Meaning and background
The story behind Dug
Dug has two quite different recognisable associations. In English it is the past tense of dig, but it is also the name of the talking golden retriever in Pixar's film Up, as confirmed by the studio. That on-screen dog's name provides an especially clear cultural reference in a dog-name catalogue. Neither possibility establishes the intention of this entry's owner. Its one-syllable pronunciation makes the name brisk to use, without a fabricated historical personal-name derivation.
- Meaning
- English past tense of dig; separately the name of the dog in Pixar’s Up Source
Try Dug out loud
Everyday moments“Dug, come here!”
Say it as you would on a walk or at home. Does it feel natural alongside your usual commands and other pets’ names?
About Dug
Recorded as a dog’s name
Dug appears in 13 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
/dʌɡ/
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
/dʌɡ/ · primary stress on syllable 1D AH1 G
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
Compare your favourites
Put Dug beside another name before you decide.
Explore names like Dug
Narrow the finder by the features you want to keep.
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.