(PRESS RELEASE) SEATTLE – Rover.com, a network of pet sitters and dog walkers, unveiled its seventh annual report of the year’s most popular dog names with a new twist — the addition of the year’s most popular cat names. This year’s data shows that regardless of species or breed, pet names are a reflection of what owners care about most, from the foods they eat to the celebrities they love.
This year’s data reflected pet parents’ appetite for pop culture and what’s trending in the celebrity news scene. Names inspired by star-studded musicians like newcomer Lizzo (up 100 percent) and beloved Beyoncé (up 78 percent) made huge gains, and Taylor Swift’s reputation is on track with a 400 percent increase. Binge-worthy TV shows were also one of the top sources of inspiration for pet parents. The name Maisel of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel rose 1000 percent and Westeros-savior Arya Stark increased by 150 percent.
“The names we give our pets provide a peek into our passions, aspirations, happy places, and guilty pleasures, reinforcing what we at Rover know to be true: our pets are as unique as the names we lovingly bestow upon them,” said Kate Jaffe, trend expert for Rover. “That’s why we’re so honored that hundreds of thousands of pet parents trust us with their furry family members.”
The humanization of pets was another trend for 2019, a survey by Rover revealed. The majority of pet parents (55 percent) said their pet either has a human name or they would consider giving their pet a human name. Pet parents (25 percent) also would consider giving their pet a name they had considered for their child. Trending baby names that inspired pet names included Dorothy, Elaine, and Dennis.
What’s in a name, exactly? Rover examined this year’s data to learn where today’s pet parents are drawing inspiration.
Walk of Fame
2019 data continues to tell the story of what’s trending for dog names with celebrities and pop culture.
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- Who deserves the royal crown? Meghan — up by 42 percent — wins with dog owners compared to other royals of her generation, but nobody beats Diana or Queen Elizabeth. Both are up by 200 and 150 percent, respectively.
- Celebrity baby names are also popular, with Chip and Joanna Gaines-inspired Crew up 411 percent, Kylie Jenner’s Stormi up 364 percent and Kim and Kanye’s Saint up 96 percent this year.
You are what you … name your pet?
Whether we aspire to healthier habits or crave comfort foods, our pets reveal the quickest way to pet parent hearts.
- Dog parents love pink wine and sweets. Rosé is up 183 percent and dessert-related names such as Cake, Croissant, and Cupcake increased.
- For cat parents, it’s all about caffeine and cocktails. Cats are more likely to be given alcohol-inspired names than dogs, and 8 out of 10 drink-themed cat names were coffee-related such as Mocha, Kona and Latte.
- It’s not all indulgences though; healthy habits are also on the rise for both cats and dogs. Dogs named Kale (up 70 percent) and Keto (up 57 percent) increased, while cats named Chia and Boba are also trending up.
Cannabis Craze
Marijuana-inspired products and services are surfacing at every turn as legalization grows in the U.S.—even in pet names.
- Marijuana-inspired names like Budder, Dank, Doobie, Blaze and Kush are on the rise for dogs and Kush, Doobie, and Blaze are trending for cats.
2019 Top Names for Dogs and Cats
- New for 2019 — Favorite Felines: Luna, Bella and Kitty came in as the top three names for cats in 2019, a new data set for this year.
- Top dogs stay on top: Bella, Luna, Lucy and Daisy kept the top spots for female dogs, with Max, Charlie, Cooper, and Buddy also keeping their top ranks for male dogs in 2019.
To celebrate this year’s launch of services for cats, Rover included trending cat names in its annual report for the first time. The report highlights top trends in the U.S. and in 25 key cities, as well as a new addition of top names in Canada and Europe. For more trends and top names, visit www.rover.com/blog/dog-names.
Methodology
The Top Pet Names 2019 report was developed by Rover between September and October 2019. Results are based on analysis of millions of user-submitted pet names provided by owners on Rover.com. Secondary data was collected by a Rover survey conducted via Pollfish among 1,500 U.S. adult pet owners in October 2019.
