In the 2023 Game Shooting Census, we took the opportunity to explore a notion that we have had for a while, to whit: that when it comes to gundogs, there are naming conventions and traditions. I felt, for example, that I have met more than my fair share of spaniels named Teal, as well as lots of dogs named for other quarry species, Scottish islands, rivers, plants.
We also knew that while lots of dogs have ‘human names’, that there are some that make good names for gundogs, and others that don’t. You don’t, for example, meet many dogs named Dave. We wanted to know if our instincts were as good as those of a well-bred lab, or if we were barking up entirely the wrong tree.
Human names vs the rest
The results, compiled from over two thousand dogs, were revealing. It transpires that roughly half of all gundogs (50.62%) have what we might classify as a ‘human name’.
It has been a running joke in the GunsOnPegs offices that our MD, Digby, has a dog's name. However, the data reveals that there are significantly more Franks (Chief Sales Officer), and even more Georges (Editor).
When it comes to 'human names', Poppy, Molly, Bella, Holly, Nell (and perhaps surprisingly) Mabel are among the most popular choices for bitches. Monty, Jack, Ben/Benji/Benny, Ted, Bob/Bobby, and Oscar lead the way for dogs.
Wildlife, nature, literature and mythology
Apart from 'human names', there are several other common themes.
The natural world provides a rich source of inspiration for gundog owners. 7% of dogs are named after trees and plants, and 4% are named after birds or animals. Popular names include Willow, Bracken, Bramble, Daisy, Fern, Moss, Oak, Rowan and Teasel.
The seasons, weather and natural phenomena account for a further 1%, including plentiful Storms, as well as dogs named Sky, Aurora, Snowball, Summer and Misty. Another 2% are named for rivers, islands and other landscape features, Islay is the most popular island-themed name.
Other dog owners like to name their dogs after their favourite things in life, with one cohort choosing names taken from literature - including a remarkable number that reference Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones - and a similar sized group taking inspiration from the Classics and ancient mythology, including lots of Norse gods.
Music, drinks, ducks and guns
Another group, perhaps less cerebral but more fun at parties, opt for their favourite drink (whisky features strongly). And while we’re talking about parties, let’s highlight the 1% of dogs with names inspired by their owners’ favourite recording artists - the Ziggys, the Mileys, Dylans, Enyas, Jaggers and Jarvises. A surprising number are named for rappers, including cockers A$AP Rocky and 50 Cent, a lab named Dr. Dre, and, of course, several Snoops.
Whether those dogs named Drake should be counted among the Rappers or the Quackers, and if the two Swifts take their names from the platinum selling popster or the bird is a debate we won’t go into here, but there as well as these there are plenty of Gooses (Geese?), Widgeons, and Teals, as well as a sprinkling of Eiders and Puffins. In addition to quarry species, we meet a good few that take their names from birds of prey, including Hobby, Kestrel, Kite and Osprey.
A goodly number of dogs share their names with gunmakers, including Boss, Rigby, Tikka, Purdey and Ruger.
Do some names best suit a particular breed?
Like all good researchers, I went into this whole thing with a hypothesis, namely:
- Spaniels are called Teal and Teasel
- Labs are called Purdey or Bella
- Collies are called Fly or Pip or Meg
- Terriers are called Reg or Scamp
- Dachshunds are called Otto.
So, are my theories wildly inaccurate, or do they have some foundation?
Well, some and some. To my enormous surprise, more labs are called Teal than spaniels, and an equal number of labs and spaniels are called Teasel. However, I wasn’t completely off the mark; if we group all the Gooses, Teals and Wigeons together, they’d be in the top ten of Spaniel names
When it comes to labs, I’m a bit more accurate in my assumptions: More than half of all Purdeys are labradors, and a third of Bellas are labs. Purdey is the most popular name for a lab, though it is just possible that this tells us more about the owners than the dogs…
Terriers are perhaps the most fiercely individualistic and expressive of the working breeds, and this is reflected in the fact that there are no particularly strong conventions in play. No more than four in our sample share the same name.
We also see some of the most inventive naming among the terriers. Among my favourites are Patterdales named Bandit, Rascal and Rebel, a Norfolk Terrier who goes by Haggis, English Bull Terriers named Lobster and Diesel, and Jack Russells named Rampage, Rumble and Zorro. I’m pleased to report that while no terrier in our sample is named Scamp, there was one Reg and two Reggies.
Although only one Dachshund in our sample is called Otto, there is a distinctly Teutonic flavour to many of the names these little dogs bear, including Crumm, Erik, Hubert, Fritz, Schnitzel and more than one Strudel.
The Germanic thread continues when we look at the German pointer breeds, which reveal several Ottos, a handful of Maxes and a Zeiglinde.
Whether you use this for inspiration, or to help you to avoid choosing a name for your dog that is going to cause confusion in the field, these are the most common names for dogs, according to the Game Shooting Census, starting with the most popular.
Top 10 names for Spaniels
- Meg
- Willow
- Ruby
- Poppy
- Pip
- Monty
- Holly
- Bob / Bobby
- Ted
- Molly
Top 10 names for Labradors
- Purdey
- Molly
- Willow
- Poppy
- Rosie
- Holly
- Ruby
- Nell
- Monty
- Lily
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Top 5 names for Terriers
- Oscar
- Ted
- Paddy
- Millie
- Spud
Top 51 most popular names for gundogs
- Willow
- Ruby
- Poppy
- Bella
- Molly
- Nell
- Rosie
- Purdey
- Holly
- Tilly
- Mabel
- Monty
- Jack
- Ben / Benji / Benny
- Teal
- Ted
- Jess / Jessie
- Lily
- Max
- Pip
- Bob / Bobby
- Meg
- Betty/Betsie
- Oscar
- Pepper/Peppa
- Charlie
- Amber
- Bramble
- Millie
- Sam
- Coco/Cocoa
- Fern
- Lottie
- Paddy
- Bracken
- Fin/Finn
- George
- Murphy
- Pippa
- Skye
- Toby
- Alfie
- Archie
- Bonnie
- Daisy
- Isla
- Ivy
- Juno
- Lola
- Moss
- Storm
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