Pop Culture Dog Names

Several pop culture references and characters have inspired the names of a lot of dogs, both fictional and real. However, when it comes to famous dogs whose names were derived from pop culture, there is no one more renowned than Marley. Marley, named after late reggae artist Bob Marley, was the yellow Labrador Retriever owned by journalist John Grogan and became the subject of Grogan’s autobiographical book entitled Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog.

Told in a first-person point of view, the novel discusses the life of Grogan’s family throughout the thirteen years that they spent with Marley and all the life lessons learned and relationships built throughout the dog’s lifespan. Marley was described as a high-strung, uncontrollable and destructive dog. Additionally, Marley seemed to always be hungry and had high levels of energy. More often than not, Grogan and his family are unable to train Marley or make him obedient. Despite his poor behavior, however, Marley meant well and had a loving heart. As a result, the initial headache Marley caused in the Grogan household was eventually forgiven.

Throughout the novel, Marley’s antics and how the Grogan family dealt with them, were chronicled. Moreover, it also depicted how Marley stayed loyal and devoted to the family, even with his seemingly mentally-related condition. The Grogan children also grew to love and accept Marley and all his flaws. In the end, after thirteen years, Marley succumbed to a condition known as gastric dilatation volvulus and passed away. Grogan also mentions in the book how the eulogy he wrote for Marley ended up being one of his most popular journal columns, which prompted him to write the book and share his and Marley’s story.  

Grogan’s book became a worldwide hit and was included in the New York Times’ bestsellers list. Due to the book’s success, it spawned other rewritten versions, including a kid-friendly version called Marley: A Dog Like No Other, a picture book for younger readers called Bad Dog, Marley! and a Christmas version called A Very Marley Christmas.

Additionally, the novel was adapted into a film, called Marley & Me. The film, which included big names like Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, was released on Christmas day of 2008. The film received generally positive reviews and spent two weeks in the #1 place at the box office, earning over $240 million worldwide. The film also helped boost the sales of the original novel and is often regarded as one of the most famous tearjerker films of all time. Marley also became a household name, especially for dog lovers, and helped make the Labrador Retriever a more favored and renowned dog breed.