When choosing a name for a dog registered in the Livre des Origines Français (LOF), one does not pick from the 26 letters of the alphabet. The official cycle uses only 20 letters, meaning that six characters are never assigned. Understanding this rule helps to navigate the process of declaring a purebred puppy.
Six letters excluded from the LOF canine alphabet
Have you ever noticed that certain dog names all seem to start with the same letter in a given year? That’s normal. The Société Centrale Canine (SCC) assigns a mandatory letter each year for the names of dogs registered in the LOF.
The cycle does not go through the entire alphabet. The letters K, Q, W, X, Y, and Z are excluded from the system. The reason is simple: these consonants and this vowel offer too few possibilities for names, especially when a breeder has to name an entire litter.
The cycle returns to the same letter every 20 years. To explore in detail the character that dogs do not use, one must look at this list of six removed letters and the constraints they impose on French-speaking breeders.
With only 20 active letters, the calendar follows a predictable rotation. Recent sources indicate that 2025 corresponds to the letter A, 2026 to B, and 2027 to C. This reference helps future owners anticipate compatible names well before a litter is born.
Official LOF name and everyday name: two distinct things
A common confusion needs to be clarified. The annual letter only applies to the official name registered in the LOF. It concerns purebred dogs whose pedigree is declared with the SCC.
A mixed-breed dog, adopted from a shelter, or simply not registered in the LOF can receive any name. No alphabetical constraints apply to it.
A free nickname alongside the declared name
Even for a registered dog, the owner is not obliged to use the official name in daily life. The administrative document carries a name starting with B (for a puppy born in 2026, for example), but nothing stops one from calling the animal by a diminutive or a completely different nickname.
The LOF name serves for traceability, not for everyday life. It allows veterinarians, show judges, and breeders to quickly identify a dog’s generation. The everyday name, on the other hand, is a personal choice.
How to choose a dog name according to the letter of the year
Respecting the imposed letter while finding a suitable name requires a bit of method. Here are the criteria that matter for phonetics and the animal’s learning.
- Favor a name with a maximum of two syllables. A short name is easier to pronounce with a clear intonation, which helps the dog to react quickly.
- Choose a name containing clear vowels (a, o, i). Open vowels carry the voice better at a distance, a concrete advantage during walks or training.
- Avoid names that resemble common commands. A name close to “sit” or “no” may create confusion during training.
- Test the name out loud several times before declaring it. A name that looks pleasant in writing can become tedious to repeat dozens of times a day.
These guidelines apply equally to male and female dogs. The letter of the year limits the field, but it also encourages creativity.
Differences between the canine LOF and the feline LOOF
The letter assignment system also exists for cats, via the Livre Officiel des Origines Félines (LOOF). The two registers share the same principle, but they do not operate in the same way.
The LOOF allows more flexibility than the LOF. Some letters excluded from the canine cycle can be used as derived letters in the feline register depending on the year. This difference often surprises owners who have both a cat and a purebred dog.
For dogs, the rule remains strict: the six excluded letters never return in the cycle. A canine breeder will therefore never propose an official litter in K or W, while a feline breeder might, depending on the years, have that option.
A system designed for genealogical traceability
Why this rigor on the canine side? The LOF was created to organize the registrations of purebred dogs in France. Assigning a letter each year allows for immediate identification of an animal’s generation in a family tree.
During a show or competition, a judge knows that a dog whose name starts with A was born in 2025 (or 20 years earlier). This alphabetical reference simplifies the tracking of lineages over several generations, which remains valuable for selective breeding programs.
The limitation to 20 letters is therefore not an administrative whim. It results from a compromise between the readability of the system and feasibility for breeders, who must have a sufficient reservoir of names for each assigned letter. The six removed letters posed a concrete problem of volume: too few names available, especially during large litters where each puppy must receive a distinct name starting with the same letter.
