The name corgi is thought to be derived from the Welsh words cor and ci (which is mutated to gi), meaning "dwarf" and "dog", respectively.

[6] The combination of their low height off the ground and the innate agility of Welsh Corgis would allow them to avoid the hooves of cattle.

[10] Dogs of similar dimensions exist in modern Scandinavia, called the Swedish Vallhund,[11] and it is claimed by some historians that these two breeds share a common ancestor.

Similarities between the Welsh Corgis have been attributed to crossbreeding between the two, or simply selected breeding from those who wished to have the Cardigan variety appear closer in nature to the Pembroke.

Captain J. P. Howell called together a meeting of breeders of both the Pembroke and the Cardigan varieties and formed the Welsh Corgi Club, with an initial membership of 59 members.

[17] The Corgi breeds declined in popularity: veterinary physician Brian Singleton suggested in The Times in 1963 that this was due to issues with their temperament.

While the Kennel Club blamed this decline on the importation of foreign dog breeds,[20] The Daily Telegraph faulted the UK's 2006 Animal Welfare Act, which banned tail-docking for cosmetic purposes.

[23][24] In 1933, the first Welsh Corgis were brought to the United States by American breeder Mrs. Lewis Roesler, for her Merriedip Kennels in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts.

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi club was formed in 1937,[15] and the first show was held at Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge's Giralda Farms in New Jersey.

Following the Second World War, imports from the United Kingdom included Rozavel Uncle Sam, which dominated the show circuit for Corgis.

[25] A pair of Cardigan Welsh Corgis was imported to the US in 1931, but the first member of that breed to be registered with the AKC was Blodwen of Robinscroft in 1935.

[1] A few days following birth may be needed for the true color of a Corgi's coat to appear, and this is particularly evident in those with tricolor or black and tan markings.

[26] Corgis in the modern era often compete in dog agility trials, obedience, showmanship, flyball, tracking, and herding events.

Cardigans are the larger of the two breeds, with large, rounded ears and a 12-inch-long (30 cm), fox-like, flowing tail set in line with the body.

The skeletal structure of the Cardigan differs from the Pembroke, in that a more exaggerated bend exists in the front two legs, which fits around the ribcage of the animal.

White markings are expected on this breed of Corgi, and one with a black coat is allowed to have tan or brindle points under conformation show rules.

This would include drop ears, a white coat, blue eyes, or nonsolid black noses in dogs without merle coloration.

[35] Similar percentages in the survey were seen in both breeds for issues relating to reproduction, such as requiring caesarian sections and having false pregnancies.

[42][43] The corgis – whose names included Whisky, Sherry, Mint, Dash, and Disco – slept in wicker baskets lined with cushions in their own room.

This was followed by the gift from Andrew's daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, of another Corgi named Sandy to mark her 95th official birthday.

Upon the death of the Queen in September 2022, Prince Andrew and his former wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, were to take care of Muick and Sandy.

[46] In 1963, a Corgi was featured in the Walt Disney film Little Dog Lost,[47] which led to an increase in popularity for the breed within the United States.

[48] A theatrical adaptation took place of Welsh author Roald Dahl's The BFG which toured the UK in 1991 required several different Corgis to perform on stage as those of Queen Elizabeth.

[51] The Top Shelf graphic novel Korgi plays on the folklore tradition of the Corgi as a faerie draft animal.

It features the "Mollies" (fairy-like beings) who live in close relationship with the land and their Korgi friends, who are based on and resemble the Welsh Corgi breeds.

[52] The royal Corgis appeared in Queen Elizabeth II's segment in the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, when she is escorted by James Bond from Buckingham Palace to the stadium.

[53][54] The American animated TV series Infinity Train features a country of anthropomorphic Corgis known as Coriginia ruled by King Atticus, styled "Uniter of the Cardigans and Pembrokes".

[55] In the American sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the characters Captain Holt and Kevin Cozner co-own a Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Cheddar.