Meaning and background
The story behind Hey
Hey is an English interjection used to attract attention, greet someone or express a reaction. As an everyday spoken dog name, it is unusually close to a command for getting attention, which may be useful or confusing depending on the household. The ordinary English sense is well documented, but it does not prove that every bearer was named after the greeting; Hey can also appear as a family name. There is no justified ancient translation here.
- Meaning
- English interjection used to greet or attract attention, or to express surprise or another reaction. Source
Try Hey out loud
Everyday moments“Hey, 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 Hey
Recorded as a dog’s name
Hey appears in 3 dog licence records in the 2024 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
/heɪ/
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
/heɪ/ · primary stress on syllable 1HH EY1
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.