Bodhi ranks #312 with 373 entries and is one of the most identity-coded male pet names on the lower-mid chart. The name carries a Buddhist root meaning awakening or enlightenment, and modern American adoption owes a lot to Point Break (1991) and a later wave of yoga-and-surf-coded pet owners.
The Patrick Swayze lineage
Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze made Bodhi a Hollywood-known name in Point Break, where the character carries surf-philosophy energy that has aged surprisingly well. The 2015 remake reinforced the cluster. Owners picking Bodhi for a Lab, Golden, or any water-loving breed are often quietly tipping their hat to that lineage.
The yoga-coastal owner segment
Bodhi co-occurs with names like Kai, Indi, and Mali in pet-naming patterns, suggesting an owner cluster that overlaps with surf, yoga, and West Coast aesthetics. Golden Retrievers and Labradors wearing Bodhi often live near water. The name signals an owner who wants something meaningful but not heavy.
The pronunciation snag
Worth flagging: Bodhi is pronounced BO-dee, not BO-dye, but a non-trivial share of strangers default to the second reading on first sight. If you hate correcting people, this is friction you should price in. The human Bodhi page shows the name climbing the SSA chart since the early 2010s, with parents picking it for similar reasons.