Westminster Show Dog Names

The Winner, Miss P.

I'm always fascinated by the way people name their pets. There are less rules when it comes to naming a pet--the name can be silly, outrageous, or one of a celebrity. The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is a great place to scout out dog names, with over 100 dogs in attendance. I wrote down the call names of *almost* every dog, which should give us a good idea of some trends in pet naming.

Animal Names 
Le Gato
Zebra

Brand Names
Bentley
Harley
Maybelline
Mercedes
Snapple
Splenda
Vogue

Celebrity Namesakes
Adele
Beckham
Bourdain
Madonna
Mae West
Matisse
Ringo

Culture-Reflecting Names
Cristo
Haas
Schweitzer
Sunito

Currently Trendy Names
Beckett
Ben x2
Charlie
Cooper
Cece
Gia
Gideon
Grace
Harper
Jacob
James
Lane
Mackenzie
Nash
Nathan
Nico
Owen
Romeo
Samantha
Savannah
Summer

Cutesy Names
Jetty
Miss P.
Odgie
Skeeter
Sunnybear

Food Names
Ginger
Jelly
Pepper x2
Salty
Salumi, "Lumi"
Whiskey

Guys' Guy Names
Cal
Cody
Danny
Desi
Dewey
Frank
Gus
Izzy (b)
Jake
Jerry x2
J.J.
J.T.
Larry
Manny
Mick
Nick
Reece
Rocky x3
Sean
Taylor
Ted
Timmy
Trey

Ladylike Names
Allegra
Carlotta
Chelsea
Claribel
Elin
Holly
Hope
Libby
Liza
Nopa
Poppy

Old Fashioned Names
Alan
Angie
Billy
Chauncey
Cyrus
Etta
Franklin
Ginny
Harry
Hector
Helen
Hobson
Ina
Liz
Louie
Magnolia
Moses
Ned
Odin x2
Pip
Percy
Rudy
Stuart
Toby x2
Vance
Vinnie
Wally
Winston
Witt

Word Names
Bingo
Bogie
Blue x2
Caveman
Comet
Crunch
Cubit
Debit
Derby
Flame
Flash
Jedi
Judge
Night
Precious
Princess
Rain
Rebel
Rerun
Rocket
Rumor
Scoop
Sparkles
Splash
Stitch
Swagger
Teller
Tipper
Turbo
Veto
Wink

Full Names for Mae/May

Image Credit

Mae is a classy, simple, and gorgeous name. She's not very popular though, Mae ranks in the low 600s, and May doesn't even make the top 1000. I suspect some parents think she's a little short to be used as a full name, so I have compiled some other monikers that could use Mae or May as a nickname.

Expected:
Mabel- This old-fashioned charmer doesn't need a nickname, but if you insist, I would go with Mae over Belle.
Macy- Sweet and sassy, but doesn't really need a nickname.
Margaret- She has so many wonderful nicknames. Mae and Greta are my favorites.
Mary- Classic. Mary is never a bad choice.

Unique:
Magnolia- An amped up version of Margaret that's just as stylish.
Maisie- She's usually a nickname herself, but I don't mind Maisie on the birth certificate.
Mamie- Mamie has a similar feel to Maisie, but is a little less childish.

Unheard of:
Mayfair- A beautiful name. It's guaranteed your daughter will be the only Mayfair on the block.
Mavis- She's a vintage name with so much potential. I happen to prefer Avis, but Mavis is less rental-car-company-ish
Mayla- A better alternative to the outdated Mayra. There's a song called Mayla by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, perfect for a personalized lullaby.
Mayra- Not a currently stylish pick, but calling her May definitely helps.

Nicknames for Magnolia

Image Credit

Congrats to Magnolia on breaking into the top 1000! She stands at 981, so while not popular yet, she's definitely on the way up. Magnolia is a great alternative to Margaret, but feels a bit more whimsical. She is a long name, however, and some would say she needs a nickname. If you fall into that camp, take a look at the following list for some inspiration.

Expected:
Maggie- Classic nickname for the Mag- names.
Meg- I recently heard this one on a baby. Very retro-cute.
Lia- With so many other options, I don't think Lia is the right choice of nickname.

Unique:
Mae- Watch out, Mae and May are up and coming.
Molly- I would hesitate to use Molly nowadays considering she's the street name for ecstasy.
Nolia- A little long for a nickname, but still very charming.

Unheard of:
Aggie- People would mishear it for Maggie, but she's a little more interesting.
Nola- Spunky. This would be a fun one if you were from New Orleans.
Nollie- A better alternative to Molly.

May Names

Image Credit

Hooray, it's finally May! May is one of my favorite months. School begins to die down, and it feels like Summer is on it's way. To celebrate, lets look at some names that would be perfect for a May baby.

Birthstone:
Beryl- May's birthstone is Emerald, which is a member of the Beryl family. Beryl definitely has some charm, which many people don't appreciate.
Emerald- She's getting popular. I prefer Beryl.

Birth Flower:
 Lily- Lily of the Valley is May's birth flower, but many people won't get the connection with such a popular name.
Shoshana- Shoshana means lily, and makes a subtle connection to the month.
Valley- The other half of Lily of the Valley. Fun Fact: My second grade teacher named her daughter Chloe Lily-of-the-Valley, but the next day changed it to Chloe Regina.

Star Signs:
Gemini- People born later in May are Gemini. I'm not sure how useable she is, but it does work.
Taurus- Much better than Gemini, and the only boy name on the list. Taurus is a cool name, and he could be called Tor.
Venus- The planet Venus governs the star sign Taurus, but you have to be brave to use her as a name.

Related to May:
Amy- An anagram of May.
Maia- May is named after the goddess Maia.
May, Mae, Mabel, Maisie, etc.- Any May name works to honor a baby girl's birth month.


P.S. Tomorrow is my blogoversary. Three years old! I can hardly believe it :)

-Ay Names

Many letters of the alphabet (ten to be exact) form names when you put the suffix -ay at the end of them. Most of these names sound dated, and not all are useable, but some of them sound fresh, exciting, and ready for a comeback.

Bay- The most modern of the list. Bay is the right amounts hippie and grounded.
Day- Too wordy for the first spot; she's better suited for the middle.
Fay (Faye, Fae)- A baby Fay would be cute and refreshing.
Gay- Not appropriate for the 21st century, even if it was your grandma's name.
Jay- Jay would sound vintage, fresh, and tough on a baby boy.
Kay (Kaye)- A lovely, underused choice that can honor any K name.
May (Mae)- She's the most popular of the list, but still very sweet.
Nay- She's Persian and means flute. Sounds a bit too negative for English speakers.
Ray (Rae)- This unisex choice would be extra adorable on either gender.
Tay- Better left as a nickname for Taylor

Nicknames for Mary

Say your partner loves Mary, but she's just too plain for you. Listed here are some nicknames (many of them ready for a comeback) that you could call her, while still pleasing your partner.

Mally
Mame
Mamie
May (Mae)
Milly (Millie)
Mim
Mimi
Mimmie
Molly
Polly

Nicknames for Margaret

Margaret is a classic name with a lot of appeal. She's not too popular right now, but is a great choice for parents who want a well-known name with a cool nickname. Here are some options.

Greta
Gretel
Madge
Mae
Maisie
Maggie
Mamie
Marge
Margie
Mari
Margo
Markie
Marnie
May
Meg
Megan
Meggie
Metta
Pearl
Peg
Peggy