Meaning and background
The story behind Bootsie
Bootsie belongs to a notable chapter of American cartooning. The Library of Congress identifies him as Oliver W. Harrington's Harlem everyman, introduced in the Dark Laughter series in the Amsterdam News in 1935. Harrington used the character in cartoons about urban Black life, race relations and domestic situations. One preserved example shows Bootsie being hurried away from a family's Christmas dinner in 1961. The evidence is a character association, rather than an etymology for the name.
- Association
- Cartoon character created by Oliver W. Harrington for Dark Laughter, first appearing in the Amsterdam News in 1935. Source
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Everyday moments“Bootsie, come here!”
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About Bootsie
Recorded as a dog’s name
Bootsie appears in 6 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.
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Sources and research notes (1)
- 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.
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.