Chi-chi is a playful reduplicated name that appears across multiple cultural traditions — it's an affectionate term in Spanish-speaking communities, a food-related term in others, and a generally bubbly sound that lands softly on small female pets. The hyphenated form is almost certainly a registry transcription of a name owners typically write as Chichi or Chi Chi.
The Reduplication Naming Pattern
Doubled syllable names for pets (Coco, Mimi, Fifi, and their hyphenated cousins) reflect a naming impulse found across many languages: the repeated sound is inherently affectionate and easy for children to say. Chi-chi fits this pattern and sits comfortably alongside Coco and Mimi in the cute-double-syllable register.
The Cultural Range
In Mexican and broader Latin American usage, chi-chi carries informal connotations that owners in those communities use with full awareness and affection. It's a diminutive of the diminutive, maximally warm. Owners outside that context typically arrive at the name through the sound alone, which works just as well.
Breed Fit
Chi-chi is an essentially perfect name for Chihuahuas, given the phonetic near-match, and works equally well on any tiny, spirited female dog or cat. Chihuahuas and Pomeranians suit it best.
The Counter-Reading: The Hyphen Creates Friction
Like T-bone, the hyphenated form creates minor administrative friction in pet databases. Chichi or Chi Chi are functionally easier. Most registrars will pick one format regardless of what the owner intended.