Meaning and background
The story behind Cheeky
Cheeky is especially natural in British English, where it can describe amusing impertinence or mild disrespect. The word is often affectionate, but its meaning does not tell you whether a dog is actually mischievous. There is a teasing, conversational quality to Cheeky that comes straight from everyday speech rather than ancient naming traditions. Its two syllables are distinctive, and the positive or ironic choice remains the owner's to make.
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Everyday moments“Cheeky, come here!”
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About Cheeky
Recorded as a dog’s name
Cheeky appears in 3 dog licence records in the 2023 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
/tʃiki/
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
/tʃiki/ · primary stress on syllable 1CH IY1 K IY0
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.