Dolores — from the Spanish María de los Dolores, meaning "Our Lady of Sorrows" — carries considerable religious weight and considerable mid-century cultural residue. It peaked in US use in the 1930s–40s. Two recent pop-culture moments have brought it back: Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter (for the ironic naming crowd) and Dolores from Encanto (for the warm, music-attuned crowd).
The Encanto Reading
Dolores Madrigal in Disney's Encanto has super-hearing: she knows everything, says little, and listens acutely. For a cat who seems to know everything happening in the household, or a dog who always hears you opening the treat bag from two rooms away, the reference is affectionately apt. Border collies with their acute awareness of everything are natural Dolores candidates.
Vintage Revival Momentum
Dolores sits alongside Bernadette and Diane in the mid-century revival aesthetic: names that skipped a generation and are returning with new warmth. The human name Dolores is rare in current US baby data. Browse vintage names at pet names.
The Counter-Reading: Dolores Umbridge
Before Encanto, the dominant pop-culture Dolores was Harry Potter's most loathed character. Owners who choose the name now typically need to clarify which Dolores they mean — Encanto's sensitive listener wins the association battle easily, but the other reading persists.