Meaning and background
The story behind Gus
Gus can shorten Augustus or Angus in English, while a separate documented use among Greek expatriates connects it with Konstantinos. The three-letter spelling therefore does not identify one longer name or one meaning. Its English reference reading is a single syllable with a firm final s. For a dog, Gus offers a complete compact call without requiring a formal version. If you are honouring a person, preserve the relevant route; otherwise the short sound itself may be enough to explain the owner’s choice.
- Origin
- English short form of Augustus or Angus. Source
Try Gus out loud
Everyday moments“Gus, come here!”
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About Gus
Recorded as a dog’s name
Gus appears in 122 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
/ɡʌs/
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
/ɡʌs/ · primary stress on syllable 1G AH1 S
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
Gender association: NYC licence-period records. Any dog can use this name.
- 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.