Meaning and background
The story behind Atari
Atari is most immediately recognisable as the name of the pioneering video-game company established in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It is strongly associated with early arcade gaming and Pong. A connection to Japanese board-game terminology is frequently suggested, but that deeper origin has not yet been independently established for this record. Its three open syllables also make a clear spoken name.
- Origin
- Modern brand-derived name associated with Atari, the video-game company founded in 1972. Source
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About Atari
Recorded as a dog’s name
Atari appears in 3 dog licence records in the 2024 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.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/ətɑɹi/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the second syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/ətɑɹi/ · primary stress on syllable 2AH0 T AA1 R IY0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (3)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
- City of Seattle Seattle Pet Licenses — DOG-only name aggregate, current source dated 6 October 2026 — Secondary spelling corroboration from dog-only licence rows. No cats, owner fields, national ranking or unique-dog claim.
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.