Wylie appears 68 times at rank 1,554 on male pets — a surname-as-first-name with a built-in Wile E. Coyote association that owners either embrace or are entirely unaware of. Both situations result in a fine dog name.
The Coyote in the Room
Wile E. Coyote — Looney Tunes' perpetually optimistic, perpetually failing antagonist — has been lodging the WY-lee sound in American consciousness since 1948. A dog named Wylie who has a complicated relationship with success (knocked over the trash can, caught the cat, immediately dropped it) is living up to the reference with perfect accuracy. The name works especially well on mischievous, energetic dogs whose schemes consistently don't quite come together. Coyote mixes and Australian Shepherds attract this name.
The Surname-as-First-Name Reading
Beyond the cartoon, Wylie functions as a genuine Scottish surname-turned-given-name with respectable historical usage. The human name at /names/wylie shows modest but consistent SSA data, and the name is gaining momentum in the baby-name space as parents rediscover Scottish surnames. That upward trend in human naming suggests Wylie will become more common in pet registries over the next few years.
Sound and Nicknames
WY-lee is bright and easy — two syllables, open vowels, no ambiguity in pronunciation. It has a friendly, slightly playful quality that suits dogs with good humor. Compare with Riley for a similar phonetic profile with different cultural associations.