(PRESS RELEASE) JEFFERSONVILLE, IN – It’s no secret that Americans love football. And according to PetFirst Pet Insurance that love has inspired many to name their pets after their favorite players and teams.
According to a list of more than 33,000 pet names, Patriot-inspired names far outnumber the competition. PetFirst identified 39 Toms, 35 Bradys, five Gronks, two Patriots and one Edelman compared to just 10 Carsons and one Wentz. In some families, the dedication extended beyond just one dog or cat. A super fan in Texas has two Whippets named Gronk and Brady. Another fan in California went with Gronk and Edelman for their mixed breed dogs.
And while it’s not clear if all the Carsons come from football families, the beagle in Pennsylvania named Wentz is from an Eagles household. A family in Massachusetts is so dedicated to #12 that they went with the full name – Tom Brady – for their mix breed dog.
“We weren’t surprised to see so many of our pet owners naming their animals after their favorite football players, said Katie Blakeley, CEO of PetFirst Pet Insurance. “Pets are part of the family and these families clearly love football. As teams gain in popularity, we tend to see a bump in names associated with them. We’re anticipating a few more Carsons on the list this time next year.”
The information was pulled from a list of more than 33,000 PetFirst Pet Insurance customers. PetFirst is the most recommended pet insurance company among new pet owners in the United States with a focus on clear, comprehensive policies with no per-incident limits.
Other popular football names on the list include Eli (17), Peyton (12), Russell (7), Blake (6) and Newton (5). One Manning-family cat lover named his cats Peyton and Eli for the star QBs. Cowboys fans are particularly keen on using players’ names. One went with Romo and Dez for their two dogs. While an Ohio family has a pair of Labrador Retrievers named Zeke and Elliott, inspired by the star running back. In addition, two Daks made it onto the list.
Quarterbacks were the most popular namesakes with Blake, Brady, Brees, Cam, Carson, Dak, Dalton, Eli, Elway, Newton, Peyton, Tom and Wentz all showing up.