it has really been fun reading all your responses, the meaning of your Basenji names is very interesting. I knew that Basenji owners were just as unique as their dogs… hey, that gives me an idea for my next thread
What a fun topic! I don't know if I can tell the stories briefly, so I hope it doesn't bore you!
Querk - short for Quercus rubra..the latin name for Red Oak. We live in an area called the Oak Openings, globally rare habitat…anyhow, we wanted a name that would reflect that.
Ivy - short for part of her registered name 'Infinite Velocity'; we named her in hopes that she would be an AWESOME courser...which she is, when she isn't interfering with other dogs<rolling eyes="">
Blondie - again reference to part her registered name 'platinum quercus' or blonde oak (okay, not a real tree...but blondie fits her well!)
Bella - Registered theme for her litter was a fiduciary theme...we chose 'closing bell' and it seemed Bella was a fitting name
Luna - just liked the name 
chose her registered name afterwards 'Quercus Select Incandescent'
Ariel - came with the name...but love it!
and lastly...Hippo- how does anyone end up with a dog named Hippo? Let your four year old child pick the puppy names! It was supposed to just be his crib name...but, it seems to have stuck..even though it isn't a very flattering name for a show dog! His 'show' name will probably be 'Carl', as his registered name will most likely be Taji Quercus What In-Carnation</rolling>
Myran means ant in swedish I had seen a program about fire ants so as he was red and feisty he became Myran.
Efia means born on a friday and my little girl was just that born on a friday ok so we quite often call her Fisen which means fart as she has passed some really mean farts from time to time;)
"because in France for each year we have a letter for naming the dogs"
That's really interesting. What great names and great stories.
Fiji was named Weegee when we got her - her previous owner said it was because she kept them wondering what would happen next (so it was a play on Ouija).
I might have named a B Kofi if I'd started from scratch, and Fiji's registered name is (Mighty) Meeka, which fits her pretty well. But I didn't want to hit her with any more changes since she was a rescue. Weegee was a little too cutesy for me, but Fiji sounds so close she doesn't seem to have had any problem adjusting.
Topper: came with that name, and it fits him (black & white, looks like he is in a "top hat and tail"
Nicky: She came named Nyako but I like 2 syllable names, so we shortened it to Nicky.
Eddie: Came as 'Skippy' but he was so thin and moved with fast, spastic moves that I named him Fast Eddie, after the character in the The Hustler. Now he is no longer skeletal, he has lost his "s" and is just Fa(s)t Eddie now.
I named my girl Katie Jo, BUT, Jo is to close to No. So we just go my Katie, or Poo-Poo. Not very fancy.
I agree- I love this topic. Hearing how everyone else came up with their names makes me want another B just so I can name him/her all over again. My husband would probably divorce me over that, though- LOL!
This was so fun reading the names and reasons!
Before getting my dog I was drawing up lists of potential names like Pharoah, Amarna, etc. but dogs have a way of shaking things up. EL D's kennel name is Sonbar's Iced Identity. When I acquired him he had just gone through a bout of destructiveness and I was temporarily referring to him as el destructivo. EL D stuck.
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he, he....poor guy 
This was so fun reading the names and reasons!
Before getting my dog I was drawing up lists of potential names like Pharoah, Amarna, etc. but dogs have a way of shaking things up. EL D's kennel name is Sonbar's Iced Identity. When I acquired him he had just gone through a bout of destructiveness and I was temporarily referring to him as el destructivo. EL D stuck.
I really like the name El D I always think El Diablo when I read it
we quite often call her Fisen which means fart as she has passed some really mean farts from time to time;)
That's too funny!! 
Sometimes we call Mirtillo 'Doerak' which is a Dutch word lent from the Russian language. The real meaning is 'fool', but in Dutch we use it as in 'little rascal'.
Last week I met another dogowner, and he said: 'Hi Doerak!!' And then to me: 'that's his name right?'
..I couldn't stop laughing..
Sophie came to us as DeeDee (the shelter worker renamed her that because she hated her original name of BeeBee). I figured since she had been renamed once before then another time would hurt. Princess Sophie Cat is her full name.
A friend told me a story of how a co-worker allowed her 3 year old daughter to name the new family dog. Promptly she named it "Stick". Horrified the mom explained she was thinking of a cuter name that ended in an E noise. The little girl looked around and said you mean like "Telephone Poley"? The mom then thought Stick sounded just fine. I ROFL when I heard this so we now have a dog named Good Ol' Stick. I'm pretty sure if we get another B we'll name it Telephone Poley!
PS- I've always wanted to write a children's book called "The Adventures of Princess Sophie Cat and Good Ol' Stick"!!!
I decided to name my dogs after American Indian Tribes instead of giving them African names.
First was Dakota Sun….then, Cheyenne Moon and Apache River.
I already have my next two picked out.
My two are named based on music.
Willie's name was Onyx when we got him from the breeder (his litter was all gem names) and Ray wanted a name that matched his color (red). So his registered name is Hacker's Red Headed Stranger, which, if you don't know, is a Willie Nelson movie, hence "Willie."
Rosie's name at the breeder was Cher - her little was all rock n' roll names. Ray is a huge fan of the Grateful Dead, so Rosie got her name from one of their songs - Hacker's Ramble on Rose, or Rosie. I had wanted to name her Grace - my daughters were singing Amazing Grace in the car on the way to pick her up, but the two dogs would have sounded too much like the tv show "Will & Grace" and anyway, Ray didn't like that name. So Willie and Rosie it is.
Sophie came to us as DeeDee (the shelter worker renamed her that because she hated her original name of BeeBee). I figured since she had been renamed once before then another time would hurt. Princess Sophie Cat is her full name.
A friend told me a story of how a co-worker allowed her 3 year old daughter to name the new family dog. Promptly she named it "Stick". Horrified the mom explained she was thinking of a cuter name that ended in an E noise. The little girl looked around and said you mean like "Telephone Poley"? The mom then thought Stick sounded just fine. I ROFL when I heard this so we now have a dog named Good Ol' Stick. I'm pretty sure if we get another B we'll name it Telephone Poley!PS- I've always wanted to write a children's book called "The Adventures of Princess Sophie Cat and Good Ol' Stick"!!!
OMG…this was too funny! Great story!
My wife and I are both 70's-80's children, so we grew up watching He-Man and She-Ra cartoons. We'd toyed with Sheba for a name, but She-Ra quickly took it's place. And yes, she believes she IS the Princess of Power.
What's interesting is, we really only use that name for command/disciplinary purposes…for some completely unexplainable reason, we've both nicknamed her "Wheatey", and I have NO idea why either of us started calling her that. We like Wheatey better, but think it's probably too late to change it as she responds to She-Ra when we need her to come, sit or stop.
So we just keep Wheatey as an "unofficial" or "nick" name.
I decided to name my dogs after American Indian Tribes instead of giving them African names.
First was Dakota Sun….then, Cheyenne Moon and Apache River.
I already have my next two picked out.
The JRT I pet sat for years, before he went to the Rainbow Bridge, was named Apatche (spelled that way because he was all white with a small brown patch around 1 eye). Everytime I see you post about your dog Apache, I think of him…great memories! Needless to say, I love that name.
Zindeku…..we just call him Deek...means "protective charm" is Swahili.
My other two came with names. Gracie and Britches...we call her Britty.
Dash got his name for his speed and it was when the movie the incredibles came out so my son wanted to name him Dash.
Sissy (beagle) was a rescue and was named for her skittish personality.
Gizmo (cat) was named when I got him, but he does look like Gizmo from Gremlins–before he got wet! Or whatever it was that turned them greed and ugly. Hell, I can't remember.
Amber (cat) was another rescue named before we got her. The entire group of cats were named after liquer or beer so she became AmberBach.
Susie (our foster 
was named when we got her. She doesn't respond to it and I don't think it really fits her but I will allow the new owners to name her.
Sophie came to us as DeeDee (the shelter worker renamed her that because she hated her original name of BeeBee). I figured since she had been renamed once before then another time would hurt. Princess Sophie Cat is her full name.
A friend told me a story of how a co-worker allowed her 3 year old daughter to name the new family dog. Promptly she named it "Stick". Horrified the mom explained she was thinking of a cuter name that ended in an E noise. The little girl looked around and said you mean like "Telephone Poley"? The mom then thought Stick sounded just fine. I ROFL when I heard this so we now have a dog named Good Ol' Stick. I'm pretty sure if we get another B we'll name it Telephone Poley!PS- I've always wanted to write a children's book called "The Adventures of Princess Sophie Cat and Good Ol' Stick"!!!
Cute! I kinda like 'Stick'
