Taz ranks at #292 with 390 entries, and it is one of the most directly cartoon-anchored names on the chart. The Tasmanian Devil from Looney Tunes (introduced 1954, popularized through the 1990s) gave the name its entire cultural meaning, and that lineage shows up consistently in the kinds of pets wearing Taz.
The Looney Tunes lineage
Taz clusters with Bugs, Daffy, and similar Warner Bros character names in the cartoon-character register. The pattern reads warm and slightly nostalgic, particularly for owners in their 30s and 40s who grew up on Saturday morning cartoons. The Looney Tunes era of the 1990s — Space Jam, the Taz-Mania spinoff series — refreshed the character for a specific cohort.
Sound and breed fit
The single-syllable shape (TAZ) is short, sharp, and projection-friendly. Taz lands on energetic breeds at much higher rates than calm ones: Jack Russell Terriers, Boston Terriers, French Bulldogs, Pit Bull mixes, and high-energy mixed breeds in particular. The name fits dogs that match the cartoon character's chaotic register, which is the entire joke owners are making.
The Australian-Tasmanian counter-reading
One reading worth noting: Taz can also be picked as a short form of Tasman or as a reference to actual Tasmanian Devils, the marsupial species. That reading is uncommon in American pet naming but does surface among owners with Australian heritage. The Taz baby name page shows it has effectively never been a meaningful human pick.