Name that puppy!
July 8, 2013 10:37 PM   Subscribe

I'm getting a puppy! He's a male cream-colored lab, pictured here. What should I name him?

I'm leaning against human names, because I don't want to inadvertently associate his name with another popular human's name. I've been leaning toward nature/forest/outdoors names like "timber" and "frost" because it reminds me of going on vacation to a lake house.

If it helps, I'm a computer programmer in the bay area who enjoys making music, but composer names are too classical, musical terms too italian, and programmer terms sometimes too nerdy. Maybe space/sci-fi, or something, would also be good. Eh, you're good at this.
posted by mcav to Pets & Animals (40 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Aww! He looks like a "Buster" to me!
posted by lovableiago at 10:42 PM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


Wheatley, because he's the color of wheat and because you can make some funny Portal jokes about him too whenever he gets into stuff that he shouldn't.
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 10:42 PM on July 8, 2013 [2 favorites]


I vote Spud
posted by natasha_k at 10:43 PM on July 8, 2013 [2 favorites]


What's his personality like? A name can tell people what his appearance doesn't. It shares what you know about him. What do you know about him? How is he different from other puppies?
posted by amtho at 10:56 PM on July 8, 2013


Spruce Bingsteen!
posted by mannequito at 11:03 PM on July 8, 2013 [4 favorites]


We called our lab Bailey! Bailey is fun and a bit crazy, and a good name for him! Yours looks kind of like a Bailey! (Previous labs were "Cisco" and "Hoover", who was a rescue whom we didn't name, but had eaten rocks and plastic utensils, hence the name.)

Obligatory:
Here is Bailey! Here is Hoover! (and here!) Here is Cisco!

(Bailey is also great when you shorten it: "Hey Bails!" Etc. It is also a brand of Irish Cream, which, c'mon.)
posted by disillusioned at 11:08 PM on July 8, 2013 [4 favorites]


That's Biscuit!
posted by 26.2 at 11:08 PM on July 8, 2013 [11 favorites]


Latte'
posted by jcworth at 11:10 PM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


Murphy!
posted by MissySedai at 11:24 PM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


Comet
posted by argonauta at 11:26 PM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


As a long time owner of one lab and one lab mix I'm pretty sure every lab should just be named Trouble from the get go.
posted by bitdamaged at 11:40 PM on July 8, 2013 [11 favorites]


The last lab I knew and loved was called Jasper after the National Park, which his owners had a special connection to. That doesn't necessarily work for your region/life (unless you have a distant connection to Alberta parks), but if you're inclined towards outdoorsy things/names, a (very cursory) glance through a list of Bay area state parks brings up these possibilites:
Bruno
Bean
Brighton
Seacliff
Thornton
Wilder

Or, if you want to go national, maybe:
Redwood (Red)
Yosemite (Yoyo)

Or, you could just go with the obvious name for the little guy, which is clearly Cutey McSnugglemuffin.
posted by Dorinda at 11:40 PM on July 8, 2013 [3 favorites]


Many labradors are descended from the Buccleuch labradors - so maybe Bucky?

It's also a pretty comic-booky name, and one that isn't easily confused with a real person's name.

Additional covert nerd points can be gained when referring to Bucky's ball, especially if you get him a dog buckyball.

I think the name has the right mix of stalwart loyalty and impish sidekickery that all labs naturally possess.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 12:24 AM on July 9, 2013 [1 favorite]


Robert.
Oscar.
Simon.
Linus.

My dad (who raised and trained labs his whole life) told me to always name your dog something that ended in an EEE sound (Sophie, Allie, Sadie) so it was easier to yell.
posted by mrfuga0 at 12:31 AM on July 9, 2013 [1 favorite]


Roobarb. Although he could equally be Custard, given his colour.

For reference.
posted by MuffinMan at 12:50 AM on July 9, 2013


Nthing Biscuit!

Adding on edit - I'm a professional chef (before I became a mom, although I still own a culinary based business...) He looks like a PERFECT biscuit.

Delicious!!
posted by jbenben at 12:55 AM on July 9, 2013


Atticus - personality traits - Unbiased, humble, understanding, wise - sounds like a lab to me

Furly - Urban dictionary - "the furly is a dance where u throw ur body aroud"

Cooter - small freshwater turtle

Buoy - water navigation

Toby - Urban dictionary - "A Toby is someone lovable, caring and stylish. They are very good friends, and will always be there if you need a shoulder to lean on"

Tobias - God is good

Sac-au-lait - alternate name for game fish, crappie. Translation is "bag of milk"
posted by JujuB at 1:01 AM on July 9, 2013


Sac-au-lait - alternate name for game fish, crappie. Translation is "bag of milk"

*blink*
posted by disillusioned at 1:41 AM on July 9, 2013


Pacman would have been a good choice, in retrospect, for my lab as a pup: yellow; never stopped moving or eating/biting; just changed direction when confronted with obstacles... in the same vein names like Qbert, Sonic, Yoshi or Link might work.
posted by misteraitch at 1:42 AM on July 9, 2013 [3 favorites]


Bobo
posted by amodelcitizen at 2:24 AM on July 9, 2013


Doug.

Because he loves you.
posted by DigDoug at 4:12 AM on July 9, 2013 [1 favorite]


Corben. I have no idea why, but that name popped into my head when I opened the pic. And when he's big you can just call him "Corbs" or "Corbsy".
posted by barnacles at 4:16 AM on July 9, 2013


Call him Korben!
Call him Dallas!

Call him Multipass!

Call him Korben Dallas Multipass!
posted by seanmpuckett at 4:32 AM on July 9, 2013 [1 favorite]


"Dune" gives you nature and Sci-Fi; "Gibson" is the name of a desert,* a Sci-Fi author, and a guitar.

"Wizard Howl" might be kind of nice. Then you could call him Wiz, or Howl, depending on which he does more, whiz or howl. ("Howley" is also a place in Labrador/Newfoundland.)

Axel Strorm (or "Axel Storm," to make it easier), because a) "Axel" is just a cool name, and b) Axel Strorm was a character in the sci-fi novel "The Chrysalids," set in Labrador.
posted by taz at 4:52 AM on July 9, 2013


You can take it as a sign from the whatever from high atop the thing, but I've just remembered that last night I had a dream in which the internet voted to name someone's new dog de Valera.

I assume this was not a statement of political affiliation on the part of my brain.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:43 AM on July 9, 2013


Random word association upon looking at the pooch:

Marlowe!
Nutter Butter!
Hondo!
posted by Leezie at 6:38 AM on July 9, 2013


Champion!

Champ for short!
posted by elmer benson at 7:23 AM on July 9, 2013


Trees?

Pawpaw
Sassafras
Tupelo
Sycamore
Linden

or: Puck .. mischievous forest sprite?
posted by beccaj at 7:24 AM on July 9, 2013


I kind of like Cisco, or Sisko, depending on which geek flavor you prefer. (Blatantly stolen from disillusioned's puppy!)

Also, your puppy is adorable, and I am jealous.
posted by ashirys at 7:37 AM on July 9, 2013 [1 favorite]


What an adorable baby! I've been watching that PBS series on US National Parks lately, so how about Teddy in honor of Roosevelt's role in establishing our national forests? Or maybe Muir, in honor of John Muir? Or Mather, after the first director of the National Parks Service?

Alternatively, I think he could be a good Sam, or possibly even a Yosemite Sam. And of course just about ANY Lab Could do the name "Ruckus" justice.
posted by DingoMutt at 7:52 AM on July 9, 2013


Marley.
posted by sparklemotion at 8:49 AM on July 9, 2013


Sassafras

I'll back Sassafras. A friend of mine had a dog named Sassafras, and the thing is - the name itself is fun to say, and you can place so much emphasis on different parts of it. I mean, say it out loud right now - it's fun. So if you name a dog Sassafras, that means that whenever you're having a shit day, you can come home and do what I did all the time:

Hey, Sassafras!
He looks up at you, tail starts wagging along the floor

Saaaaaaasafras
Gets up on two legs, tail is really going now

SassaFRAAAAAAs!
Standing now, because oh shit, treats are totally coming my way, better wag my tail like no dog has ever done before!

SASSAfras!
Fuck fuck fuck treats treats treats wag wag wag wag wag

Basically, naming a dog Sassafras is a points multiplier for your dog's ability to make you smile. You will never be depressed if you have a dog named Sassafras.
posted by cmonkey at 9:03 AM on July 9, 2013 [4 favorites]


Brutus
Olaf
Boris
posted by inertia at 10:18 AM on July 9, 2013


I see a Rufus in there.
posted by Glinn at 10:35 AM on July 9, 2013


scout
posted by southeastyetagain at 11:13 AM on July 9, 2013


Fenton
posted by orme at 11:42 AM on July 9, 2013


He looks like "Starbuck" to me. (And if he turns out to be female, you're still good.)
posted by dlugoczaj at 1:05 PM on July 9, 2013 [1 favorite]


Roscoe! (Human, but rare.)
posted by deborah at 2:34 PM on July 9, 2013


Lots of great names but I have to second "Linus" as one that popped out.
posted by mitschlag at 3:43 PM on July 9, 2013


I have wanted to have a light-colored dog that I could name Oatmeal for the longest time.

Or you could just call him Cutest Widdle Squigglybum in the Whole Wide World, cuz that's what he is.
posted by emcat8 at 9:41 PM on July 9, 2013


« Older What is in my water that has caused changes to my...   |   Going into my late 20's = Harder time meeting... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.