9 Pet Naming Techniques To Find The Perfect Fit
Pets are like our babies. We love them and care for them and we get to dress them up in adorable outfits if that's a thing we feel like doing. But maybe the way pet parenthood is most like human parenthood is the rush of job we get by naming them. Here are nine perfect sources of name inspo when it comes to deciding what to call your new furbaby.
1. Name Generators
The internet is brimming with name generators and there's one to match your unique personality and sense of flair. If you want your pet to have a Khaleesi-worthy name, try the Fantasy Name Generator. There are also generators for modern names, hipster names, sci-fi names, basically any kind of name and they're all just a google away.
2. Name Games
BabyNameWizard.com is a great resource for name games. These are technically intended to help parents-to-be brainstorm creative names for their little humans, but they can also serve as great inspo for pet names.
3. Anagrams
Consider naming your pet after yourself or a loved one, but in a creative way. Take the letters in your inspiration name and reorder them until you have a new, perfectly unique name.
4. Embrace Your Inner Fangirl or Fanboy
Naming your pet after something you love from pop culture isn't exactly innovative, but it's a classic for a reason. Dig deep into your favorite fandom for a unique name that will be awesome and showcase your fan knowledge. So, if you're a Potterhead, skip "Hermione" and "Luna" and pick a more obscure character (or place or object or anything really) to draw inspo from.
5. Pick a Place on the Map
Have you ever played that game where you close your eyes, point to a random spot on the map, and then imagine what it would be like to travel there? The same basic principle can be applied to name-choosing. Close your eyes and point to a spot on the map. Maybe you name your pet after that country, state, or city. Maybe you use it as a jumping off point and google the names of other cities, towns, foods, and customs from that place and one of those ends up being your perfect pet name.
6. Language Love
If you speak another language (or even just want to), you can turn your love for linguistics into unique name inspiration. Brainstorm words that have a special meaning to you and then look up how to say them in other languages, especially if that other language also has a special meaning to you (like a connection to your family heritage).
7. Keep It in the Family
Speaking of family, you have a lot of name inspo right on your family tree (or family section on Facebook or wherever). Track your relatives back in time and see if any of them have names worthy of your adorable new pet.
8. Make a List of Your Favorite Things
The perfect pet baby name could be a seemingly random thing that's close to your heart. Add a professional or official title to said favorite noun and the adorable factor goes off the charts. Case-in-point: My best friend's dog is named Dr. Cheeseburger and it's the most perfect name that dog could have had.
9. Honor Your Heroes
Make a list of the people you admire most — your favorite authors, athletes, politicians, anyone you look up to. Skim through and see if any of those names jump out at you as perfect pet names. It worked for Doc Brown and Einstein in Back to the Future.