Dogs are often described as loyal, which might be why Fido was once a popular name for man’s best friend: “fid,” the root of Fido, comes from Latin and means faith or trust. Though Fido is still used as a generic way to describe a dog, the name was extremely popular in the mid-1800s.Continue Reading
Part of the name’s popularity can be attributed to former U.S. president Abraham Lincoln, who had a yellow-haired dog named Fido. The president’s faithful companion didn’t accompany him to the White House, but Lincoln had photographs taken of the family’s favorite dog as a memento for his sons. This photo session earned Fido the distinction of being the first presidential dog to ever be photographed.
Another famous dog named Fido could win the award for Most Faithful. In 1941, an Italian bricklayer named Carlo Soriani took in an injured street dog and named him Fido. Once the dog was healthy, Fido would follow Soriani to the bus stop every morning and wait for him to return from work in the evening. Soriani died in 1943 when the factory he worked in was bombed during World War II; still, Fido arrived at the bus stop every day for the next 14 years, waiting to see his owner again.Learn more about Dogs