Meaning and background
The story behind Lima
Lima has several surname possibilities. The Portuguese route identifies someone living along the Lima River, whose older name is only tentatively connected with an elm element. Spanish Lima may refer to a file, and a possible Albanian route involves a file or related tool. Those alternatives make the spelling more complex than one familiar place-name association. The river and tool explanations should each keep their own language and degree of certainty.
- Origin
- Portuguese river-related surname, with possible Spanish and Albanian tool-word derivations. Source
Try Lima out loud
Everyday moments“Lima, 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 Lima
Recorded as a dog’s name
Lima appears in 7 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
/laɪmə/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
Other dictionary readings and notation
/laɪmə/ · primary stress on syllable 1L AY1 M AH0
/limə/ · primary stress on syllable 1L IY1 M 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.