Meaning and background
The story behind Goober
Goober originally meant a peanut in American English. Its documented route reaches back to an African-language word, with Kikongo and Kimbundu forms both compared by etymological dictionaries. Modern informal use can also describe a foolish or endearing person, but that is a later colloquial association. As a pet name, it has a warmer, comic sound than its agricultural origin alone might suggest.
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About Goober
Recorded as a dog’s name
Goober appears in 14 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.
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Sources and research notes (1)
- 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.
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.