Downton Abbey Dog Names

If you love period dramas that are reflective of history, then you are bound to love Downton Abbey.  Over the six-seasons, you get to watch the trials and tribulations of the Crawley family, the Earl and Countess of Grantham and their adult daughters, Lady Mary, Lady Edith and Lady Sybil.  The Earl is a believer in the society he is accustomed too, but he adapts throughout the show, even accepting the marriage of his youngest daughter to his chauffeur by the second series and acknowledging an illegitimate child as his granddaughter in the final series.  This is something that was hidden and simply unheard of before this time. 

As a fellow who enjoys hunting, it’s no wonder that Lord Grantham is a dog-lover.  His wonderful and loyal, Labrador Retriever, Isis, appears from series 3 and is played by a dog named Ellie.  Isis is the name in the spotlight for this guide.

The name Isis is quite significant.  It’s a strong female name of Egyptian origin.  Isis is an Egyptian Goddess and myth suggests that she was able to resurrect her husband from the dead.  The name itself means supreme goddess of the stars.  Isis is certainly the goddess of Downton. 

In Downton Abbey, Isis replaces a Labrador named Pharaoh. Isis becomes a more established part of the household than Pharaoh, but sadly dies in 1924. Both pooches have a close connection with Lord Grantham and he is affected by their death.  In 1925, the Dowager Countess buys the family another Labrador, named Tiaa.  What’s interesting is that all of Lord Grantham’s four-legged friends are given strong Egyptian names.

It’s easy to become attached to your furry pal, because they often feel like the constant thing in your life, when everything else around you is changing and uncertain. In Downton Abbey, Lord Grantham’s whole family future and inheritance is at risk, and he struggles initially with the changes in society because it is against the family values he was raised with. Lord Grantham finds himself surrounded by strong female characters who are becoming more powerful and over the six seasons, he becomes more tolerant to the changing attitudes.  This is good news as they need to adapt their old ways to ensure their survival.    

The show has many happy and many sad times. The audience can’t help but feel affected by the changes endured as this part of society is repressed.  The irony being that the aristocracy were once the repressors.