How do we name our pets? The origin of each pet name varies from person to person and from family to family. Some stay strictly with foods like Ginger and Biscuit. Some use names like Daisy Mae and Elly May that came from favorite TV shows they grew up with. One client shared with me her love of old movies which resulted in one cat named Audrey and another named William.
Lots of clients stick with the name their pet came with when they rescued or adopted them from a local pet shelter. They are sensitive to the pets' needs and the thought of changing a name the animal is familiar with won't work. That's where names like Mr. Jingles and Lilac and A.J. come from. Some I've talked to picked names of candy, resulting in cats called Kit Kat and Skittles. Some study the physical characteristics of their pet. A bunny with long hair in both light and dark shades of gray could be named nothing other than Smokey.
Since pets are family, it makes sense that some like to pass on the name of a loved one who has left us. Others come up with a name they like, such as Shilo or Xavier and the pet naturally responds. We know a cat named Junior who was named after the Nascar driver and a dog named Beezus, named after the character in the beloved series of children's books by Beverly Cleary.
When Jo Anne's daughter was younger, she would spend time with her father in his shop. He would work on a variety of cars, repairing them, re-building them and painting them. The time they spent together was special. When a new cat came to the family, Jo Anne's daughter named him Makita. Makita slept on her bed and got comfortable in her closet. Makita was a best friend. The name Makita came from a tool that was in her father's shop. It was a name that was passed from their special time together to a precious kitty.
The word origin is defined as "the point or place where something begins." Pet names can represent foods and characters and movie stars, candies and loved ones that have gone before us. We name them after athletes and heroes and memories. They are where love begins.