The New Murrey and Blue blog

I found the information below on The Tudor Intruders – and more, a very interesting Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/thetudorintruders). No, I’m not about to criticise anything Tudor! Not this time. The Funniest Medieval Dog Names is both amusing and informative, and I’m delighted to have the group’s permission to publish it below. I’m therefore indebted to The Tudor Intruders – and more, who gave their source as https://historyfacts.com/world-history/article/medieval-dog-names/.

Dogs have been mankind’s faithful companions for at least 12,000 years and are still the most popular pets. “….In fact, dogs were the first domesticated animals, predating chickens, cows, goats, pigs, sheep, and even agriculture itself. By the medieval era, they were firmly embedded in homes across the world….? Ahem, as a cat person myself I suggest that our feline friends have been around a long time too!

Apparently there is a 15th-century British manuscript titled “The Names of All Manner of Hounds” which has been examined in an academic paper by researcher David Scott-Macnab. (https://www.openculture.com/2022/11/a-list-of-1065-medieval-dog-names-nosewise-garlik-havegoodday-more.html) It contains over 1,000 names given to hunting dogs and is therefore a veritable treasure trove for anyone wishing to find something novel to call their pets.

The following names are singled out as especially amusing:

Dogs have an astonishing sense of smell, so we have Goodynowze and Nosewise. Such noses also earn them names like Fynder and Fyndewell. Nothing to do with noses are Swifte, Wellyfedde, Plodder and Letego for the dog that hangs on! And, like humans, not all dogs are intelligent, so we have Brayneles, Litillwitte, Symple, Careles, and Helpeles.

Then there are the dogs that have other unflattering names, such as Filthe, Lewde, Oribull, Synfull, Dredefull, Vagrawnte, Wrecche, and Badde. Poor creatures! But not all were so defamed, for we also have Joliboye, Mery, Happy, Cherefull. Careaway, Havegoodday, Pretiboy, Blameles and Beste-of-all. Rather weirdly, dogs were also named after edible things, for instance Salmon, Halibutte, Mustarde, Garlik, Sage, and Rasyne

Finally there are the nonsense names (at least, they’re nonsense to us today).There’s Tullymully, Rowte-owte, Dasyberde, Honyball, and Tynker. Plus “….Undoubtedly the least creative name on the list is Nameles, which shows a true lack of dog-naming effort….”

I recommend reading the following links (as given at the top of this post): https://www.facebook.com/thetudorintruders and the original https://historyfacts.com/world-history/article/medieval-dog-names/. Another link about medieval dogs is https://www.historyhit.com/medieval-canines-how-did-the-people-of-the-middle-ages-treat-their-dogs/.

Next there are the names of horses:

Apart from the link in the above image, try https://murreyandblue.org/2020/08/12/a-list-of-names-for-medieval-horses/ and https://murreyandblue.org/2019/12/20/richard-iiis-horses/ and https://horseracingsense.com/medieval-horses-breeds-uses-characteristics/ and https://allabouthorses.org/warfare/medieval-horses/.

Cats (the supreme pet, of course), were very much in evidence during the medieval period. One site to read about them is at https://www.openculture.com/2023/02/what-people-named-their-cats-in-the-middle-ages-gyb-mite-meone-pangur-ban-more.html.

There were many more animal pets beside dogs, cats and horses, of course, from monkeys and magpies, to elephants and ermines, and they too had names. See https://www.medievalists.net/2013/06/medieval-pet-names/ and https://murreyandblue.org/2019/12/17/all-about-medieval-pets/ and https://theroseandthethistle.com/2019/11/29/pets-in-medieval-times-2/

Links to previous posts about animals on this Murrey & Blue blog are: https://murreyandblue.org/2023/11/03/the-medieval-doggie-and-everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-them-2/ and https://murreyandblue.org/2022/02/07/medieval-magnates-and-their-pet-dogs/, and https://murreyandblue.org/2020/01/26/richard-iii-had-three-lymers-with-his-hart-hounds/