140th Westminster Call Names

Craig Jamieson via Dribbble This year's winner was a German Shorthaired Pointer named CJ

When we hear about show dog names, we most often are mentioning the outrageous, over-the-top, nonsensical monikers the dogs are referred to formally. Even though I get a kick out of these, I'm always more interested in the call names of the dogs, i.e., what they respond to outside the show ring. Hundreds of dogs participated in the 140th Westminster Dog Show this year, and I recording their names to list here (here's last year's post, if you're interested). This isn't a very large sample size, but it can give us some insight into how people name their dogs, and how it's so similar, yet vastly different from naming children.

Classic Dog Names
Bella
Charlie
Chloe
Gus
Henry
Hunter
Izzy
Louie
Lucy x2
Marley
Molly
Parker x2
Pepper
Sophie
Thor

Colorful Canines
Azul
Blue x2
Cadet
Mr. Blue
Sky

Cultural Choices
Blitx--"lightning" in Swedish
Devlin (g)
Gomez
Gretel
Hoja
Leandro
Mano
Ovidius
Pepe
Ronan
Saxon
Schilling
Sunito
Tuco

Currently Trending
Annabelle
Anouk
Beckett
Cyrus
Eli x2
Finn
Gia
Gideon
Juliet
Kit (b)
Leo
Olivia
Piper
Walker

Distinguished Gentlemen
Adrian
Alan
Andrew
Angus
Anton
Bradley
Casey
Chauncey
Falco
Griffin
Hank
Hector
Humphrey
Jango
Jason
Joshua
Lucas
Moses
Mr. Jones
Ned
Nelson
Preston
Remy
Richard
Stuart
Vito
Watson
Xavier

Food and Drink
Bacon
Brie
Kahlua
Monte Cristo
Patrón

Lovely Ladies
Clara
Creeda
Fiona
Gail
Grace
Etta
Kate
Lucia
Paola
Primrose
Summer x2
Vanessa
Vera
Victoria
Zora

Place Names
Cayman
Dixie
Fenway
Mexico
Orlando
Tennessee

Nicknames
Allie
Augie
Cal
CJ
CR
Danny
Duffy
Frankie (g)
Gabby
Gabe
Gedi
Gibbs
Jenny
Lumi (b)
Mack
Manny
Obie x2
Odgie
Ollie
Pandy (b)
Ricky x2
Robbie
Rocky
Rondo
Sally
Tilly
Toodles
Tubbs
Vinny
Zak

Notable Namesakes
Astaire
Fergi
Jackson--after Michael Jackson
Julia--after Julia Louis-Dreyfuss
Mick--after Mick Jagger
Peyton--after Peyton Manning
Robert Redford
Santana--after Carlos Santana
Windsor

Pop Culture Picks
Bond
Burberry
Indy (b)
Jedi
Leonard--after the Big Bang Theory
Neo
Peter Parker
Steelers--after the Pittsburgh Steelers
Wesley--after The Princess Bride

Word Names
Banner
Bingo
Bogey
Brazen
Chance
Cubit
Dart
Dynamite
Exquisite "Quizzy"
Flash x2
Frosty
General
Journey
Judge
Panda x2
Paparazzi
Pilot
Precious
Rain
Riot
Rocketman
Rumble
Rumor
Slick
Star
Striker
Tank
Toot
Trader
Vanity

10 H Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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H names for boys. I love them. The only problem is that they're so popular. Henry, Harrison, and Hunter are great names, just too widely used for my taste. That's where this list comes in. If you love H names but hate their popularity, use one of these ten.

Haco- Two syllables, starts in H and ends in O? Haco has all the components of a popular name, yet doesn't even make the top 1000. This is the kind of name parents kill to find, so have at it.

Hadriel- Part Adrian, part Ariel, Hadriel is a completely masculine (even though the two previous names are unisex) and totally rad.

Hal- I really love Hal. He's an old school nickname that would make a great sibling to Gus, Sid, and Max.

Hale- Hale is modern and fresh with a boy-next-door quality. Bonus points for naming his sister Leah.

Hanson- A cool surname with definite first name potential. He would make a great alternative to the rising Harrison.

Harp- I think Harper has officially gone to the girls. Want a way around that? Try Harp. This unisex name feels pretty masculine, and is not yet claimed by any gender.
 
Hart- He's similar to Harp, just a little more romantic. Hart is a great short name, but many elementary school boys might not be in favor of it.

Hartigan- Don't want to commit to Hart? Use the Irish surname Hartigan instead. He's upbeat and charming, plus, Hartigan's is the name of an ice cream shop in my city. Sweet.

Harvey- Yes, I'm bias. Harvey is the name of baby puppy. He ranks in the 600s, making him the most popular name on this list, but he's still widely underused. And you know what? Now that I think about it, Harvey would make a great sibling for Hal, too.

Hewitt- Darn. Your sister just named her baby Hugo after beloved grandpa Hugh. Now how are you supposed to honor him? Hewitt. He's completely different and scarcely used. Just make sure his nickname is Witt, not Huey.

Holmes- Want a great hero name? Holmes is the answer. He's very culturally relevant right now, which is my only worry. Will he sound weird in thirty years?

Howell- I talked about Howell recently in my Full Names for Wells post. I think he's a great choice. With the nickname Wells, you really can't go wrong.

H Surnames for Boys

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Surnames are very popular choices for boy's first names, and it's easy to see why. They are stylish, masculine, and sound great on any kid. The letter H is particularly popular, and offers some great choices. Take a look.

Expected:
Harrison- Classic, getting to the point of feeling overused.
Hayden- I usually prefer unisex names on girls, but this one I find more masculine.
Henry- Timeless, he fits on any boy.
Hunter- Great choice for a rough-and-tumble little boy.

Unique:
Harold- Retro-cool. I'm all for using Harold.
Harris- Slimmer version of Harrison. Harris lends himself to the fun nickname Harry.
Hayes- Short, preppy, and not very common at all. He only ranks at 608.
Howard- Still dated, but Howard could make a comeback in the near future.

Unheard of:
Hamilton- This presidential name might be a bit much for a baby. Maybe stick him in the middle.
Harvey- I'm very partial to this name. I would love to see more people using Harvey.
Howell- He's the most dated of the list, but that's no reason not to use a great name like Howell.
Hughes- An Irish surname that you don't often see as a first. He's definitely useable.

Green Baby Names

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Happy March! This month makes everyone think of the color green- Saint Patrick's Day is coming up, and Spring is almost here. To celebrate this green-tinged month, I have compiled a list of names that are also shades of green. Perfect for a March baby!

Expected:
Emerald- She was Pantone's color of the year last year, and is picking up popularity.
Hunter- The -er ending is very trendy right now, and people's first thought will not be the color.
Jade- A beautiful color, but an even more beautiful name.
Kelly- Both the name and the color were once trendy. Now, not so much.
Lincoln- I talk about Lincoln a lot on here. It's a great name for either gender, but most people won't know it's a shade of green.
Olive- Olive is the first name that comes to mind when I think "green names." She's a lovely name that was once considered unique, but is now turning mainstream.

Unique:
Fern- She's the little girl in Charlotte's Web as well as the poetry loving dog on Arthur. With so many great associations, what's not to love about Fern?
Forest- The baby name is more often spelled Forrest, but the shade of green is spelled like the noun. Either one is useable, but I suggest the double R.
India- She's obviously way more of a place name than a color name, but India is an amazing choice nonetheless.
Myrtle- Most of today's parents wouldn't consider her an attractive choice, but hey, you could call her Tilly.
Paris- Paris is in the same boat as India. Go with India.

Unheard of:
Citrine- I've talked about Citron before, but Citrine sounds more like a name. I'm liking it.
Cyan- Technically Cyan is a blue-green shade, but whatever. Kyan and Kayan are already boys names, so why not Cyan?
Pine- I adore Pine for a baby boy. It's the perfect mix of nature and masculine.
Sea- I love Sea on her own, but many parents want longer full names. I like Season best.
Teal- Short and sweet. That's how I like my baby names.       

Catalog Names: PB Teen

Girls:
Addison
Amanda
Anna
Ariel
Brooke
Brynn
Chelsea
Chloe
Claire
Coraline
Elsie
Emma
Emily
Hallie
Jamie
Julia
Julie
Kaitlyn
Katie
Kelley
Kennedy
Lacey
Lauren
Lola
Marbella
Martina
Mary
Molly
Peyton
Raleigh
Sarah
Sophie
Taylor
Zoe


Boys:
Austin
Brooks
Chris
Emerson
Hunter
Jacob
Jake
Joe
Maddox
Max
Tyler