When I ask rescue animals who don\’t like their name (because they want a new life to go with their new home) they always say they want something that fits who they are. The other option is to name them something that both fits who they are and who they want to be. (For instance, if you have an animal who you want to be calmer, find a name that means something calm.) Animals will live up to their name, so don\’t name them something derogatory.
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One of the best ways I\’ve found to find names is to really get in touch with the animal\’s personality, see who they are, who you and they want to be, and then look at names in something like the Hawaiian language. Or the Lakota language. Or an ancient language of some sort, or Greek or Roman Gods.
There are all sorts of dictionaries that tell what the meanings of names are. Brainstorm a bunch. Write about 20 or so down as you brainstorm, without editing. Then start crossing off the ones that don\’t really fit until you have about 3 to choose from. Then live with those for a while. The perfect name will reveal itself.
Example: My cat\’s name is Makana. It means \’gift\’ in Hawaiian because we feel as though he was a gift from our two cats in spirit, in the way that we happened to find him.
Naming animals is so much fun. Believe it or not, their name is important to them. They will live up to it. They may not understand every word of English, but we speak words with intent, and they understand intent. If you name someone \’Goofy\’ and they feel they are a very proper, dignified animal, they will dislike the name.
Find Lisa at https://pawstalk.net
