Meaning and background
The story behind Hosea
Hosea is the English biblical form of the Hebrew name Hoshea, which derives from a Hebrew root for saving and is usually explained as 'salvation'. In the Old Testament it belongs to one of the twelve minor prophets. The English name has two recorded pronunciation patterns, with a final unstressed vowel. That linguistic and religious background is well attested; it should be stated without suggesting a dog called Hosea has any religious status.
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About Hosea
Recorded as a dog’s name
Hosea appears in 4 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.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/hoʊsiə/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the second syllable in the recorded US readings.
Other dictionary readings and notation
/hoʊsiə/ · primary stress on syllable 2HH OW0 S IY1 AH0
/hoʊzeɪə/ · primary stress on syllable 2HH OW0 Z EY1 AH0
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.