Meaning & Story
Wylie is an Old English surname possibly from "wily" (cunning, clever) or from a place name. As a pet name it immediately conjures Wile E. Coyote, the endlessly inventive but perpetually unfortunate antagonist of Bugs Bunny — a creature of tremendous ingenuity applied to consistently disastrous ends.
Wylie is practically made for the dog or cat who is clearly too clever for their own good. The Wile E. Coyote association is irresistible: a pet who conceives elaborate plans for obtaining treats, who has clearly thought through multiple approaches to the problem of the closed refrigerator, who is defeated by nothing except occasional physics. There is enormous affection in this name — it celebrates intelligence even when that intelligence is applied somewhat badly. A name for the endlessly creative problem-solver.