Another “name that pug” post
October 4, 2020 2:24 PM

Please help me come up with a name for this 1.5-2 year old male pug that I just adopted from a shelter/rescue. Here’s a pic of this sweet boy.

Hi everyone,

I am posting anonymously because I do not want my username and history associated with the specific details I am about to list. Thank you all in advance for your ideas.

I would like to name him a “people” name rather than say, Gizmo or Sweet Pea, etc. In the past, I have gravitated to English names or names of famous US Supreme Court justices.

So, I have been owned by pugs since 1990, starting with Winston (named after Winston Churchill.) My next pug was named Oliver (after SC Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.) While I had Oliver, I agreed to take on another similarly-aged pug that had been abandoned. Since Oliver Wendell Holmes was a mentor and friend to SC Justice Felix Frankfurter, this new pug addition became “Felix.” Oliver and Felix got along famously. Oliver, and then Felix have passed on now and I have been pugless since last year.

So here I am needing suggestions from the hivemind. I thought about “Learned” after Judge Learned Hand, but I can’t see myself shouting that out at the dog park. Thanks!
posted by anonymous to Pets & Animals (30 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
If last names are okay, I'd think "Marshall" would work well. Congrats on being re-endoggened!
posted by Ufez Jones at 2:29 PM on October 4, 2020


Bader. In honor of Ruth.
posted by BoscosMom at 2:39 PM on October 4, 2020


Rutherford, Teddy, Chester, Howard?
posted by ChuraChura at 2:45 PM on October 4, 2020


Not connected to anyone specific, but that’s a Walter.
posted by mochapickle at 2:50 PM on October 4, 2020


Arby Gee.
posted by essexjan at 2:50 PM on October 4, 2020


Nash (for 'gnash' of course, but also 'pugnacious').

There was an early North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Nash, but I have a feeling you might not want to commemorate him.
posted by jamjam at 3:05 PM on October 4, 2020


Warren! for Earl Warren, not Burger.
Billy or Howie in honor of Taft.
JayJay for John Jay.
Something based on Salmon P Chase, who was always an abolitionist. Salmon, or Chase, or Portland for his middle name.
Louie for Louis Brandeis.
Harry for Harry Blackmun.
posted by Hypatia at 3:10 PM on October 4, 2020


First clicking on the photo: Bertrand
After reading the entire question: Biddle
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:10 PM on October 4, 2020


To combine your themes, I've always thought that Denning would be a great name for a dog.
posted by ZaphodB at 3:20 PM on October 4, 2020


He looks like a Gunther to me.
posted by diamondsky at 3:37 PM on October 4, 2020


Benjy, for Cardozo.
posted by eponym at 3:55 PM on October 4, 2020


Ginsburg would be a great name for a pug. Are there any artists or authors you admire? That's always been a good name source for me.

(Black pug owner here and he's named after one of my favorite visual artists)
posted by Colonel_Chappy at 4:51 PM on October 4, 2020


Joseph.

Joseph Albert Wapner.
posted by Kabanos at 5:03 PM on October 4, 2020


Byron! After Justice White or Lord Byron, as you prefer. (I’d avoid Whizzer as a nickname, though...)
posted by cheapskatebay at 5:35 PM on October 4, 2020


Thurgood or Marshall.
Congratulations on your new family member!
posted by bookmammal at 5:39 PM on October 4, 2020


Me, I would hesitate to name a dog after a prominent member of a minority I'm not part of.

Instead gonna suggest Dune names because of the pugs in the silly 80s movie

Duncan
Paul
Leto
Gurney
Stilgar
Shaddam
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 5:49 PM on October 4, 2020


Hercule
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 6:55 PM on October 4, 2020


When I first saw the picture, before I read about your tradition of judicial names, I thought he looked like a Henry. Uncle Google tells me that there have been several United States Supreme Court justices with that name.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:44 PM on October 4, 2020


Other thoughts:
  • Lamar, after Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar
  • Melville, after Melville Fuller
  • Rufus, after Rufus W. Peckham
  • Hugo, after Hugo Black
  • Wiley, after Wiley Blount Rutledge

posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:54 PM on October 4, 2020


May I suggest Michael or Kirby?
posted by b33j at 8:08 PM on October 4, 2020


Well he looks like an Ernest to me, but considering your theme and my love of normie first names for dogs, how about Earl? After Earl Warren?
posted by mmc at 9:48 PM on October 4, 2020


Justice John Marshall Harlan was (among other things) the lone dissent in Plessy v. Ferguson (good choice) and either "Marshall" or "Harlan" work pretty well, IMHO (he's clearly not a John).

Although before I read your text I thought he looked like a Baxter, FWIW.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 10:24 PM on October 4, 2020


Judge John Hodgman. Go with Hodgman!
posted by coberh at 10:38 PM on October 4, 2020


Attenborough.
posted by Namlit at 12:42 AM on October 5, 2020


Edmund
Harold
posted by daybeforetheday at 12:43 AM on October 5, 2020


I saw him and thought "this dog's name is Charles." I believe that is an English name. It is also the first name of Justice Charles Evans Whittaker, an Einsenhower appointee who left the court after agonizing over the question of congressional apportionment being a justiciable decision. (A case I find personally fascinating for its difficulty resolving.)
posted by DyRE at 2:33 AM on October 5, 2020


Danny Glover
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 8:28 AM on October 5, 2020


Borgnine
posted by Billiken at 11:39 AM on October 5, 2020


I thought he looks like a Julius!
posted by shortyJBot at 6:06 PM on October 5, 2020


From the OP:
So many great names. I’ve narrowed the field to Marshall, Warren, or Charles, and am going to sleep on it. Thank you to everyone who responded!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:25 PM on October 5, 2020


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