It seems like something around here always needs a name. A new kitten, a new stuffed animal, a new baby…… or maybe it’s work-related (a business, product, club or non-profit).
People often ask me for help in choosing a name for these types of things. In fact, out of all of my blog posts, the one with the most hits by far has been my entry from 2009 entitled How to Name Your Farm or Ranch. Apparently, it really struck a chord.
Anyway, just for a little bit of fun today, I want to introduce you to some of our pets, and how I happened upon their names. Hopefully, this will give you some ideas and inspiration for your own naming projects.
First up: Starbuck and Sabrina. They were a brother and sister pair so I thought it would be cute to have their names start with the same letter. I started with the boy, who is a silver tabby. His beautiful gray fur gave me lots of ideas: Stormy, Skywalker and even Rainmaker. I finally decided on Starbuck for two reasons: this well-known coffee brand made me think of cool, rainy Seattle weather. And Starbuck also happens to be the main character in one of my favorite classic dramas: The Rainmaker. With Starbuck’s name settled, I chose Sabrina for his sister because it started with an “S” and is also the name of fun comic-book character from the 1960’s – Sabrina the teenage witch. You know how witches and cats like to hang out together…..
Below is Solomon, named after the Old Testament king. He just appeared in our back yard one day and stole everyone’s heart with his lovable nature. I chose Solomon because this feline has such a regal appearance. His fur is thick and beautiful and plush, like the soft and opulent robes of a king. Unlike his biblical counterpart, however, Solomon has taken a vow of chastity (he’s neutered)!
Next up is Pixie. When I first brought this little girl home I was enamored with her delicate beauty. “She must have a name fit for a queen!” I thought. But none of the grand names I thought of seemed to fit. Why? This kitty turned out to be a light-footed little sprite – a mischief-maker. Time taught me that she needed a name that fit her personality. So I decided on Pixie. It’s a cute little name and full of fun, just like she is.
And here is Dante. He’s quiet and sweet. There was something about his serious demeanor that made me want to give him a “scholarly” sort of name. I reached pretty high in choosing to name him after the author of the masterpiece “Divine Comedy” but Dante remains a humble and totally approachable sort of cat. Most often you will find him approaching my lap!
In summary, here are my go-to tips for naming a new pet:
Think outside the box. Don’t choose the obvious. A Siamese cat doesn’t necessarily need an Oriental name, and a black cat doesn’t have to have a “dark” name like Shadow or Midnight. Other factors come into play when choosing a good name besides color and breed.
Take your time. Make a list of your top names and start trying them out for a day or so. See if it really suits the animal. After just a few days of bringing a new pet into your home, you’ll learn a lot about his personality, which will in turn make naming much easier.
Pick something easy to say and spell. This comes in handy when calling your pet, communicating with the vet or filling out paperwork. It’s also easier for young children to learn.
See what’s already out there. If you want something unique, Google the top names for dogs and cats so you compare your choices. Hint: don’t pick Tigger for a cat or Lady for a dog!
So……do you need some help naming a pet (or anything else)? Have some favorite names to share of your own? Comment here!
Um… the picture of Houdini and your donkey is adorable. Houdini doesn’t look overly amused lol.
I know, if you could read Houdini’s mind it would be something like “you’re really pushing it, Ruby!”
Hahaha that’s *exactly* what that looks like. It’s like he knows that messing with something that outweighs him by orders of magnitude will not go in his favor, so he’s like “ok… I’m going to let this happen… I guess.”
im not a huge pet person, allergic to cats and even our recent DOG MAX is now gone because we are not really into pets. Though I do think its cute thinking of names for them.
So cute! We’ve named our pets in a variety of different ways. We had a Min Pin pair named Samson and Delilah. My Chihuahua is named Winston because when the husband and I were tossing names back and forth in the back yard, I said “Winston!” and he came running. Our Border Collie’s name is a little harder to spell: it’s “T’akaya” from Stargate SG-1 (pronounced tuh-kie-uh), and it means “pious and peaceful. We were hoping. 😉
One can only hope, right? LOL Love the Pin pair’s name! What a dynamite couple! ~Anne Marie
Those cats are adorable and the names sre so unique and fun. It is something you don’t want to rush and make it just right when you have a pet forever.
It’s so funny because I have pet names lined up in my head. My current baby is Milo, a teacup yorkie.
That’s cute and easy to say!
We have had a bird, named Indigo, because he was blue, We now have a rabbit and we named him Truffle, because he is all white with blue eyes. These names just seemed to “fit” the pet
Truffle is unique; that’s not one you hear a lot!
Oh my goodness naming your pet is SO hard! It took us like a week to name our dog!
We had so much fun naming our pets! Our German shepherd is Goldie Gallant, named after the Vegas Golden Knights hockey team and their coach, Gerard Gallant.
Now that’s really cool!
You have some adorable pets and I love how their names match. Great naming advice! I’d definitely want something clever that matches without being too silly.
I love your names for your pets! Our German Shepherd is named Zeus…. But he is afraid of lightning and thunder and we die laughing every time a storm comes.
Ok, that’s pretty darn funny!
I am not in love with our dog’s name but I got out voted. Now we are suck with Nugget.
I think picking a name for a pet is the best part and the most fun one especially when you have kids! Thanks for the tips!
I love all these adorable cat names! We take naming our pets seriously as well.
I really like the names of your pets! Thank you for the tips on getting names. I might want to name a pet based on their character.
My dogs are Kamikaze and Lucian. We picked out the name Kamikaze (or Kaze) for short but Lucian was adopted and we kept it.