Naming Your Pug
Classic pug names play to the breed's heritage of pet to nobility and royalty. Some pugs are named for their comical behavior or personality. Favorite literary and television personalities are good sources for names. And some pug owners take a leaf from the names in the dog's pedigree. Whatever name you choose, it should sound good and be easy to call.
The top ten dog names for males are Sam, Max, Jake, Rocky, Buster, Buddy, Charlie, Rusty, Bear, and Jess. The top ten female dog names are Lady, Princess, Maggie, Ginger, Daisy, Lucy, Zoe, Missy, Tasha, and Molly. You'll notice that all of these names are short and sweet. Of these, Rocky, Buster, Zoe, and Daisy are especially good pug names.
It's best to select a name of only one or two syllables or that can be easily shortened. Avoid names that rhyme with “No” so you don't confuse your dog during training. The following names are well suited to pugs:
Bogart — an old French word meaning one who is strong; a good choice for a strong, silent, handsome pug
Chloe — a Greek word, meaning flowering
Cosmo — a Greek word, meaning world
Dempsey — an Irish name, meaning one who is wise and proud
Emma — an English word, meaning energetic
Lulu — a slang word, meaning remarkable or wonderful; for a female pug with an attitude
Sophie — short for Sophia, a Greek word meaning wise
Stella — a Latin word, meaning star
Vincent — after actor Vincent Price, who loved pugs
Winston — after England's famous prime minister, who was also a pug fancier
If you're still stuck on what to name your pug, look in pet name books, baby name books, and check out the Web sites listed in Appendix B.
