Meaning and background
The story behind Gangster
Gangster is a modern English word for a member of a criminal gang, formed from gang and the ending -ster. The source also records an earlier political-clique use. An owner may intend humour or a fictional reference when choosing it for a dog, but the criminal association remains part of what other people will hear. It is not a language meaning of brave or loyal. Consider whether that deliberately provocative impression fits your everyday introductions without treating it as a behavioural claim.
- Origin
- English formation from gang and -ster, used for a member of a criminal gang. Source
Try Gangster out loud
Everyday moments“Gangster, come here!”
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About Gangster
Recorded as a dog’s name
Gangster appears in 3 dog licence records in the 2026 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
/ɡæŋstɚ/
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
/ɡæŋstɚ/ · primary stress on syllable 1G AE1 NG S T ER0
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 — extract_year 2026 — Dog licence periods, not unique dogs; NYC only. No owner-level fields retrieved.
- 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.