The “Esnupi meme” refers to the Spanish nickname for Snoopy the Dog, a beloved character from the cartoon and comic strip Peanuts. Though the name has been around for quite a while, usage of the nickname skyrocketed in 2024.
This may be because Snoopy has also had a resurgence in popularity in recent years as society falls into a pit of nostalgia.
Where did the name ‘Esnupi’ come from?
Snoopy himself has been around for a very long time, first drawn as a character by Charles M. Schulz in 1950. He was based on the author’s old dog Spike, who he adopted in 1927. Spiritually, then, he is close to 100 years old.
In the early 70s, a popular Spanish humor collection by Maireno Solidaria called Hermano Lobo used the phrase. The name popped up again in a book published in 1997 called Juventud y Alegria by Celeste Perrino Walker and Eric D. Stoffle. This Esnupi is described as having “black and white spots” with hobbies like laying “on the roof of his house.” Sound familiar?
“Esnupi” began to appear as more of a meme in the early 2000s, most popularly in a post on DeviantArt by user TTeBiZaRRo. This drawing of Esnupi shows a very warped version of Snoopy with a massive overbite and his iconic red collar.
What was Snoopy’s old name?
To add to the confusion, Snoopy was originally named Sniffy by Schulz, but there was a Sniffy cartoon dog who pre-existed him, according to History.com. Snoopy was a name his mother had suggested for their next real-life dog. But he TOOK it. Art!!
Why did Esnupi memes take off?
In early 2024, Nylon wrote a whole article about why the original Snoopy had suddenly gotten so popular. The reason is related to TikTok, which is full of Snoopy edits and Snoopy fan accounts, like @Snoopylistens and @SnoopyEdits.
@snoopylistens Replying to @noellebla1s snoopy is in a mood tonight #snoopy #lorde #ribs ♬ RIBS by Lorde
While no one had a firm answer as to why Snoopy is suddenly on everyone’s minds again, people suggested that it’s because they’re nostalgic for a simpler time and the sweet wholesomeness of Snoopy’s trademark mischief.
If they’re not nostalgic for 1950 literally, then for their childhoods, back when watching Charlie Brown Christmas specials was a fun afternoon with the family. From the new focus on Snoopy, it was only a matter of time before we experienced Esnupi supremacy.
In 2019, a post about a dog named Esnupi went viral from user @anavvictoria_, which wasn’t about Snoopy. But the picture of the dog was super cute and people immediately connected with the name.
An account called @esnupicore currently has over 100 thousand followers on X, formerly Twitter. As Snoopy has become more popular, so have they. And so have one-off memes from fans who have not yet completely dedicated their account to Esnupi. That might take a little more time.
Esnupi meme examples:
More dog memes:
- The beefy legacy of the Swole Doge meme
- ‘I Know What You Are’: A Whitney Chewston meme
- ‘Justice for XiaoPang’: Why the orange Chinese dog is going massively viral in the West
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