Meaning and background
The story behind Chinchilla
Chinchilla names a small Andean rodent noted for its dense, soft fur. The history of the word is debated: one etymological account associates the Spanish form with chinche, while Oxford's learner dictionary points to Aymara or Quechua behind Spanish. This disagreement matters more than a neat literal translation. The animal association is certain; a precise older translation is not.
- Meaning
- A small South American rodent known for its thick, soft fur Source
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About Chinchilla
Recorded as a dog’s name
Chinchilla appears in 2 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
/tʃɪntʃɪlə/
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
/tʃɪntʃɪlə/ · primary stress on syllable 2CH IH0 N CH IH1 L AH0
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.