Pop registers 60 times in the NYC/Seattle pet data at rank 1713, skewing male. It's an unusual entry — short, percussive, and genuinely ambiguous in origin. It could be a nickname, a family honorific (a grandfather's name passed to a pet), or simply an owner who appreciated the sound.
Likely a Paperwork Artifact
Pop is almost certainly under-representing its real usage because many of these registrations are informal nicknames that ended up on the official form. When owners register a pet under a name they actually call "Pops" or use as a term of affection for their dog ("hey, Pop"), the registry captures the abbreviated form. This is a common pattern at the lower end of the rankings.
Sound and Character
As a one-syllable stop-consonant name, Pop has genuine recall appeal. The hard p sounds carry well across distances and distinguish clearly from ambient noise — a real practical advantage. It suits energetic, compact dogs in the same register as Pip or Bop. There's also an undeniable retro quality; it reads like a 1950s soda shop in the best way. See other short picks at the pet names hub.
Counter-Reading
Pop as a standalone name can confuse guests who assume it's a placeholder rather than an actual name. For a pet that needs to be called in public — dog parks, vet offices — the brevity might occasionally cause misunderstandings. That said, brevity is a genuine asset in training contexts.