Meaning and background
The story behind Safire
Safire has a documented journalism namesake in William Safire. The Pulitzer Prizes' official record identifies his 1978 Commentary award and the work for which it was given, providing a concrete writer association. That evidence is firmer than a guessed connection to sapphire based on spelling alone. The prize record verifies the surname in use without explaining its linguistic origin or establishing a gemstone meaning for every bearer.
- Association
- Safire is the surname of William Safire, winner of the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. Source
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Everyday moments“Safire, come here!”
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About Safire
Recorded as a dog’s name
Safire appears in 8 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
/səfaɪɹ/
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
/səfaɪɹ/ · primary stress on syllable 2S AH0 F AY1 R
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.