Mildred is an Old English name meaning "gentle strength" — from milde (gentle) and þryð (strength) — that peaked in American popularity in the 1920s and spent decades in the cultural penalty box. Its current revival in pet naming is part of the broader grandma-name reclamation project: a generation of owners who find deliberate frumpiness more interesting than easy coolness.
The Grandma-Name Revival
Mildred arrived at the pet-naming tier through the same route that Ethel, Gertrude, and Edith did — owners who love the retro-ugly charm of names that were deeply unfashionable for decades. On a dog, Mildred reads as either affectionately ironic or genuinely sweet depending on the animal's personality. An imperious older female dog suits it particularly well. The human name Mildred is showing early signs of reconsideration among parents with a taste for the deliberately unfashionable.
The Etymology Payoff
"Gentle strength" is actually a wonderful meaning for a female pet , and almost nobody who hears the name knows the etymology. Owners who love the meaning can deliver it as a surprise. Basset Hounds carry Mildred's dignified, slightly world-weary quality beautifully; older rescue dogs of any breed often grow into it.
The Counter-Reading: The Name Has a Specific Sound
Mildred is three syllables with an -ld cluster that doesn't call cleanly across distance. Most Mildreds become Millie in practice — which is a fine name but a different aesthetic entirely. Owners should decide which one they actually want to use before committing.