Dog name guide

Madrigal

The meaning, background and naming story of Madrigal.

Letters
8
Syllables
3Dictionary reading
Starts with
M

Meaning and background

The story behind Madrigal

Madrigal has two noteworthy histories that should not be confused. As a Spanish surname it refers to villages named Madrigal, with an only tentative Late Latin explanation. As an English music word it denotes a short vocal part-song or poem, borrowed from Italian, whose deeper word history is also debated. Both are useful cultural associations for naming a dog, but neither proves which inspiration an individual owner intended.

Origin
As a Spanish surname, a habitational name from places called Madrigal; their deeper etymology is only tentatively linked to Late Latin matricale. Source
Meaning
As an English musical noun, a short poem or vocal part-song, originally borrowed from Italian madrigale. Source

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About Madrigal

Recorded as a dog’s name

Madrigal 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

/mædɹəɡəl/

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

/mædɹəɡəl/ · primary stress on syllable 1
M AE1 D R AH0 G AH0 L

/mædɹɪɡəl/ · primary stress on syllable 1
M AE1 D R IH0 G AH0 L

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.

More names to consider

Suggestions by sound, written form or existing editorial selections. Similarity does not imply a shared origin.

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