Windsor is the name of the British royal house, the castle on the Thames, and a knot that holds a tie properly — three associations that all point in the same direction: formal, English, and carrying a certain aspirational weight. On a dog, it performs the same function as a monogrammed collar: it announces that this animal is taken seriously.
Royal Pet Naming
The appetite for royal-inflected pet names has been steady in the US, spiking around major royal events. Windsor sits at the more formal end of this spectrum, above Prince and Duchess but arguably more understated than Sovereign or Imperial. Corgis are the obvious canonical fit, given the Windsor family's famous affection for the breed. English Bulldogs carry it with equal conviction.
The Surname-as-First-Name Move
Windsor works as a pet name for the same reason surnames work as first names on people: it signals pedigree without specifying family. It sits in a naming category that includes Baron, Prescott, and Pemberton — names that sound like they belong on an estate rather than an apartment lease.
Counter-Reading: Formality Has Limits
Windsor is unambiguously formal, which means it can feel incongruous on small or playful breeds where the gap between name and personality is too large to be funny. The name works best when the dog has at least some gravitas to lean on. A Windsor who behaves like a Biscuit will eventually become a Biscuit.