French Naming Convention

For almost a century, the French registry for dogs has followed a system for naming that makes it easy to determine the age of a dog by its registered name. The first name begins with the designated letter for the year, followed by the kennel name. Over the years, the letters K, Q, W, X, Y and Z were eliminated because it was difficult to find French names beginning with them. Every 20 years the alphabet starts over.

 

While there are no similar naming rules for registering dogs in the United States, many Epagneul Breton breeders and owners choose to follow the French tradition. The chart shows the letters used from 2005 - 2024. In 2025, it will start over with "A."