I had a pet turtle named Miriam and a pet rabbit named Marnie. Marnie was named for a friend who has great hair, and to distinguish her from Marnie the Rabbit, she became known as Marnie the Human.
Later, she married Nate the Great, and they combined their names, becoming Marnie the Great Human and Nate the Great Human.
I used to call my baby "Pumpkin Muffin", but that go shortened to "Punkin" and sometimes "Punky". I call my husband, "Sweetheart", "Love", and "Honey".
Written out this way, it sounds awfully smarmy, but it is really quite nice.
Posted by T:man (Member # 11614) on :
I named my pets Cali and Petra......
I call mah loved ones D, T-man, D, and Mahm.
Posted by Shanna (Member # 7900) on :
Growing up I had a rabbit named Spice because he was brown, black and white. I now have a green parrot named Jade. In college, I had two betas, one named Ford who ironically jumped out of a bowl and a blue one I named Kurt (like X-Men's Nightcrawler).
My mom does Irish names for her herding dogs. One of them had puppies recently and we gave them all names from Mardi Gras Krewes (Bacchus, Isis, Orpheus, Muse, Zulu, Argus, and Eve.) Some of the names were very much intentional. The big boy who gave us the most trouble was named Bacchus after my favorite super-krewe. Zulu is black and white and reminds me of the painted coconuts. Argus has a spot on his head that reminds of a third eye and has sense developed a tendency to sit very still and stare at people while his sibling are bouncing around like nuts.
I used to call my Ex "Babe" cause it reminded me of Keith on Scrubs. Sometimes I'll call my gal pals "sweetie." Otherwise, I prefer clever, personalized nickname/pet names.
Posted by Vadon (Member # 4561) on :
Oh I don't go all that creative-like with my pet's pet names. I have a dog named Angela who we call Angie for short. Our family does have some names though for her, 'puppy-face,' 'dog-breath,' and 'wiggle-butt' are among the most common. While they might not seem all that good-natured they are definitely terms of endearment.
As for loved ones, well... No current loved ones, but I called my ex 'Little Miss,' or just simply 'Love.' Not that entertaining.
Posted by Luet13 (Member # 9274) on :
My dog's name was Goblin. He was named that because I got him the day before Halloween. He had a series of nicknames including Goomba, Dufus, Goofus, and my all time favorite Fluffeheinehunt. The latter was my father's made-up German word for hairy butt dog.
My roommate has two cats. One is Geisha who is a bit of an attention whore, so the name fits. The other one is The Fuzz. We tried to name her Shakti instead, but The Fuzz has stuck because she is such a long haired fuzzball.
Posted by Nighthawk (Member # 4176) on :
I've never had a pet I myself could name. Either...
(1) The pet already came named. For example, my first dog, Sam, was a lost dog we aided and the owners let us have him.
...or...
2) My son picks the name. He outranks me in this regard.
Posted by rollainm (Member # 8318) on :
We have three cats, Maggie, Elizabeth, and Lee, named so because my wife loves Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Maggie is usually Maggie, but sometimes she's Maggie May, Mag-Pie, or just Pie.
Elizabeth is pretty much always Lizzie.
Lee is my buddy, and so I call him Buddy Lee. I sent my wife a text message a couple of weeks ago mentioning Lee for some reason, and T9 decided his name was actually Jef. We both found that pretty amusing, and so now Lee is occasionally Buddy Jef or Jeflee.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
I had a dog I loved with the fire of a thousand fluffy suns, and her name was Sallie. She died a tragic death some months ago, and after a period of outright mourning (she was part of the family, honestly) the new puppy's name is Woodie.
The name I default to calling them both is "Moosie!" and moosie-moose and stuff like that because, well, I've inherited a tendency to think that the word moose is indescribably cute.
Posted by Sala (Member # 8980) on :
My first dog was Sasha. Hubby named her. Her name defaulted to Sasha-basha. Sasha-basha-bo-basha. After a year of morning we have a new puppy. His name is Sam, also named by hubby. He is Sammy, Sam-I-Am, Sambo, and Samson.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
Fun link to that: my mom named me after Sam, the dog she had in college.
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
My dogs' names are Kajol and Panda Bear.
Kajol is a German Shepherd mix, and her name is a Hindi word for kohl, because she looks like she's wearing it (it's also the name of one of the more famous Bollywood actresses). My husband gave her the nickname of Donkey, which rather suits, and also Kajolu-booru (phonetic) which is, I guess, a Hindi/Bengali way of turning her name into a nickname/baby name. I've transformed that into Kajol-berry (that's what I first thought he was saying). She responds to all of these, and also to "Panda".
Panda Bear is an Alaskan Malamute, and his name suits him to a T. He goes by Panda more often than not. We haven't had him as long as we have Kajol, so nicknames haven't developed yet.
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
All my dogs (Callie and Chelsea) came named from the RSPCA.
Our baby is sweetpea, mostly. And sometimes sweetpea sugarpeach.
Posted by Brinestone (Member # 5755) on :
One year for my birthday, I asked for a gerbil. I was pretty sure I was getting one, too. The day before my birthday, my sister not-so-casually asked what I would name my gerbil if I got one. I told her Rhodie the Rodent. "What if it's a . . . boy gerbil?" asked my sister.
I named it Benny. Other rodents at our household included Sparky and Buttercup (other gerbils) and Skeeter, Ella, and Susan (rats). I think we had another rat, but it was after I moved out, and I don't remember its name.
I've called my sons Peanut (Lego), Buddy (both), and Danielman (Duplo). Probably a few others, but those are the most common.
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
My fuzzbutts are Mungojerrie (goes by Mungo), Rumpleteazer (goes by Teazer) and Firecat (goes by dorkamidget loserpants... don't ask cause I don't know).
The children are usually diminutives of their real names. Online they're Pooka (which long predates my presence on Hatrack) and Mini. Male friends/boyfriends are generally "hun, sweetie, babe", etc. to their faces and have nicknames that refer to their hobbies or jobs when I talk about them online.
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
We have two long haired Chihuahuas.
The first is named "Niña", Spanish for "little girl", though we call her "Nini". My wife Niki had her for years and years before we met.
When we got the next one together, we thought going with another Spanish name would be the thing to do, them being Mexican dogs and such. We decided on "Chico", thinking ourselves very clever. It of course means "boy".
We often call him "Chico boy", which is deliciously redundant.
We eventually found that Chico is a quite common name for a Chihuahua, so we don't consider ourselves quite as clever, but the name still fits very well, and is fun to say, along with all the possible variations.
Posted by Sharpie (Member # 482) on :
My dog had a registered name (Dark Skies Cherry Bomb) when she came to live with me, but that sounded fairly destructive. So I gave her the call name of Curie, which is really not all that much less messy.
So once we had Curie, then it seemed a little odd to name the cat something like Princess. We eventually went for Sagan.
THEN my son got a tarantula and immediately named him (her?) Thumper. It has imbalanced the entire household naming business.
The people names in my family are complex, because we have a lot of name overlap due to both family convention and stepfamilying. I have a Chris and a Daniel. Their stepbrother is named Christopher Daniel, and their stepmother is Christina, as is Daniel's wife. Chris and Stopher (that's how they worked it out) lived together for several years of their childhoods. We have several Emilys and one Emma, which leads to such conventions as me calling my own sister Emily Aunt Emily. She didn't go for Big Emily, for some odd reason. Even the most unusual name in our family, my niece March, is named after me (Marsh). So there's enough info to steal my identity. Go for it. I have a lot of debts.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
I named the family cat. She is called Echo.
Posted by Starsnuffer (Member # 8116) on :
Moe and Paisley were named before I was born and when I was very little. Zelda was named after the video game which my dad and brother were playing on the Nintendo at the time(I believe).
Thunder was named after her tendency to "thunder" around the house making a racket. Nessie was named after the Loch Ness monster as we got her just after returning from a trip to Scotland.
We don't have particularly interesting nick-names or pet names in my family.
Posted by TheBlueShadow (Member # 9718) on :
Dogs: Balto, Elly May, Daisy, Kiwi
Names my family came up with that I particularly liked: Nelson and Meatball.
Cats: Whiskers and Twizzler (aka Twiz) as a joint effort. As well as Einstein and Tesla on my own.
I had two small fish as a child I called Sharky and Sparky. I don't actually know what type of fish they were but they looked like miniature sharks and were about 2 inches long.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
I had two parakeets named Clovis and Brutus when I was in high school.
While they aren't pets, here's what we named our baby goats last year:
Picard, Riker, Troi, Baltar, Caprica, Jadzia, Cordelia, Polaris, Silver, Bronze.
Posted by Brinestone (Member # 5755) on :
Porter's goats have the coolest names of any goats in the entire world. I am sure of this.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
When I was a kid we had a dog named Sticktight. She was a stray that we adopted, and got her name partly because she was so covered with sticktights that you couldn't really tell what color she was, and partly because after my dad fed her she "stuck tight". A few years later we had another stray wander in. We still had Stick at that point, and also had a dog named Lady that we'd rescued from her former owner out in the middle of nowhere (we saw the owner tying her tightly to a fence post, and asked what she was doing. She said that she didn't want the dog, so she was going to shoot her and tell her kids that she'd run away. She was okay with our taking her instead, but didn't seem relieved, if I recall correctly. In any case, that dog came with a name she already knew, and I've never been one for renaming if I can help it.
So as I was saying, When this new stray came around, my parents weren't too enthused at the idea of adopting her. It was someone else in the neighborhood's turn to adopt, and my parents weren't anxious to adopt one out of turn (a lot of dogs used to get dumped near where we lived). I thought that she was a fantastic dog, and lobbied to adopt her, but my parents were adamant that we had enough dogs. The dog thought differently. She liked me, and liked the other dogs, and just decided that we were her people. She won, and we adopted her. In honor of her winning we named her Nike. It turned out to be an incredibly appropriate name. Whenever there was a contest of wills, she would always, always win.
During this same time period, we had two cats--Melody, named because my brother thought that her movements were so graceful as to be like a song, and Cinders, named because of her color. We called them Mel and Cin. They despised each other.
Years later, when I was in early college, I was renting a place out in the country just outside of town. There was a neighborhood dog named Bundleflower, who everyone called Bundle. I didn't name him, but I often wished that I had; that's exactly the sort of name I like giving to a pet (Bundle more than Bundleflower, really. I also like Stick more than Sticktight as a name).
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
Before I was born, my father found a puppy in a box in the park. It had a patch of brown over its eyes, so they named it Bandit.
Bandit died not long before I was born, but shortly after my father found another puppy in a box in the park (he was a parks policeman), who we named Dusty. As my father likes to point out, "she went under the couch, and came out 'dusty'"
When I was about 10, a kitten had been abandoned inside our sunday school building, and the teacher put it out in the December cold after class. I went outside and brought it back into the school... and it became ours. I named him Tapioca (aka Tapi, aka Tapper-apper the Radio Rapper, aka Dabushki Bubbala Moomoose... don't ask) after his coloring.
The newest addition is Chelsea, found yesterday and named by my niece (after the condo association we live in, Chelsea Village, when she thought she might be taking the cat home to Maryland). Chelsea stayed with us instead of going to Maryland, and even though we have learned her prior owners called her "Oreo" before abandoning her, we are sticking with Chelsea.
Posted by ambyr (Member # 7616) on :
The cat goes by Kitty, Momma Kitty, or Treat Weasel. She doesn't seem to mind not having a "real" name.
I'm not much for pet names beyond "dear," but I've taken to calling my boyfriend "my favorite <name>-shaped person."
Posted by paigereader (Member # 2274) on :
Cats growing up: Rosie (which turned into rosita chicita bonita gato), Zelda (my dad called seldsa may rotten crotch), little kitty, zoey(afer the led zepplen ablum zofo). 1 dog: Tressel (ohio state fan what can i say)
Family names: Monkey,Monkey face, monk, bug, lilly-bean, the three sisters are meg,peg and egg i have had a million nicknames: 1st name book, paiger paigey paiger-do, paiger-don't, paigeturner,picture paiges, etc heard em all last name: warthog, what-a-burger,sportsbra
Posted by Ron Lambert (Member # 2872) on :
My two cats are named Sherlock and Watson. One is black, one is gray with darker stripes. Actually, those are names my wife preferred. I wanted to call them inkjet and laptop. Laptop fitly describes Watson. But Sherlock is hardly a jet--he is very big, does not move fast, and sleeps most of the time. Despite his size, he is also very shy. Watson is the inquisitive, adventurous one.
My sister's cat, a Calico, is most unoriginally called "Kitty." She wanted to name her "Cali," but I pointed out that "Kali" is the name of the Indian god of destruction.
We used to have a long-haired cat named Circé. That was supposed to be the name of the goddess who ensorcled sailors. Some time later, it was discovered that he was male. Did I mention it was a long-haired cat? But the female name stuck. I blame that one on my younger brothers and sister.
Posted by kwsni (Member # 1831) on :
My dog came with the name Eddie Munster, because of his widow's peak, but i have no interest or connection with the munsters, so I just shortened it to Eddie. He also goes by Eddie Spaghetti, Edward, Stupid, Dumbdog, Brown dog, Little dog, and Oi!.
The cats came with the names Rolex and Devon, for two big horse shows. Devon cannot remember her name, so I just started calling her Fluffy. Rolex I like, but I shorten it to Lex a lot.
Ni!
Posted by Traceria (Member # 11820) on :
Fun thread!
The current fuzzballs, both female, mind, are: Frodo (also answers to Goofball or Goofy) and Fenny (Fen, Fenny of the White Paws, Fenny Fenny Doodlebug or just Doodlebug yet never to Fenchurch)
The girls (felines) also are collectively referred to as F squared (usually typed F2 when formatting is unavailable).
A friend of mine has a cat named Long John because he's missing a leg.
And probably the coolest 'pet name' I've been given by a friend who likes to use them often is Tracex, which is just my name with the wrong letter at the end. I like it, at any rate.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
My cat is Merlin (nicknames Buddy, Beast, Monster, "Little Man"). He does not seem to know his name at all. He comes when he hears my voice if he feels like it and if not he ignores me, no matter what I call him.
My mom's two cats are Suzi (Girl) and Allie (Fattie or variations thereon). They both seem to recognize and respond to their names. I wonder if it's because they've been around humans and human speech ever since they were kittens? My mom adopted Allie when she was about the same age Merlin was when we took him in (one year), but she was clearly an abandoned housecat terrified of the great outdoors. They also both seem to show some recognition of the other's name: if I say "Where's Suzi?" Allie will look around for her and meow.
I don't use many nicknames/terms of endearment for others, but if I had a boy child he'd probably be called "Bud" or "Buddy" just like I call my cat. ;-) S.O.s, "Hon."
Posted by Traceria (Member # 11820) on :
quote:Originally posted by Uprooted: I wonder if it's because they've been around humans and human speech ever since they were kittens?
I don't use many nicknames/terms of endearment for others, but if I had a boy child he'd probably be called "Bud" or "Buddy" just like I call my cat. ;-) S.O.s, "Hon."
I wonder the same thing sometimes. Mine turn a head when the right name is spoken. Fenny can be sitting on fhe floor facing some other direction and I can say other words, but as soon as I say her name she turns and looks at me.
I call my younger brother Buddy and think I'm the only one. His name isn't remotely like the nickname.
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
Trixie was already Trixie when I got her. She definitely knows her name and will (most of the time) come when I call her.
Along with usual endearments, she is called Princess Kibblebreath, Snugglebutt, and Mama's Little Goat Baby (she will make this odd bleating noise from time to time).
Posted by Hank (Member # 8916) on :
I had a cat named Chelsea when I was little. In college I had goldfish that I named Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, because I had never had fish before, and I was afraid that they would die quickly. They did, but at least it was mildly entertaining to tell people about.
I have customized terms of endearment for just about every friend or love one of any category.
The girls I nanny for are Tinkerbell and Turtledove. I also tend to create longer, more extravagant names for friends, for use in scolding. For example, "Mark Jones" might become, "Marcus Aurelius Neidermensch Chevalier Jonas Brothers, you are going to be so sorry you ate the last of the ice cream." And by the time I'm done saying their new name, they will be sorry. Teach 'em to eat my food.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
Dogs I have lived with: Abby, Tigger, Smokey Cats: Sneakers, Pogo, Nightshade Hermit Crab: Kermit Gerbils: Bubble and Mr. Whipple Rabbit: Hasenpfeffer
Eldest Son (John): Wyatt, Johann, Gaboo, The Great Gaboo, Sweetie, Sweetiepie
Younger Son (Charles): Thing 2, Charlie bear, Charlie brown, Shrimpboat, little Gaboo, Precious one, Sweetie.
Posted by Architraz Warden (Member # 4285) on :
My dog (rescue): Dee
Parents' dogs (past and present): Srae (ears backwards for a boxer with uncut ears). Porcia Crystal (RN: Still's Crystal Blue) Clancy (RN: Slydrock's Red Storm Rising) Salsa (RN: Slydrock's Red Hot Salsa) Josie (rescue)
Add into that a cat named Smokey (Persian Gray), Nickel (Gray Rabbit), Rojo (Parrot), and Checkers (Gartersnake).
No children to assign names to yet...
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
dkw, Wyatt? Are we deliberately avoiding the full version?
Posted by aiua (Member # 7825) on :
Maxx is pretty much always Maxx, who's name we found in the title of a book on monster trucks. Schneider, named after a beloved beer, is a different story. Depending upon who's talking and what mood they're in, it's not uncommon to hear Squeaky, Pete, Monty, or Moron.
I call my parents Sito and Sita and my sister is Boo-boo.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
We usually just called him Wyatt. It was short for Wyatt Urp, but I don't remember ever calling him that.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
But just "Wyatt" isn't funny. Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
It's an inside joke.
Also, I forgot that younger son is also called Charlemagne.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
If everything stayed inside, it wouldn't be much of a joke.
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