What's in a name? Here's what Prior Lake residents name their dogs

Prior Lake American

When it comes to our furry companions, names are often lovingly bestowed after hours of careful consideration.

Other names, not so much.

So, in Prior Lake — what do people name their dogs?

Based on the city of Prior Lake’s pet licensing database of licenses expiring in 2018 and 2019, here is a sampling of the monikers given to Prior Lake pups.

Most popular

When it comes to naming dogs, Prior Lake reflects the nation — Bella tops both most popular lists. Molly, Sadie and Sophie are tied at seven dogs each. Bailey and Lily belong to six dogs. Only one male dog name made it to the top seven — Duke. Out of the 376 licenses, the seven most popular names make up 12 percent of all the dog names.

Historical or significant

First off the bat is Clapton, which one can only assume is referencing Eric Clapton, a guitarist, singer and songwriter.

Several owners think highly of their dog’s intelligence, naming their pets after mathematicians, philosophers and neurologists. One dog, Sigmund, could be named after Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, while Socrates surely takes after the Greek philosopher. And while it is possible that the owners of a German Shorthair named Gauss misspelled “Gus,” it’s equally plausible that the dog is named after German mathematician Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss.

Solomon is a king of Israel that succeeded from his father David in 970 B.C., but is also a Doberman in Prior Lake. Other Biblical names include the duo Samson and Delilah. Coincidentally enough, there are two of each in Prior Lake. Hopefully, no drama of Biblical proportions unfolds among the foursome.

Other significant names include Fustat, which was the first capital of Egypt under Muslim rule in A.D. 641 and Leonidas, the warrior king of Sparta whose life was heavily dramatized in the movie “300.”

Mythology

Pet owners in Prior Lake also borrow heavily from mythology to find dog names. Apollo, Athena and Zeus are names taken directly from Greek gods, while Loki, Sigyn, Skadi, Thor and Vidar come from Norse mythology.

And not one but two pet owners named their dogs Phoenix, after a mythological bird that dies and is reborn from its own ashes. And while not necessarily a recognized mythology, one American Staffordshire Terrier is named after Xena — as in, the warrior princess protagonist of a television show that ran from 1995 until 2001.

Cartoons

This is America, and one of the true born American heroes was Walt Disney. While there are no “Walt” or “Disney” pooches in Prior Lake, several have names taken from his creations.

Everyone’s favorite mouse couple (not that there’s a lot of competition), Mickey and Minnie is represented on the list. Nala from “The Lion King” shows up not once but four times, while Tigger, Tinkerbell, Elsa and Jasmine each belong to one dog.

There is also one Taz, which could refer to many things but it could refer to the Tasmanian Devil from the Warner Bros. cartoon series Looney Tunes.

Food and drink

Food and drink are always a classic inspiration for furry friends. Prior Lake owners’ muses included Olive, Pepper, Sweet Pea and Whiskey. Also noteworthy is the pug named Wasabi.

Unique

There were some names that truly stood out. At least in Prior Lake, there are no other dogs with these names. Brownilicious and Princess Genevieve are not likely to be seen anywhere else. Short but sweet names included Bogey, Giggles, Jingles, Nessie, Omega, Sassy and Zuzu. Willoughby is a very British-sounding Boston Terrier, while Lambeau is surely mirrored after the name of the Green Bay Packers stadium or football player Earl Louis “Curly” Lambeau.

There is also Troy Troy and Mira-Miracle, which may just mean that Mira is short for Miracle. And in categories of small yet fierce, there is a Cavapoo named Dynamite.

From Abbie to Zuzu, Prior Lakers got creative and classic with their dog names.