Meaning and background
The story behind Shiba
Shiba is immediately recognisable from the Japanese Shiba Inu dog breed. In Japanese the word shiba can mean brushwood, but the American Kennel Club notes uncertainty over whether the breed was named for its hunting terrain, coat colouring or an older sense meaning small. Naming a dog Shiba may be a straightforward breed reference. The particular historical explanation cannot be reduced to one confirmed translation.
- Origin
- Japanese term associated with the Shiba Inu dog breed; the exact reason for the breed name is disputed. Source
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About Shiba
Recorded as a dog’s name
Shiba appears in 13 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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Sources and research notes (1)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — extract_year 2026 — Dog licence periods, not unique dogs; NYC only. No owner-level fields retrieved.
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.