Rainbow at rank 1400 is a name that operates in the register of pure feeling. It's what you call a dog when getting the dog was genuinely joyful and you want the name to hold that. It's sincere without apology, which is its most distinctive quality in a naming culture that often performs irony.
The Sincere Nature-Naming Tradition
Rainbow belongs to the tradition of naming pets after natural phenomena with positive emotional valence: Sunshine, Storm, Comet, Blossom. These names are chosen for their mood, not their cultural reference. The owners who choose Rainbow are not being ironic. They liked the dog and the word together and didn't overthink it. That directness is rare and somewhat refreshing. Female dogs carry the name at a significant lean in the registry. Iris (the rainbow goddess) offers similar imagery with more formal footing.
LGBT+ Cultural Context
Rainbow has carried additional cultural weight since the 1970s as a symbol within LGBT+ communities. Some owners making this choice are doing so deliberately; others simply love the image. Both contexts are positive. Prism sits nearby for owners who want the same association with a more unusual name.
The Counter-Reading
Rainbow requires commitment to its full sincerity. Owners who develop a taste for ironic naming later may feel it's too earnest, but earnestness is not a flaw.