Meaning and background
The story behind Mingus
Mingus has a Scottish surname history and a distinct musical association. The Dictionary of American Family Names identifies it as a variant of Menzies, whose traditional pronunciation helps explain the spelling. Charles Mingus’s official site separately identifies the bassist, pianist, bandleader and composer. A dog’s family tribute and a jazz tribute can therefore tell different stories. The musician is a namesake association, not the etymology of the surname.
- Origin
- Scottish surname variant of Menzies, whose traditional pronunciation is reflected in the form. Source
Try Mingus out loud
Everyday moments“Mingus, 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 Mingus
Recorded as a dog’s name
Mingus appears in 21 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
/mɪŋɡɪs/
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
/mɪŋɡɪs/ · primary stress on syllable 1M IH1 NG G IH0 S
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
Compare your favourites
Put Mingus beside another name before you decide.
Explore names like Mingus
Narrow the finder by the features you want to keep.
Sources and research notes (2)
Gender association: NYC licence-period records. Any dog can use this name.
- 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.