Meaning and background
The story behind Miata
Miata is best known as the name Mazda gave its MX-5 roadster in North America. In a 1989 interview, a Mazda executive said he found the term in a dictionary and chose it for a meaning of “reward”, described there as Old High German. That account is valuable contemporary evidence of the naming decision, but it is not independent philological proof of the proposed German root. As a dog name, the automotive association is clearer than any ancient translation.
- Origin
- Name selected for Mazda’s MX-5 sports car; a 1989 interview attributed the choice to a dictionary entry glossed “reward”, reportedly Old High German. Source
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About Miata
Recorded as a dog’s name
Miata appears in 3 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
/miɑtə/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the second syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/miɑtə/ · primary stress on syllable 2M IY0 AA1 T 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.