Randy is the American diminutive of Randall or Randolph, peaked as a human name in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now firmly in the "dad's name" register — the kind of name that works affectionately on a dog precisely because it's so thoroughly associated with a specific American generation and its uncomplicated, practical sensibility.
The Mid-Century Name Cohort
Randy arrived with the same postwar naming wave as Gary, Larry, Barry, and Terry — names with a breezy, informal quality that suited the optimistic mid-century American mood. Dogs named Randy today are almost always owned by Gen X or older millennial owners for whom the name carries warm childhood associations: a neighbor, a father, a coach. It's a name you choose because it means something personal rather than because it's fashionable.
The British Complication
In British English, "randy" means sexually aroused — a meaning that makes the name genuinely awkward in UK contexts and occasionally catches American owners off guard when they travel. This is worth knowing before putting the name on a tag that might be read internationally. The name functions without issue in American domestic use where this meaning is not the primary association.
Personality Fit
Randy works on dogs with an easy-going, friendly personality — the canine equivalent of the guy who brings a cooler to the block party and knows everyone's name. Golden retrievers and Labs are its natural territory, though any friendly, medium-energy dog wears it comfortably. The human name context at Randy covers the generational timeline in full.