Meaning and background
The story behind Starling
Starling carries a direct bird association. Merriam-Webster describes the songbird family Sturnidae and singles out the familiar European starling, whose summer plumage is dark and glossy. That gives the spelling a specific natural-history reference rather than a general connection with stars. Using it for a dog can draw on the bird's identity, without implying a documented personal-name etymology or a particular canine temperament.
- Association
- Starling denotes songbirds of the family Sturnidae, including the familiar European species. Source
Try Starling out loud
Everyday moments“Starling, come here!”
Say it as you would on a walk or at home. Does it feel natural alongside your usual commands and other pets’ names?
About Starling
Recorded as a dog’s name
Starling 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
/stɑɹlɪŋ/
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
/stɑɹlɪŋ/ · primary stress on syllable 1S T AA1 R L IH0 NG
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
Compare your favourites
Put Starling beside another name before you decide.
Explore names like Starling
Narrow the finder by the features you want to keep.
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.