Meaning and background
The story behind Wink
Wink is an ordinary English word for briefly closing and reopening one eye, often as a signal of a joke, a secret or friendliness. It can also describe the small flash of a light. Both are dictionary senses, not evidence that a dog is mischievous or makes a particular expression. The name has one syllable, and its clipped consonant ending is very different from the related two-syllable pet forms Winkle and Winky.
- Meaning
- English noun and verb: a quick closing and opening of one eye, often as a signal; also an intermittent flash of light. Source
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About Wink
Recorded as a dog’s name
Wink appears in 7 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
/wɪŋk/
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
/wɪŋk/ · primary stress on syllable 1W IH1 NG K
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.