Meaning and background
The story behind Tonto
Tonto brings a specific Western adventure reference: Disney's 2013 film The Lone Ranger pairs the masked hero with Tonto, played by Johnny Depp. The official synopsis presents the two as unlikely partners who must learn to work together while seeking justice. For a household attached to that story, the name can recall the character and partnership; the film page supplies an association rather than a personal-name etymology.
- Association
- Fictional-character association with Tonto in The Lone Ranger, played by Johnny Depp in Disney's 2013 film. Source
Try Tonto out loud
Everyday moments“Tonto, 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 Tonto
Recorded as a dog’s name
Tonto appears in 6 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
/tɑntoʊ/
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
/tɑntoʊ/ · primary stress on syllable 1T AA1 N T OW2
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.