# Default dog names in other languages? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 19, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745 "2014-10-19T00:03:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/41 "2014-10-20T05:29:18Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > A better Latin [list](http://www.unrv.com/culture/names-for-roman-dogs.php), with references. My Google-fu fails me, but I recall someone once said that no one truly loves poetry who does not love the list of ship names in the Iliad. Now I’m going to start saying the same of the list of dog’s names in the Metamorphosis. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/42 "2014-10-20T05:39:13Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Probably because one syllable names that begin with obstruents are really good dog names. They are easy for dogs to learn and respond to, and you are going to say your dog’s name a lot during training. polysyllabic names never work well. Those are good practical reasons for actually naming a dog Bran in preference to Seolan. But actual dogs named Bran are about as common as actual dogs named Rover and Fido, and those considerations don’t explain why Bran, rather than Seolan is the name for a generic fictional dog in Irish. You don’t have to train generic fictional dogs. They come fully trained not only to obey your commands but also to alert you that some children have fallen down a disused mineshaft and to lead you to the scene. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/43 "2014-10-20T07:38:57Z")
> [@Gymnopithys](#): > > French _Médor_ Even though I never heard of anydog actually called Médor. And curiously the origin of Médor is similar to that of the English Fido. It was the name of a dog who spent years guarding the grave of its late master. ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/44 "2014-10-20T08:03:49Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > German: Fido and Bello (“the beautiful one”). Also, as noted by **Shodan** , Struppi (this name was chosen for Milou’s German name by the translators of the Tintin stories (German: _Tim und Struppi_) Other stereotypical dog’s names are Hasso and Tasso (these names are also given by some old-fashioned upper-crust parents to their baby boys which is bound to cause some titters later on because nowadays the popular association is ‘dog’s name’ rather than ‘old-fashioned boy's name’. These are stereotypical dog’s names but the dog names actually most popular in Germany, as per a 2012 survey of the search-for-lost dogs charity TASSO e.V. are: for male dogs [cite - German language](http://www.einfachtierisch.de/hunde/bilder/auf-namenssuche-die-beliebtesten-hundenamen-fuer-rueden-idb39306/) 1. Sammy 2. Sam 3. Balu 4. Paul 5. Rocky for female dogs [cite - German language](http://www.einfachtierisch.de/hunde/bilder/die-beliebtesten-hundenamen-fuer-huendinnen-idb39398/) 1. Luna 2. Emma 3. Bella 4. Amy 5. Kira ---
**Author:** ![Crazier\_Catlady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Crazier\_Catlady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazier_Catlady)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/45 "2014-10-20T10:51:48Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > The generic default name for a pet parrot is Polly. Who has ever encountered that? Is there an corresponding parrot name in Dutch, or elsewhere? The dutch generic parrot name is Lorre. Never met a parrot called by that name, but then I haven’t met a whole lot of parrots. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/46 "2014-10-20T11:47:33Z")
I’ve met two people with dogs named Deeogee (pronounced D-O-G). ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/47 "2014-10-20T12:01:59Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > According to the Russians I know, Laika is definitely not a stereotypical dog name. It was the name of one particularly famous dog, but has nowhere near the status of “default dog name”. {snip} Technically, true, as it isn’t really a name comparable to “Fido”, “Spot” or “Rover”. I included it because it’s _kind of_ like calling a Collie, “Shep” (which, okay, okay, the OP wasn’t asking about. I just thought it’s neat to know). FWIW, I think there’s a dog named “Laika” in a story by A.S. Pushkin, but I can’t find where it occurs. This is sure to keep me awake for several days until (and unless) I can track it down. Argh… Anyway, here’s my cite: on the Collie/Shep thing: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laika\_%28dog\_breed%29#The\_use\_of\_the\_word\_in\_Russia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laika_%28dog_breed%29#The_use_of_the_word_in_Russia) BTW, I once named a Chow/Golden Retriever dog “Shep” after a photographer (his nickname). I honestly had no idea it was a common name for dogs of sheep-herding breeds. ---
**Author:** ![Scathach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Scathach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scathach)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/48 "2014-10-20T15:59:36Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > Those are good practical reasons for actually naming a dog Bran in preference to Seolan. But actual dogs named Bran are about as common as actual dogs named Rover and Fido, and those considerations don’t explain why Bran, rather than Seolan is the name for a generic fictional dog in Irish. You don’t have to train generic fictional dogs. They come fully trained not only to obey your commands but also to alert you that some children have fallen down a disused mineshaft and to lead you to the scene. I’ve always seen/heard the name as Sceolan? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/49 "2014-10-20T17:39:18Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > I suspect dogs with human names were named by the children in the household and not the adults. And a hearty \*good day \*to you sir! JAQ, owner or acquaintance with Toby, Gus, Sophie, Ben, Shane and Gracie, all named by adults ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/50 "2014-10-20T17:56:17Z")
> [@Scathach](#): > > I’ve always seen/heard the name as Sceolan? One of the medieval sources has _Sceolang_. I’ll try to look up the article later and post again if there’s interest. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/51 "2014-10-20T20:00:36Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > The most famous [Fido](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fido_(dog)) (“Faithful”) was an Italian street dog that became famous in the 1940s and 1950s for going to meet his late master’s bus every day for 14 years after he died. The name has declined in popularity, but I think most people still recognize “Fido” as a generic name for a dog. (I dunno, it seems to me the dog was just a slow learner.;)) Well, thousands of years before that, Homer told of us a dog named Argus who waited faithfully for his master Odysseus to return to Ithaca. When Odysseus finally came home, after 20 years, the mangy old dog was the only creature on Ithaca who recognized and remembered him, and wagged his tail weakly before dying. So, the notion of a dog being loyal and faithful to the end is a mighty old one. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/52 "2014-10-20T20:03:45Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > I used to chuckle whenever I came across dogs named Bob or Mike. I’ve even known a few dogs named Steve, but don’t find it odd because my childhood friend’s dog was named Steve. > > I suspect dogs with human names were named by the children in the household and not the adults. My dog’s name is Julia, but I never would have picked that name. The Labrador rescue group we got her from had given her that name, and she already answered to it, so we didn’t see a good reason to change it. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/53 "2014-10-20T20:10:41Z")
Okay, there wasn’t interest, but I looked anyway. The name _Sceolang_ is based on Old Irish _scél_ “news” (Modern Irish _scéal_) and means “news-bringer” (so possibly a pointer?) or “survivor.” The final -ng in some medieval spellings is probably better as a final -n, but the -c- is necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Scathach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Scathach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scathach)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/54 "2014-10-20T20:17:30Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Okay, there wasn’t interest, but I looked anyway. > > The name _Sceolang_ is based on Old Irish _scél_ “news” (Modern Irish _scéal_) and means “news-bringer” (so possibly a pointer?) or “survivor.” The final -ng in some medieval spellings is probably better as a final -n, but the -c- is necessary. I was interested! Thanks for the etymology. In modern irish scéal is more usually story than news (nuacht) - interesting drift in meaning. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/55 "2014-10-20T20:22:58Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > merdeux in Cajun French. They call their dogs “shitty” or “shit”? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![ruh-roh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ruh-roh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruh-roh)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/56 "2014-10-20T21:44:44Z")
My daughter has a dog that is all black. She named it something else, but I call it Spot. It seems to respond the same. I’m waiting for her to get a cat so I can call it Puff. My son has a Dalmatian. I call it Dingo. Once again it reacts just the same as the name he uses (Pongo). My wife and I once had a dog whose “official” name was Lady Augie Rocket of Denver. It was a combination of what the dog pound people and other family members called her. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/57 "2014-10-20T22:00:51Z")
My aunt had a tiny stupid dog named Fifi. A cousin’s child, perhaps unclear on the concept of which generic animal names go with what, named their German Shepherd puppy Puff. Much mirth when Puff was full-grown. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/58 "2014-10-20T23:59:01Z")
> [@seodoa](#): > > Here in Japan the generic name for a dog is “Pochi,” but “Koro,” “Shiro,” and “Taro” are fairly common names, too. While I have never heard of anyone actually calling their dog Pochi, the others are popular enough among the woefully unoriginal. > > As for the etymologies, “Pochi” is the most recent but has the most uncertain origin. It is believed to be either a corruption of the English “pooch” are the French “petit.” “Koro” comes from “korokoro” meaning “rolling about; roly-poly.” “Shiro” means “white” and is just about as lame as a dog name can get. “Taro” is a generic boy’s name, a bit like naming your dog “Bob” or “Jim.” > > Also, although you didn’t ask for it, the generic cat name here is “Tama,” which means “ball” in Japanese, possibly in reference to the shape of a sleeping kitty. I always thought _Tama_ referred to the ball, presumably of yarn, the critter played with. Anyway, when I lived in Japan in the late 1990s, a fairly popular name for those who couldn’t muster much originality in naming their cat was _Nyanchan_, going along with _Wanchan_ for the dogs. More than a couple of the families in my area of Zama City had both a cat and dog and used those names. Basically: “Little Meow” for the cat and “Little Bow-wow” for the dog. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/59 "2014-10-21T03:27:00Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > German: **Fido** and Bello (“the beautiful one”). It should be pointed out that in German, Fido is pronounced Fee-doh. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745/60 "2014-10-21T05:14:50Z")
> [@SiamSam222](#): > > It should be pointed out that in German, Fido is pronounced Fee-doh. /fɪdo/ or /fɪdɔ/ (I can’t tell the difference between those two "o"s and was taught to pronounce German os like Spanish ones, but according to the info I found they’re different). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/default-dog-names-in-other-languages/701745.md?page=4)