Dog name guide

Lambda

The meaning, background and naming story of Lambda.

Letters
6
Syllables
2Dictionary reading
Starts with
L

Meaning and background

The story behind Lambda

Lambda is the eleventh letter of the Greek alphabet, conventionally written Λ in capitals and λ in lower case. The name travelled into English from Greek, with earlier Semitic parallels in the history of the letter. It is also familiar in scientific notation. The linguistic origin is clear and specific; any claim that a dog named Lambda has a special mathematical temperament would be invented.

Meaning
The eleventh letter of the Greek alphabet, Λ or λ. Source
Origin
English borrowing of the Greek letter name, ultimately related to a Semitic letter name. Source
Pronunciation
LAM-duh (English /ˈlæmdə/). Source

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About Lambda

Recorded as a dog’s name

Lambda appears in 2 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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Pronunciation and rhythm

/læmdə/

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

/læmdə/ · primary stress on syllable 1
L AE1 M D AH0

These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.

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Sources and research notes (3)
  • 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
  • City of Seattle Seattle Pet Licenses — DOG-only name aggregate, current source dated 6 October 2026 — Secondary spelling corroboration from dog-only licence rows. No cats, owner fields, national ranking or unique-dog claim.

References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.

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