Meaning and background
The story behind Bombay
Bombay is recorded by Merriam-Webster for the city now officially called Mumbai and for the former Indian state divided into Gujarat and Maharashtra in 1960. That distinction can help explain a dog's name based on family history or a remembered place. The source documents historical geographic uses; it does not show that every modern Bombay name has the same motivation or a separate personal-name meaning.
- Association
- Historical place-name association with Mumbai and the former western Indian state of Bombay. Source
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About Bombay
Recorded as a dog’s name
Bombay appears in 3 dog licence records in the 2022 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
/bɑmbeɪ/
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
/bɑmbeɪ/ · primary stress on syllable 2B AA0 M B EY1
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.