Dog name guide

Rustler

The meaning, background and naming story of Rustler.

Letters
7
Syllables
2Dictionary reading
Starts with
R

Meaning and background

The story behind Rustler

A rustler, in its best-known historical sense, is someone who steals cattle or other livestock. Dictionaries also record uses connected with rustling noises and, in some varieties of English, an energetic worker. The name therefore has a Western-story flavour, but its literal meaning is less flattering than many nickname lists suggest. Its association is with an English noun, not an established ancestral name.

Meaning
English noun, chiefly a person who steals cattle or other livestock; additional senses include something that rustles. Source

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About Rustler

Recorded as a dog’s name

Rustler 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.

View the source dataset

Pronunciation and rhythm

/ɹʌslɚ/

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

/ɹʌslɚ/ · primary stress on syllable 1
R AH1 S L ER0

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.

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