The Naming of Animals: An Appellative Reference to Domestic, Work and Show Animals Real and Fictional

Arranged by type of name (generic, descriptive, incident, link, group, pedigree and show, horse and hound, farm, famous, mythical and legendary, and fictional), this is a reference to how people name animals. For each type there is an introductory section followed by numerous examples with the stories behind the particular name.

Room has written more than 30 reference books on the origin of words and names. This time the focus is on the names given by humans to animals. The scope is not limited to pets, however. In addition to dogs and cats, there is information on names given to zoo and farm animals and race horses.

Names are discussed in chapters arranged by type, for example, generic (Kitty), descriptive (Spot), pedigree and show (Duke of Northampton), famous (Jumbo), and mythical (Pegasus). For each of the types, Room provides an essay with examples and stories behind some of the names. More than a mere listing of names, the author delves into their folklore and social significance.

Although the orientation is British, American popular culture and its effect on the naming of animals is not overlooked, for example, the names Mickey, Starsky (from Starsky and Hutch), Old Yeller. The information on rules on the naming of dogs laid down by the Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club are particularly useful to owners of purebreds. A final chapter in dictionary arrangement on famous animals in fiction enhances the reference value of the book.

Most of the 2,700 names mentioned in the text appear in the index. Between the name and page number, the type of animal is noted. There are six appendixes preceding the short bibliography. Appendix 1 contains short identification of cat, dog, and horse breeds. Hound names, divided by dogs and bitches, are listed in appendix 2. Appendix 3 contains lists of animals in literature: in Scott, in Dickens, in Dostoyevsky, etc. A list of names of animals in the London Zoo in 1927 is followed by lists of celebrity pets and movie titles that include animal names.

This curious work contains a sizable quantity of esoteric information. Not an essential purchase, but in addition to its quick-identification features, it makes for fascinating reading for animals lovers.