What We Named Her, and Why

When we were trying to come up with a name for our puppy, Sam mentioned Cordelia, and Winston and I were intrigued. We liked it, but we didn’t love it right away. At first we worried it might be a little too long for a dog’s name.

But the more we said it and rolled it around, the more we liked it. It felt unique and beautiful, and it started to seem like it might actually be the one.

There were also a few different reasons the name felt meaningful to us. Cordelia from Shakespeare’s King Lear is loyal, honest, and pure hearted. She understands that love is not a possession that can be owned, and she refuses to prove her love by turning it into something exaggerated or performative. She loves deeply, but honestly and freely. That seemed like such a perfect connection to a golden retriever. Goldens are known for being loyal, loving best friends, and I loved the idea of a name tied to that kind of love.

Then there is Cordelia Naismith from the Vorkosigan Saga, who is one of our favorite characters. She is strong, smart, loving, and kind, but she is also completely capable of kicking butt when she needs to. I loved the idea of our Cordelia having a name connected to a character who could be both strong and gentle.

The Anne of Green Gables connection actually came later as a happy little afterthought. Anne loves the name Cordelia and wishes she had been given a more romantic name like that. I played Anne in Anne of Avonlea when I was in seventh grade, so realizing there was that connection too felt really sweet.

When we finally met our puppy, the breeder had been calling her Cassandra. Hearing that actually helped the name click into place even more. Cassandra and Cordelia have the same number of syllables, so Cordelia didn’t suddenly seem too long at all.

By then, the name had grown on us so much that it was hard to imagine her being anything else. It was beautiful, a little unusual, full of connections we loved, and once we met her, she just felt like Cordelia.