Dog name guide

Arthur

The meaning, background and naming story of Arthur.

Letters
6
Syllables
2Dictionary reading
Starts with
A
Gender association
More often maleNYC licensing sample

Meaning and background

The story behind Arthur

Arthur is inseparable from the legendary British king, yet the name itself has no settled original meaning. A Celtic analysis involving a bear is possible; a connection with the Roman family name Artorius is another proposal. Neither should be presented as certain. Arthur has become a familiar traditional name, and its two measured syllables also work comfortably for a dog.

Origin
Traditional name of the Arthurian British king; original derivation uncertain, with Celtic and Roman-name hypotheses. Source
Pronunciation
/ˈɑː.θə/ (British English) Source

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“Arthur, come here!”

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About Arthur

Recorded as a dog’s name

Arthur appears in 53 dog licence records in the 2026 New York City dataset.

How to read this count

These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.

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Pronunciation and rhythm

/ɑɹθɚ/

US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.

Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.

View dictionary notation

/ɑɹθɚ/ · primary stress on syllable 1
AA1 R TH ER0

These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.

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In NameKennel collections

Editorial selections, not evidence of linguistic origin, suitability or popularity.

Sources and research notes (2)

Gender association: NYC licence-period records. Any dog can use this name.

References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.

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