Franklin ranks at #266 with 427 entries, sitting comfortably in the human-name-on-pet trend that has come to define modern dog naming. The name reads as a slightly old-fashioned gentleman, which is the joke owners are usually making when they pick it.
The dignified-old-man register
Franklin shares a register with Winston, Oliver, and Theodore — names that sound like a retired uncle and land deliberately ironic on a small dog or a clumsy puppy. The contrast between the formal name and the chaotic pet is the whole appeal.
Where Franklin lands
French Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, Pugs, and other small breeds with character faces carry Franklin at higher rates than working dogs. The breeds themselves read slightly comic, which doubles down on the dignified-name joke. The two-syllable shape (FRANK-lin) has crisp consonants and projects well, even though the name itself signals a slower-paced pet. Owners cross-shopping similar names also consider Finn.
The Charles Schulz counter-reading
One reading worth noting: Franklin is also the long-running Peanuts character, which gives the name a separate generational pull for owners who grew up on the comic. That reading lands more often on Beagles for obvious reasons. The Franklin baby name page shows the name climbing back onto the SSA chart as part of the broader vintage-name revival on baby charts since the 2010s.