Meaning and background
The story behind Cautious
Cautious is related to Caution but functions as an adjective: it means watchful or careful about possible risks. English formed it from caution and -ous. Such an adjective could be chosen affectionately or ironically for a pet, and there is no reason to assume it describes the animal. The meaning belongs to the word, not automatically to the dog.
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About Cautious
Recorded as a dog’s name
Cautious appears in 2 dog licence records in the 2018 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
/kɔʃəs/
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
/kɔʃəs/ · primary stress on syllable 1K AO1 SH AH0 S
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- 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
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.