Dog name guide

Pip

The meaning, background and naming story of Pip.

Letters
3
Syllables
1Dictionary reading
Starts with
P
Gender association
Used for bothNYC licensing sample

Meaning and background

The story behind Pip

Pip is a recognised English diminutive of Philip or Philippa, and the nickname is famously borne by the central character of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations. Separately, a pip is a small seed in a piece of fruit or a short electronic tone. Those are appealing everyday associations, but their vocabulary histories are not proof of how the personal name originated.

Meaning
English diminutive of Philip or Philippa. Source
Origin
English personal-name short form in the Philip/Philippa family. Source

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Everyday moments

“Pip, come here!”

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About Pip

Recorded as a dog’s name

Pip appears in 34 dog licence records in the 2026 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

/pɪp/

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

/pɪp/ · primary stress on syllable 1
P IH1 P

These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.

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Sources and research notes (2)

Gender association: NYC licence-period records. Any dog can use this name.

References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.

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

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