# Pets named after fictional characters, the spectrum from predictable to pretentious..

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-named-after-fictional-characters-the-spectrum-from-predictable-to-pretentious/370583>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 28, 2006, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-named-after-fictional-characters-the-spectrum-from-predictable-to-pretentious/370583 "2006-08-28T22:09:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-named-after-fictional-characters-the-spectrum-from-predictable-to-pretentious/370583/81 "2006-09-05T02:57:17Z")

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We named our new dog Lola, because she was a showgirl (actually, her parents were both world-class showdogs, she’s never even been in a show). We call her “Lo” often, and it cracks me up when my daughters greet her with “Hi, Lo!” And even more when she’s chasing the local fox and they yell “[Run, Lola, Run!](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0130827/)” They can all sing the Kinks’ song, too.

I’d consider this not Predictable, or Pretentious, but either Passable or Pardonable.

To meet the intentions of the OP (I’m thinking cat names, for some reason):

Predictable: Louis Wu  
Passable: Speaker (to Animals) 🙂  
Pardonable: Beowulf  
Pretentious: Tnuctipun

I wanted to use Gumdidgy swamp thing, but didn’t know how to spell it.

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**Author:** ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2006, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-named-after-fictional-characters-the-spectrum-from-predictable-to-pretentious/370583/82 "2006-09-07T02:01:29Z")

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Not fictional characters and meaningless to most Americans, but I have two budgies named Cheep and Chips. I didn’t name them - though I _did_ name my cockatiel Spike after Spike Milligan.

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**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2006, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-named-after-fictional-characters-the-spectrum-from-predictable-to-pretentious/370583/83 "2006-09-07T05:33:21Z")

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I just lost a cat named _Verbal_ and if I ever get another dog I plan to call her _Mrs. Danvers_ (or _Fido_, quite possibly my favorite dog name).

A 5, 9 and .01 on the Pretenitometer, respectively.

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**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-named-after-fictional-characters-the-spectrum-from-predictable-to-pretentious/370583/84 "2007-07-20T19:42:12Z")

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I had a chihuahua once named I’Chaya, after Mr. Spock’s childhood pet Sehlat.

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