Pet Names

Did you know that Max was the number one male dog name of 2021? We always love seeing the cute and fun names people come up with for their furry companions. Some recent studies have uncovered some pretty interesting statistics about pet names. A local veterinarian offers some highlights below.

Top Dog

As mentioned above, Max was at the top of the charts for male pooches. Other high scorers included Charlie, Milo, Bear, Leo, Buddy, Rocky, and Teddy. For girls, the number one was Bella, followed by Luna, Lucy, Lily, Bailey, Lola, Daisy, Zoe, and Stella.

Cat-egory

What about our feline friends? The top kitty girl names were Luna, Lily, Bella, Lucy, Nala, and Kitty. For male cats, Oliver, Leo, Milo, Charlie, Max, and Simba were the most popular options.

Medieval Pets

Edward, Duke of York, wrote a list of 1100 hunting dog names. Some, such as Troy, Sturdy, Whitefoot, Bo, and Hardy, would not seem out of place today. Then again, we also have names like Nosewise, Amiable, Clenche, Bragge, and Filthe, which would probably raise some eyebrows! 

We all know that Fluffy has been bossing people around for thousands of years. Turns out, most of our feline overlords were named Gilbert back in medieval England. Across the English Channel, kitties often responded to (or ignored) being called by TIbers or Tibert. 

Celebrity Pet Names

The trend of naming pets after celebrities probably isn’t going to stop anytime soon, but these types of names definitely change over time. The names Taylor and Taylor Swift both sank in popularity in 2021. Pets named Jennifer Lopez, Aretha Franklin, and A-Rod joined the list for the first time, along with the first actually feline Doja Cat. And while we’ve been seeing furballs named Oprah for quite some time now, it’s also worth noting that those numbers rose last year. 

Historical Pets

One of the oldest pet name records would be that of the 14th-century knight, who had a hound named Parceval, presumably after King Arthur’s comrade. The ill-fated Anne Boleyn had a dog named Purkoy. This is a translation of the French ‘pour quoi’, which means ‘Why?’. 

Picking A Name

Choosing the purrfect name for a pet can be pretty tricky. Sometimes you may find the perfect name, only to realize it doesn’t suit your furry friend. Baby name generators can be helpful here. You can also try looking up translations of words that remind you of your fuzzy pal’s personality, history, or appearance.

As your local animal clinic, we’re always here to help! Please feel free to contact us anytime!