness!

My cat is named Scout, after Scout Finch, from “To Kill a Mockingbird.” So, sort of…

I have a Dachshund named Bailey, an Italian Greyhound named Spencer a tabby named Thomas and an African grey named Kaden. Hmmmm

My dog is named Sammy. I think that’s acceptable.

Actually, what you mentioned has happened to my sister, tiny. She has an unusual nickname and has gotten (more than once) “oh, I have a dog named that”. It’s not a typical dog name, either, so it’s really strange. My last cat had a people name, but I didn’t name her, she already had her name when I got her. But the name could also be descriptive, so it worked.

My favorite was our first and only dog when I was a kid. My sister won him in a raffle at school, and he was a true mutt. My brother named him what he called a “classy” name so he would be treated with dignity. His name was Leigh-Roi (pronounced Lee Roy).

When I was a kid we had a lab named Dog. My brothers and I could never agree on a name, so we always referred to her as Dog, and it stuck. My daughter’s first dog, a Dalmatian, was named Pongo. She was only a year a half when we got him. She called him “goggy baby”... Translation Doggy Baby. We were always telling her he was a baby and to soft and not to hurt him. Doggy Baby stuck!

We currently share a home with Sir Winston McAllister, who turned three years old yesterday, and we call him Puppy! I guess we are kind of weird !

Border collie – Spencer
Dsh – Dory
Dsh – Melee
Dsh – Havoc
Cockatoo – Sue
African grey – Hillari

Akward story. I have two dogs Bailey and Chloe. The vet nurse where I take Bailey is also named Bailey. Its always so akward when she’s in the room and I’m like “bailey sit”.

My dog is named Clio, she’s a Beagle-Chihuahua mix (looks like a “low rider” Beagle more than a big Chihuahua), and she is named after Cleopatra because her eyelids have that dark pigmentation that resembles that dark eyeliner they (ancient Egyptians) wore!

@Mcb, I love weimaraners! I wish I had one!
I have a russian blue cat named Tattiana, but she’s Tatty for short so that’s less of a ‘people name’ I suppose. My other cat is called Maggie which derived from magpie, since she’s black and white, and I do know a few people called Maggie, derived from Margaret or something I guess.

<——-Angel

I fall under tinyfaery’s amendment. Ike and Ziggy.

I have a dog who I call Drake, which is actually short for a pseudo-latin taxonomic description for how strange he looks. I have a Betta named Anthony. I also have two Russian hamsters who were named “Hairy” and “Fatty” by two very observant young gentlemen. My SO is of the same mind as @Tiny, feeling a sense of weirdness at giving animals proper names…I find it hilarious. Besides that, given the choice between having to call for “Fluffy” or “Snowball” at the dog park and throwing myself in front of a moving bus…

My parrot, named Alex, was already able to say it’s name, before i got it, so i’m stuck with that name, i like it, but it is not really original for a parrot.

Mine is BB and it stands for Bonnie Beagle. The next dog I get will be named Wadsworth which is a person’s name…well character played by a person

One of my dogs has a people name, given it’s an uncommon people name. We’ve dubbed him Angus.

He’s so cute Allie! I know 5 or 6 people Anguses though, must be a much more popular name over here.

shrubbery: Wow, 5 or 6!? It isn’t that common here at all. I don’t even know one.

Yeah, well I didn’t think it was that common either til I realised how many I knew :P

I named my Peacock Mantis Shrimp Vladimir because it means powerful ruler. Kind of fitting because he destroys anything that enters his tank.

…so I take it you are very careful with your hand when feeding Vlad?

@seesul i just throw the whatever im feeding him into the tank and then he takes it from there lol. Though i have hand fed him before, but only right after molts because they have a soft shell so they cant attack anything. He does recognize me though and wont attack me when im in his tank cleaning it. But if other people put their hands in it he comes flying out of his cave towards them.

WOW. Really interesting creature!

If you want to learn more about them watch this they really are quite fascinating. The video shows how fast their strike is(fastest in the animal kingdom) and how hard(hardest hit proportional to body size) and talks a bit about their eyes(most advanced in the animal kingdom)

I loved your posts. Especially, the pics.

My maltese’s name Is Teddy. I have a yellow amazon parrot named Zena. I love picking names for pets. It is soooo cute!

I had pets with people names when I was a kid and never would have understood why it would be weird until now. I’m having a son soon and everytime someone asks what I’m naming him they reply with “Oh that’s my cat’s name” or “That’s my lizard’s name!”

Speaking of Milo, I have also a grand-nephew named Milo. But the cat claimed the name first; we now refer to them as Milo pére and Millo fils. but it can get confusing.

The cat book recommended here by Andrew said to use names ending in “y” or “ie” for felines and to avoid sibilants like Shilolo, Shoshana, or Sheba.

As kids, we inherited a ludicrious daschund named Hagen, after the Black Knight in Gotterdammerung.

Yay! I was waiting for you to answer gail.

edit; Père, ludicrous, and dachsund

My friend’s two long-haired dachsunds are Fred and Farfel.

We’ve given all of our cats old-man names: Abner (deceased), Oliver, and now Harold. We find that it fits their personalities.

Not really. I have Valentine (snake) and Little Foot ( the uromastyx).

The cats have their people names for reasons. Our cat who we got because I hit him with my car (we put up signs and ads and no one claimed him) is vincent miró (meero) after van gough and miró.

Miss madaline we got as a rescue. She is a pure bred norwedgian forest cat and looked like a half dead mop when we got here. My neighbor runs an appt complex and some of her tenants were moving and left the cat with a bowl of raw pork chops, very little water, and hadn’t brushed her ever. She almost died but pulled through. We had to shave her because she was so “matty” but when her fur came back she was the most gorgeous cat ever (albeit scared of everyone but me.) She seemed curious and sweet and lost. I named her madaline after the books and the state she was in when we got her.

(all the others have equally long reasons/stories so I’ll spare y’all)

*when we got her. (given to us to find a home for her by the aformentioned neighbor who rescued the cat from certain death. )

We have/had:

Angus cat (deceased 3/18/08)
Daniel cat
Jackson cat
Dakota dog
Bitty dog

Milo’s name is now Mud. He snuck out again last night and reappeared at 2:00 AM with muddy paws.

But those muddy paws are now neatly manicured now tho, right gail?

No, unfortunately, I overslept, he was favoring one front paw and the slot was from 10–11 this AM. I am going to the dump instead and he can chase rodents.

So plan B. Vet’s this week for nails, Frontline, and gimpy leg.

The only time I have a chance to use the clippers, he is lying on top of me and I am cross-eyed. But thanks for asking, Scamp.

Ah, I love reading of your adventures with him gail!

scamp: You had an Angus in your family? Crazy, that’s the first other Angus I’ve heard of. (My dog is named Angus see above)

@Allie , I don’t know how I mised that! Your Angus is very handsome indeed! Our Angus was also black and white. He looked like he was wearing a tuxedo! He was 16 years old when he died.

@gail I’m worried Milo is going to really hurt himself someday. Watch out for kitty!

scamp: Our Angus is actually brown and white. He looks kind of like a brown cow. =)

@tiny; it is me you should worry about. I watch him like a hawk foster parent but he seems to part wizard.

@Allie oops, you’re right. I just took a quick glance because I am at work right now. he sure is cute tho!

edit: he seems to be part wizard.

I have a cat named Basil, but it’s a British name so it doesn’t count. (Right, @richardhenry?)

Partially right. Basil, among other things, was named Herb of the Year in 2003. How do you pronounce yours – Bay or Bah?

Your next cat could be Herb (with breathed H.) Or the cockney ‘erb. Or Borage.

@andrew: Right-o. British names aren’t real. We make them up because they sound funny. :)

Wow gail, I was going to ask the same Bay/Bah question, but was on my phone when I first read it. I’ve always heard the British pronounced Baz zil. More like the sheep or goat call Baaaaah. My nominated would be to theme the cats, (like I do) so Pesto would be in order.

We may have a left and right coast pronunciation thing going here…I’m going by Scottish sheep, that say their baaaah’s like aaaack!
I do have one on video saying the name of my rent-a-kid at the time “Beeeeeeeen”.

@rh: Do you mean like Hyacinth Bucket or Bouquet?

Folks. Come on. Why would I name my cat after a plant?

In IPA it’d be the a as in Pat sound: ‘bæz ɪl

I think Basil, like the herb, would be a cute name. But then again, look at the name of my cats.

I still think Pesto would be perfect for an annoying pet.

Name your dog “in my mouth” think about all the weird looks you would get at the park when you told him to come. ^_^

“Drop it, In My Mouth!”

“In My Mouth! Sit!”

“Bad boy, In My Mouth.” (Bad Allie, bad.)

“On my face” is a good one as well. :P

Just wrong I say!

Hahahahahahaha, this is funny.
Umm.. hmm..
“Roll over, On My Face.” (???)

Good one uberbatman ! Stay (either in my mouth or on my face.. ha ha!!)

@Andrew; I have friends with dogs and cats named nutmeg, cinnamon, and Mace (a teeny lap dog.) Thyme would generate some obvious jokes also. Or, your other cat could be called Manuel or Fawltey.

Yes, gail, a great name for the dog park:

Thyme is on my side, yes it is
Thyme is on my side, yes it is

Now you always say
That you want to be free
But you’ll come running back (said you would baby)
You’ll come running back (I said so many times before)
You’ll come running back to me

Oh, Thyme is on my side, yes it is
Thyme is on my side, yes it is

with apologies to Sir Mick and co

…or one could just go the Simon and Garfunkel route and have a litter with Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme.

Why do I get the sinking feeling that someone has already done that?

My sis had chinchillas that she rescued and she named them Ozzie and Harriet. (Maybe only a few of us will get that one)

@Seesul that song (the first one) gives me chills ever since seeing the movie Fallen. Could you imagine the ‘evil” being transferred by dogs in a dog park the way it happened in the movie? It would be Cujo magnified!!

@Scamp: Haven’t seen Fallen yet. Now I guess I have to, as you have my curiosity peaked. I was just having 60’s flashbacks. Sounds like you have an idea for a new movie.

@Andrew. Maybe you should get a friend for Basil, a dog that you could name (W)rath Bone. My mom did have a friend (here in the US) that had the name Basil. He pronounced it like the plant, BAY ZILL.

lol my cat’s name is Shakira (but before the singer) shes 8