Ever since I watched Princess Cyd in 2018 (and then rewatched it the next day with my then partner) I’ve wanted to get a pit bull and name her Princess Cyd. Imagine! Most days she’d be called Cyd. When she’s really good Princess. And when she’s bad Cydney. It’s a perfect dog name, and it would be a great excuse to tell more people to watch Stephen Cone’s lovely film.
Alas, I still do not have Princess Cyd. I grew up with dogs, so I know the responsibility being a proper dog owner entails. Dogs are expensive and they require a stability I don’t have. I’m in a long distance relationship and maybe if I wanted to get a tiny dog, I could plan to travel with them, but a pit bull or even most pit bull mixes would be too challenging to take back and forth between Brooklyn and Toronto.
But I haven’t given up! Someday I’ll have Princess Cyd — after all I moved into an apartment near a dog park like some chidlless 30 year olds move into an area with good elementary schools — and, in the mean time, I’ve come up with this list of other excellent dog names from other queer movies.
- Jaguar, for a dog who is bold and would risk anything for someone they love like Maria Schrader in Aimée & Jaguar
- Benedetta (Benny for short), for a dog who according to some may not go to heaven like Virginie Efira in Benedetta
- PJ and Josie, for a pair of dogs who like to play and fight like Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri in Bottoms
- Corky, for a dog with a tough exterior and a tender heart like Gina Gershon in Bound
- Graham, for a dog who will love you before you love yourself like Clea DuVall in But I’m a Cheerleader
- (Martha) Dobie, for a dog who was named after a Harry Potter character years after that would’ve been cool but now it feels really not cool so you want to change it to Shirley MacLaine’s character in The Children’s Hour
- Valentine, for a dog who will follow you around as your little assistant like Kristen Stewart in Clouds of Sils Maria
- Zoinx, for a dog who is an out-of-this-world weirdo like Susan Ziegler in Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same
- Lucy Diamond, for a dog who is a lovable villain like Jordana Brewster in D.E.B.S.
- Zen, for a dog who reminds you to be a free ass motherfucker like Tessa Thompson in Dirty Computer
- Ronit, for a dog who likes to slobber like Rachel Weisz in Disobedience
- Diggy, for a dog who will stay by your side through any amount of hijinks like Kiersey Clemons in Dope
- Sergio, for a dog who will stay in bed with you for days like Laia Costa in Duck Butter
- Jobu Tupaki, for a dog who traverses the multiverse like Stephanie Hsu in Everything Everywhere All At Once
- Queen Anne, for a dog who gets what she wants when she wants it like Olivia Colman in The Favourite
- Legs, for a dog who is fiercely loyal and just fierce like Angelina Jolie in Foxfire
- Idgie, for a dog who loves pie like Mary Stuart Masterson in Fried Green Tomatoes
- Ricki, for a dog who loves turkey time like Jennifer Lopez in Gigli (actually turkey is bad for dogs, but also Ben is bad for Jen so…)
- Harper, for a dog who you want to give a second chance — and a third and a fourth — like Mackenzie Davis in Happiest Season
- Theodora, for a dog who will cuddle you through life’s scariest moments like Claire Bloom in The Haunting
- Paulie, for a dog who loves a little too hard or just really loves birds like Piper Perabo in Lost & Delirious
- Dylan, for a dog who loves her mommy like Lil Harlow in Mommy Is Coming
- Lady Divine, for a dog who is fun and filthy like Divine in Multiple Maniacs
- Nimona, for a dog with spunk who is hard to pin down like Chloë Grace Moretz in Nimona
- Diana Nyad, for a dog who really loves to swim like Annette Bening in NYAD
- Tory, for a dog who really loves to run like Patrice Donnelly in Personal Best
- Sophie, for a dog who will live with you and your soulmate on the French seaside like Lùana Bajrami in Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Cleo, for a dog who is a ride or die like Queen Latifah in Set It Off
- Lydia Tàr, for a dog who controls all of your time like Cate Blanchett in TÀR
- Suzie, for a dog who is a wild thing like Neve Campbell in Wild Things
Or, you can always honor the memory of an Autostraddle icon, and name your dog Carol. <3
what if i just named my dog “kristen stewart”
Fucking fuck shit
Rip carol
We love dog lesbians although more of a cat lesbian these days gotta have both 😸