Scout

Scout is an English word for one who goes ahead to gather information — from Old French escouter meaning "to listen carefully." A scout is alert, perceptive, and moves through the world with purposeful curiosity. As a name, it carries all of those qualities: a companion who is always the first to notice something new, who investigates everything with focused attention, who is simply excellent at being in the world.

Scout holds the #66 spot among US pet names, with over 1,330 companions sharing it. The name has a fresh, outdoorsy quality that works particularly well for active, inquisitive companions. It was given additional cultural resonance by Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, where Scout Finch became one of American literature's most beloved narrators — curious, principled, and completely honest. That association adds a literary dimension that pet owners who love the name often appreciate consciously or not.