Meaning and background
The story behind Face
Face has a documented surname account beyond the ordinary English body-part word. The Dictionary of American Family Names identifies an English shortening of the personal name Boniface and allows a possible Americanized German Fese route. The latter remains uncertain. As a dog name, Face may still be a playful visual nickname, but the consulted family-name evidence gives it personal-name and migration histories rather than one literal modern-English origin.
- Origin
- English surname from a short form of Boniface; possibly also an Americanized form of German Fese. Source
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About Face
Recorded as a dog’s name
Face appears in 3 dog licence records in the 2016 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
/feɪs/
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
/feɪs/ · primary stress on syllable 1F EY1 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.