Peanut

Peanut takes its name from the legume — groundnut in much of the world — which arrived in English via Spanish mani and ultimately from Tupi manobi. The peanut is small, unpretentious, and manages to be enormously satisfying. As a pet name, Peanut describes a companion with exactly those qualities: small in stature, perhaps, but completely impossible to resist and always welcome.

Peanut holds the #64 spot among US pet names, with over 1,350 companions carrying it. The name has a natural fit for smaller companions — animals whose diminutive size made the legume comparison irresistible to their owners. But Peanut has also been given to larger animals with a particular softness or sweetness of character, where the name works as an affectionate contrast. It is cheerful, unpretentious, and always brings a smile, which may be the highest compliment a pet name can receive.