Taylor Swift, Barbie, Wednesday, Travis Kelce and more helped to inspire not only popular culture over the last year but have also inspired the names of cats and dogs this year.
Rover.com released its eleventh annual Top Pet Names Report Tuesday for 2023.
“The names we give to our pets reflect what’s happening in the world around us—from trending TV shows, important public figures and even social media trends—and eleven years into the campaign, this trend is still going strong,” said Kate Jaffe, a trend expert at Rover. “A lot happened in 2023 and the names we lovingly chose for our pets reflect the most memorable moments . From strong female leads, to blockbuster hits, our favorite comfort foods and nostalgic pop culture icons, this year’s list suggests we’re all after a little extra comfort right now.”
The most popular male dog name for 2021 is Charlie, according to Rover. This was the first time that Charlie surpassed Max in over a decade. The most popular female dog and female cat is Luna. The most popular male cat name is Oliver.
Top 10 dog names:
| Male dog names | Female dog names |
|---|---|
| Charlie | Luna |
| Max | Bella |
| Cooper | Daisy |
| Milo | Lucy |
| Buddy | Lily |
| Teddy | Lola |
| Rocky | Zoe |
| Bear | Sadie |
| Leo | Stella |
| Duke | Bailey |
Top 10 cat names:
| Popular cat names |
|---|
| Luna |
| Milo |
| Oliver |
| Leo |
| Bella |
| Charlie |
| Lily |
| Kitty |
| Lucy |
| Loki |
Trends
Kelce is the top trending dog name in America, according to Rover per ESPN. Kelce has gone up 135% following two huge popular culture phenomena over the last year - the Kelce brothers facing off during the Super Bowl last year and the relationship between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.
Taylor and Swift are trending for cats, according to People Magzine. Swiftie for the first time made the list of dog names. Cat names were inspired by some of Swift’s songs which makes sense since she is a cat lover. Those names include Este and Karma.
U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team players Crystal Dunn and Megan Rapinoe helped to inspire cat names Dunn and Megan, according to People Magazine.
The “Barbie” movie was also a big inspiration this year. the name Barbie for cats went up 23% and so did Barb which went up 93%, according to Rover. Ken went up 79% for dogs. Mattel also became a trend this year for dogs for the first time.
Food and drinks have made an impact on the names of pets. The name Beer for dogs went up 330%. Other food-related dog named include Green Bean, Cheerios, S’more and Tiramisu, according to Rover. For cats, they include Maple Syrup, Pastrami, Calzone, Burrata, Boursin and Provolone.
New dog names this year that were inspired by nostalgia include Leonardo Dogcaprio, Shania Twain, Richard Gere, Fergie, Shakira, and Avril. Alanis after Alanis (Morissette) went up 547% this year. Drew Barrymore went up 297% for dogs. Even Spice Girls were trending this year with Ginger Spice and Spice Girl for the first time.
If you are looking for inspiration to name your new dog or cat, you can visit Rover’s website.
