A Dog Named Fido
Although not often heard today, in the later part of the 19th century, Fido was one of the more popular names for a dog. That popularity seemed to last the better part of 100 years throughout American history. It started with a president and ended with an artist.
“Fido” is a Latin based word with the meaning of “faithful”. With that in mind, what better name is there for a life long, four-legged friend? That’s just what Abraham Lincoln thought when he named his family dog Fido only a few short years before taking taking the presidency.
Presidential Pooch
Being obsessed with famous people and their lifestyles was as common in the 1860′s and Abraham Lincoln as it is now for Lady GaGa and the likes. As Americans caught word of President Lincoln’s name for his dog, the name soon became extremely popular for dogs around the country. People were naming their dogs Fido in droves. The name was used so frequently that it eventually went from the name of a specific dog to a broad term to describe any dog in general terms.
Described as a mustard colored Retriever/Shepherd mix, Fido was indeed a real dog, and one which seemed to have lived a charmed life while under the ownership of the Lincoln family. A little know fact about Abe Lincoln was that he was an animal lover to the extreme who abhorred even fishing. His dog Fido is said to have had his own horse hair couch and would be invited to eat with the Lincolns at dinner time taking his place on the dinning room floor waiting for scraps.
When Abraham Lincoln won the presidency, the towns people of Springfield, IL. celebrated with ringing bells and firing cannons and those loud noises scared Fido to the point that it bothered Mr. Lincoln. After considering the long train ride to Washington and the fact that there would be more loud noises around the Lincoln’s new home in the White House, it was decided that Fido would be left behind and cared for by two neighborhood boys. Those boys inherited an inside dog named Fido, a horse hair couch and were asked to never scold Fido and feed him from the dinner table, to which they obliged.
100 Years of Fido
Keeping the Spirit, and recognizing the commonality of the family dog and the faithfulness it originally represented through origin, maybe the last play for the name “Fido” in modern American society is best depicted in a 1973 work by Normal Rockwell entitled “Fido’s Dog House”. As Norman Rockwell did so well, the work illustrates an uninspiring, yet awe inspiring display of American family life-style with a father and his children building a dog house for their faithful family dog. 
From the Lincolns to the Rockwells Fido is more than just a dog name. It’s a century’s worth of Americana centered around our faithful, furry four-legged friends.
