Meaning and background
The story behind Medina
Medina is a Spanish surname with a place-name history, adopted by families connected with towns called Medina in Spain. That place-name element comes from Arabic madīna, meaning city. The surname also has a distinct history among Sephardic Jewish families, and should not be reduced to one personal ancestry. As a dog name Medina offers three even syllables and a genuine geographical and linguistic background.
- Origin
- Spanish and Sephardic Jewish habitational surname from places named Medina, ultimately from Arabic madīna meaning “city”. Source
Try Medina out loud
Everyday moments“Medina, 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 Medina
Recorded as a dog’s name
Medina appears in 8 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
/mədaɪnə/
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
/mədaɪnə/ · primary stress on syllable 2M AH0 D AY1 N AH0
/mədinə/ · primary stress on syllable 2M AH0 D IY1 N AH0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
Compare your favourites
Put Medina beside another name before you decide.
Explore names like Medina
Narrow the finder by the features you want to keep.
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.