Yep, another one of THOSE threads.
June 9, 2010 6:20 PM Subscribe
NameOurDog Filter
On Friday my girlfriend and I will be bringing home a new addition to our menagerie; a Shiba Inu puppy!
We don't know what to name him. The breeders have dubbed him "Barry," but that doesn't fly with us. We're looking for a traditional-ish Japanese name and have some requirements:
1) Traditional Japanese OR Japanese-inspired
2) Two syllables OR 3 if easily shortened for a nickname
3) Preferably ending in a hard vowel (e.g. Timothy, Toby, Toshi..)
FWIW, we really like Toshi but we have a friend with a Shiba named Toshi, so that's out. I suggested Sessue after Sessue Hayakawa, but my better half didn't like that.
(Upon checking this post with my SO to see if she wanted any other requirements, she snarked "It doesn't have to start with a 'T'," because all my examples started with 'T.' So, yeah. Doesn't have to start with a 'T.')
On Friday my girlfriend and I will be bringing home a new addition to our menagerie; a Shiba Inu puppy!
We don't know what to name him. The breeders have dubbed him "Barry," but that doesn't fly with us. We're looking for a traditional-ish Japanese name and have some requirements:
1) Traditional Japanese OR Japanese-inspired
2) Two syllables OR 3 if easily shortened for a nickname
3) Preferably ending in a hard vowel (e.g. Timothy, Toby, Toshi..)
FWIW, we really like Toshi but we have a friend with a Shiba named Toshi, so that's out. I suggested Sessue after Sessue Hayakawa, but my better half didn't like that.
(Upon checking this post with my SO to see if she wanted any other requirements, she snarked "It doesn't have to start with a 'T'," because all my examples started with 'T.' So, yeah. Doesn't have to start with a 'T.')
TETSUO!!!!!!
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 6:24 PM on June 9, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 6:24 PM on June 9, 2010 [4 favorites]
Inu
Yoshi
Pokemon . . . call him Poky for short. Oh and get the book The Poky Little Puppy and read it to him every night.
Miyagi
posted by Sassyfras at 6:25 PM on June 9, 2010
Yoshi
Pokemon . . . call him Poky for short. Oh and get the book The Poky Little Puppy and read it to him every night.
Miyagi
posted by Sassyfras at 6:25 PM on June 9, 2010
Response by poster: Added difficulty: We manage a doggie daycare and want to keep from naming him the same as regular clients!
Bones, we love Bodhi, but have two clients with a Bodhi. We love it enough that we will seriously consider it, anyway!
posted by InsanePenguin at 6:28 PM on June 9, 2010
Bones, we love Bodhi, but have two clients with a Bodhi. We love it enough that we will seriously consider it, anyway!
posted by InsanePenguin at 6:28 PM on June 9, 2010
Raichi
posted by corey flood at 6:36 PM on June 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by corey flood at 6:36 PM on June 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
Sushi
posted by katypickle at 6:37 PM on June 9, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by katypickle at 6:37 PM on June 9, 2010 [4 favorites]
Lifted from this site:
TADASHI (1-忠, 2-正): Japanese name meaning 1) "loyal" or 2) "true."
KENJI (1-健二, 2-研二): Japanese name meaning "healthy second (son)" or 2) studying second (son)."
TAKAO (孝雄): Japanese name meaning "respectful hero/male." (If he behaves.)
Others on the page that may or may not be a good idea:
KATSU (This might sound strange to call out in a dog park...)
KEIJI (Could get you second looks)
KIN (Awkward.)
posted by Hardcore Poser at 6:41 PM on June 9, 2010
TADASHI (1-忠, 2-正): Japanese name meaning 1) "loyal" or 2) "true."
KENJI (1-健二, 2-研二): Japanese name meaning "healthy second (son)" or 2) studying second (son)."
TAKAO (孝雄): Japanese name meaning "respectful hero/male." (If he behaves.)
Others on the page that may or may not be a good idea:
KATSU (This might sound strange to call out in a dog park...)
KEIJI (Could get you second looks)
KIN (Awkward.)
posted by Hardcore Poser at 6:41 PM on June 9, 2010
Tonbo? Gives you 'Bobo' as a cute short form.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 6:45 PM on June 9, 2010
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 6:45 PM on June 9, 2010
Response by poster: Poser, Kenji is awesome. Also, he would be our second dog/son.
Everyone else, these are all great! Our biggest problem is finding ones we both like!
posted by InsanePenguin at 6:45 PM on June 9, 2010
Everyone else, these are all great! Our biggest problem is finding ones we both like!
posted by InsanePenguin at 6:45 PM on June 9, 2010
Diogi (get it?)
posted by bricksNmortar at 6:46 PM on June 9, 2010 [6 favorites]
posted by bricksNmortar at 6:46 PM on June 9, 2010 [6 favorites]
I make furniture...so the first think to come to mind was Tansu.
posted by nickjadlowe at 6:48 PM on June 9, 2010
posted by nickjadlowe at 6:48 PM on June 9, 2010
What was the name of the dog in Azumanga Daioh?
Oh yes, Mr. Tadakichi.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 6:49 PM on June 9, 2010
Oh yes, Mr. Tadakichi.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 6:49 PM on June 9, 2010
Totoro :)
posted by MaryDellamorte at 6:50 PM on June 9, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by MaryDellamorte at 6:50 PM on June 9, 2010 [2 favorites]
I once named a cat Kaibutsu (monster.) I called him Bootsy for short.
posted by sugarfish at 6:56 PM on June 9, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by sugarfish at 6:56 PM on June 9, 2010 [4 favorites]
Goji - (short for Gojira)
posted by plinth at 7:08 PM on June 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by plinth at 7:08 PM on June 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
Real people names for animals tends to weird me out a bit, so I prefer food names for pets. Pretty much any sushi/sashimi inspired name would be nifty, like Otoro (but that might doom your dog to being all plumpy). Or Tonkatsu or just Katsu, since it makes me think of Doug's dog Porkchop. Or you could be all clever and call it Neko (cat) or maybe Koi.
posted by Diagonalize at 7:15 PM on June 9, 2010
posted by Diagonalize at 7:15 PM on June 9, 2010
Basho, for the famous poet.
posted by OneMonkeysUncle at 7:19 PM on June 9, 2010
posted by OneMonkeysUncle at 7:19 PM on June 9, 2010
if you're baseball fans sadaharu, hidecki, and ichiro are all great names, but i would go with daisuke. it just sounds cooler.
if you're anime fans the characters naota, tenchi, kenshin, or mugen are great inspirations for names representing various personalities. but ninja scroll is my favorite, so i would suggest jubei.
posted by ashabanapal at 7:27 PM on June 9, 2010
if you're anime fans the characters naota, tenchi, kenshin, or mugen are great inspirations for names representing various personalities. but ninja scroll is my favorite, so i would suggest jubei.
posted by ashabanapal at 7:27 PM on June 9, 2010
Raku
Isamu (after Isamu Noguchi, of course)
Tobor (the 8th Man!)
Tadashi
Sprytle
Anjin
Any name from Seventh Samurai, none of which I can remember right now.
posted by motown missile at 7:39 PM on June 9, 2010
Isamu (after Isamu Noguchi, of course)
Tobor (the 8th Man!)
Tadashi
Sprytle
Anjin
Any name from Seventh Samurai, none of which I can remember right now.
posted by motown missile at 7:39 PM on June 9, 2010
Just looking at the pictures of that breed, I would call it Tuffy. (I don't know it that means anything in Japanese)
posted by bonobothegreat at 7:55 PM on June 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by bonobothegreat at 7:55 PM on June 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
Pochi. It's the default dog name in Japanese, like... Spot.
posted by misozaki at 8:05 PM on June 9, 2010
posted by misozaki at 8:05 PM on June 9, 2010
On a slightly more serious note, my cousin has a black Shiba named Maro. It means "Me" or "I" in Heian Era Japanese used by the aristocratic class. It was also commonly used suffix for male names back then (e.g. Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, Abeno Nakamaro), and also used for animals and inanimate objects to express fondness towards them.
posted by misozaki at 8:16 PM on June 9, 2010
posted by misozaki at 8:16 PM on June 9, 2010
Ginsu.
Sudoku.
Sulu.
Hitachi.
Sony.
Kubota.
Daihatsu.
Toyota.
Toyoda.
posted by exphysicist345 at 8:33 PM on June 9, 2010
Sudoku.
Sulu.
Hitachi.
Sony.
Kubota.
Daihatsu.
Toyota.
Toyoda.
posted by exphysicist345 at 8:33 PM on June 9, 2010
Whatever you name it, you can call it _____-chan. Chan being the suffix for (usually young women or girls) to show affection or closeness.
posted by spec80 at 8:34 PM on June 9, 2010
posted by spec80 at 8:34 PM on June 9, 2010
Kitsune!
Especially since Shibas look so much like foxes!
posted by troublewithwolves at 8:42 PM on June 9, 2010
Especially since Shibas look so much like foxes!
posted by troublewithwolves at 8:42 PM on June 9, 2010
Kyoshi after Kyoshi Takahama (famous Japanese haiku poet for all of you who don't want to click on the link), or for that matter Takahama... "Come here, Taka!" Sounds good. Congrats on the new addition. Choosing a name is always so hard...
posted by Term of Art at 8:52 PM on June 9, 2010
posted by Term of Art at 8:52 PM on June 9, 2010
Diogi (get it?)
I lived with an awesome dog named Diogi there for a bit. Seconded.
posted by joe lisboa at 9:27 PM on June 9, 2010
I lived with an awesome dog named Diogi there for a bit. Seconded.
posted by joe lisboa at 9:27 PM on June 9, 2010
Kancho! At least, that's what I would name the next whippet we get. I'm not sure a Shiba can reach that high.
posted by TrixieBiltmore at 9:32 PM on June 9, 2010
posted by TrixieBiltmore at 9:32 PM on June 9, 2010
Haruki.
posted by grapesaresour at 10:05 PM on June 9, 2010
posted by grapesaresour at 10:05 PM on June 9, 2010
A monk asked Zhàozhōu, "Does a dog have Buddha nature or not?" Zhaozhou said, "Mu."
Mu means a negative (thus, no, or not). Since you'll be saying it to him anyway, why not simply name him Mu?
posted by strixus at 1:14 AM on June 10, 2010
Mu means a negative (thus, no, or not). Since you'll be saying it to him anyway, why not simply name him Mu?
posted by strixus at 1:14 AM on June 10, 2010
Ponyo!
posted by IndigoRain at 1:16 AM on June 10, 2010
posted by IndigoRain at 1:16 AM on June 10, 2010
Kambei was the elder samurai/main character in Seven Samurai, but Kikuchiyo was the clownish character played by the always excellent Toshiro Mifune.
I like Toshiro or Kurosawa.
posted by electroboy at 6:44 AM on June 10, 2010
I like Toshiro or Kurosawa.
posted by electroboy at 6:44 AM on June 10, 2010
Response by poster: These are all awesome, guys, I'll hit the thread back up on Friday or Saturday if we pick a name!
posted by InsanePenguin at 8:12 AM on June 10, 2010
posted by InsanePenguin at 8:12 AM on June 10, 2010
Toshiko. Inevitably morphing on occasion to koko or toshi.
posted by cairnish at 8:41 AM on June 10, 2010
posted by cairnish at 8:41 AM on June 10, 2010
Mochi.
posted by madmethods at 9:14 AM on June 10, 2010
posted by madmethods at 9:14 AM on June 10, 2010
A friend's mutt was originally named Wasabi when he was adopted. They shortened it to Sabi - a great name for a dog with a spicy personality.
posted by HeyAllie at 9:54 AM on June 10, 2010
posted by HeyAllie at 9:54 AM on June 10, 2010
Shitake, although if you shorten it to one syllable ... forget it.
posted by chocolatepeanutbuttercup at 1:44 PM on June 10, 2010
posted by chocolatepeanutbuttercup at 1:44 PM on June 10, 2010
Response by poster: If anyone is checking back, we decided on Raiden. I remembered it from Metal Gear Solid (duh) and she loved it.
posted by InsanePenguin at 7:39 PM on June 11, 2010
posted by InsanePenguin at 7:39 PM on June 11, 2010
Raiden is also from Mortal Kombat! :)
posted by MaryDellamorte at 4:05 PM on June 12, 2010
posted by MaryDellamorte at 4:05 PM on June 12, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by InsanePenguin at 6:23 PM on June 9, 2010