Meaning and background
The story behind Primus
Primus is a documented Ancient Roman masculine name that also functions as the Latin ordinal meaning 'first'. Ancient Roman name conventions give it a clearer history than simply calling it a modern translation. The same root underlies related names such as Prima and Primo, though each has its own usage tradition. Primus has two prominent syllables when said in English, but it cannot verify that a particular dog was firstborn.
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About Primus
Recorded as a dog’s name
Primus 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.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/pɹaɪməs/
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
/pɹaɪməs/ · primary stress on syllable 1P R AY1 M AH0 S
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.