To call my black dog Sooty?

[PaxMalmKallax]

DH says we can’t name our new puppy Sooty because he is black and people might get offended. Is that the case? Sorry for my ignorance.
Puppy gets microchipped by the breeder next week and I’d like to have named him by then. Any better ideas are gratefully received!

If it's ok to have a puppet called Sooty on tv then I guess it's fine to call your dog it. It wouldn't even occur to me that it might be an issue.

My dog is white and called snowy. I don't see the difference.

We once met a gorgeous little black spaniel puppy called Sully. How about that?

Mortimer /Mort would be a fab name (-also one of the best Pritchett books..)

Our black cat is called Blackie. It was his name when we got him for the cat rescue and we haven't thought to change it. We are not offended by his name and so far haven't met anyone who has told us they have been offended when we tell them his name and it suits him.

I don't see this as being any different to the description attached to this en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sooty_(gene)

@SilverDragonfly1

I didn't know that and TBH if that's so I will stop using it. There is quite a lot of veiled racism towards the Irish in the english language.

Ultimately, if a community feel a particular word or phrase is being used to belittle or other them, then it is not appropriate to use it, despite not believing it's racist. If you don't belong to that community, then you don't get a say in what is considered offensive.

But do you really think the Irish community takes offence at 'beyond the pale' to mean beyond the bounds of what is acceptable? This reminds me of the attempt some years ago to outlaw the nursery rhyme 'Baa, baa black sheep', among other things. There was a lot of self-righteous indignation about the use of the word 'black'.....mainly from white, mc, pc people wanting to be seen to be doing the right thing. When BAME community leaders were asked for their views, they were unanimous in declaring what a ridiculous, non-issue it was. Of course racism in any of its forms - casual, everyday, or institutional, must be expunged, but I think picking up on a mid-17th Century phrase which means beyond the boundary and trying to tout it as racist is ludicrous.

The phrase was in use by the mid-17th century, and may be a reference to the general sense of boundary, but is often understood to refer specifically to the English Pale in Ireland. In the nominally English territory of Ireland, only the Pale fell genuinely under the authority of English law, hence the terms within the pale and beyond the pale.
Wikipedia

Of all the lovely names out there you could choose, I'm perplexed as to why on earth you seem so fixated on sooty.

Considering that some people in this thread find it offensive why on earth dont you just pick another name?- there are literally thousands to choose from. I genuinely dont understand why Sooty is so important to you, regardless of connotations, its not that nice anyway

Jet?

Our black dog is Bruce (as in Bruce Wayne).

I foster rescue cats and have to think of names for them to be registered as at the vets and to go on our website.

I did think a bit earlier this year when I found myself naming the black cats in relation to their colour and whether or not this was offensive. It seems that some names definitely are, some not and some possibly, although it does feel a bit bad to give an animal a name 'because they are black' even if it's not an offensive name.

One cat I wanted to call Venus, because I thought it was a nice name, but didn't because people might have thought it was after Venus Williams, because both the cat and VW are black. I still like the name and might use it on a cat that's not black

Only offensive in that it's so boring I'd wonder why you'd chosen it.

Given some of the outrage on here, but mostly your DH’s reaction, I’d say no. For recall purposes, a single syllable is handy.

I wouldn't, simply because the T will get dropped and Sooty will become Sooh'ee. And if you are like me, it will do your head in.

I had a rabbit called Sooty when I was little. It had splodges on it like it had rolled in soot.

In my teens I because aware of the racial connotations, when my racist brother called someone that. I wouldn't call a pet that now.

As a black woman raised in the 80s, I really can’t get het up about the name. We are not one homogeneous group; you will find the responses amongst black people just as divided as they are on here.

Trust me, there are far more important battles around racism that I’d rather invest my energies in. And before someone pipes up that fighting the small and big battles are not mutually exclusive, yeah I get it. But still maintain my position.

Sooty was bright orange. Sweep was the dog.

Whatever you do, don't name him after the dog in Dambusters.

It's fine. A black dog has nothing to with race and soot has nothing to do with race so nobody can reasonably be offended. Of course some people will insert race into it and take offence, but that's their problem.

I would because I'd be referring to black and shiny like coal.
Tbh it's really apt.

I had a black lab called sooty!

My dog is white and called snowy. I don't see the difference.

White people aren't or weren't called snowies as a racial slur, black people are and were called sooties as a racial slur. In fact, I think the Cockney Wanker in Viz (a parody of a bigoted cockney cab driver) refers to 'the sooties'.

Sorry, totally irrelevant to the discussion I know, but despite the fact that I was obsessed with The Sooty Show as a child and have thought fondly of it many times up until my now mid forties, it has taken this thread for my brain to finally make the chimney connection to the names Sooty and Sweep.

I think if you and your husband should agree on the name. I've never heard sooty used as a racial slur, but based on other posts apparently it has been, which would be enough to put me off of it. There are lots of other interesting options.

I wouldn’t use it. I have an in law who is racist and refers to black people as Sooty. And yes I do pull them up on it. I find it really offensive as a result and would be quite shocked to hear someone calling their dog by that name.

@NailsNeedDoing
How does Sue fit it to the chimney theme?

Call him Stanley. My Guinea pig is Stanley and Stan is a fantastic animal name.