Meaning and background
The story behind Vasco
Vasco comes from medieval Spanish Velasco in Behind the Name’s account, with a possible Basque crow meaning. The qualification remains part of the explanation. The reference also identifies Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama as a famous bearer. A dog’s name can honour that explorer or a family connection, while the bird meaning should remain a proposed older route rather than an unconditional translation.
- Origin
- From medieval Spanish Velasco, possibly connected with Basque crow vocabulary; Vasco da Gama is a later namesake. Source
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About Vasco
Recorded as a dog’s name
Vasco 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
/væskoʊ/
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
/væskoʊ/ · primary stress on syllable 1V AE1 S K OW0
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.