The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on canine naming conventions.
My family recently adopted a rescue dog. As we were going through a long list of possible names for our pup, two of the more charming possibilities were Odin (the king of the gods in ancient Norse mythology) and Zeus (the leader of the gods in ancient Greek mythology). I was concerned that naming our dog for someone else’s deity would be disrespectful. After all, would it be OK to name our pet Yahweh or Allah? I once had a friend with a cat named Shiva; I was a child at the time, so I thought nothing of it, but I wonder about it now. Does it make a difference whether anybody still worships the ancient Norse and Greek gods, as opposed to the gods and prophets of the very active Judeo-Christian, Islamic or Hindu religions? For that matter, is the answer different depending on which active religion we’re talking about? — Pablo Halpern
From the Ethicist:
If a tree falls in a forest and there’s nobody around to hear it, does it still make a sound? Why, yes. If you call out to your dog Zeus in the park and nobody shoots you a look, have you done something offensive? Yeah, no. When no offense is taken, none have been given. Counterfactual affront to extinct civilizations: not high on the list of things to worry about.
I appreciate that you’re thinking through all the angles. When it comes to conventions and courtesy, though, reasoning takes us only so far. You never want to find yourself explaining to people why they shouldn’t be offended. Yes, people love their pets, and humans named Max seem mainly OK with dogs named Max. That’s not license to throw caution and consideration to the winds. Jesus is a common male name in some Christian cultures, rare in others. Muhammad is said to be the most popular male name in the world, but it’s reserved for human beings. If people who belong to certain identity groups are known to be affronted by a naming practice, someone’s choice to defy them will itself be a source of affront — and reasonably enough.
Whatever your personal beliefs, refraining from giving offense is simply a matter of respect for actual, living human beings. It makes sense, in a religiously plural society, to avoid burdening our pets with names that will dismay some complement of our neighbors. Fortunately, the nomenclatural constraints this imposes are pretty minuscule. You may safely call your dog Odin or Zeus. Other popular choices: Thor (a son of Odin) or Hercules (a son of Zeus). Pay homage to the denizens of Valhalla and Mount Olympus. Plunder the past; repurpose your nephew’s childhood nickname. When it comes to naming our animal companions, we’re hardly on a tight leash.
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