Popular Dog Names

As a result of the pandemic and the intermittent lockdowns, more people than ever before decided to buy or adopt a dog.

02/11/2021

 

 

Dog ownership is bigger and more popular than ever before. Due to the pandemic and the intermittent lockdowns, more people than ever before decided to buy or adopt a dog.

In the UK, 3.2 million people took in a new dog during Covid restrictions, as did millions more in the US. This pattern was followed across Europe, South Africa, and other countries including Australia.

It would seem that during 2020, dogs were man’s and woman’s best friends. Dog ownership grew in part from a need for companionship, and dogs and pets, in general, can help improve mental health and wellbeing.

So, you would think with all the good and love that dogs bestow on their owners, that they would at least give them a good name as well as a home.

When it is time to name a dog, there are many reasons that titles are chosen. Choices range from movie characters to cultural references, and they can differ around the world.

 

Here are some of the ways people choose dog names, and the most popular ones in the world today:

 

Caring for your Dog

Apart from finding a fine name for your new pet, you also have to make sure they are looked after.

Although the recent Covid dog adoptions are to be welcomed, it is good to remember that if you are looking for a new dog, they are a real responsibility to have.

Dogs need regular exercise, love, mental stimulation, and a good diet. You will need to fund vet visits and vaccinations. However, there will be some fun to be had shopping too. When you get your new puppy a visit to a Pet Parlour website for some dog toys, a bed, and some treats, will help the new pet settle in.

 

All the Ways that people Pick their dog’s Name

Choosing a dog’s name can be easy or difficult. On occasion, you can look at a dog and just know what it should be called. Other times it might take some time until their personality comes out.

Some people buy the same breed of dog throughout their lives and continue to name them the same but with a suffix announcing that they are Fido II or III. Others meanwhile choose foreign language names with a meaning behind them.

Here are the many ways people use to pick their dog's names, followed by the most popular dog names in 2021.

 

The Accidental Name

This is where an owner is struggling to come up with a name, and it happens due to a happy accident.

For instance, one dog owner kept calling his dog ‘buster’ in conversation without any intention of it being his name until one day it just stuck. However, his girlfriend who struggled with English heard the word ‘pasta’ instead.

So, the new dog was simultaneously known as Pasta and Buster. Incidentally, Buster is the 10th most common name for a male dog.

 

The Pop-Cultural Reference

This became particularly popular during the eighties, and also when muscle dogs became more popular.

Like pit bulls, staffies, and other bull terriers, became more commonplace, owners wanted something fitting. What better than Rambo and Rocky? Oddly, Rocky is still in the top 5 when it comes to popular names for male dogs.

And of course, Scooby-Doo is still popular with Rhodesian ridgeback owners today.

 

Names with Meanings

In South Africa, it is not uncommon to choose names in African languages that not only sound good but have a meaning behind them.

Dogs are great companions and there are many activities that you can do in SA with them. Preparing for going camping or hiking, for instance, should involve getting your dog along for walks, and guarding the site.

And, what better name for a protective companion than Aza or Bheka, which mean ‘strong’ and ‘to watch’ respectively. Perfect for a Boerboel or German shepherd.

Alternatively, you may like Tandi for a girl dog, which means fire, or Enyi which simply means friend.

 

The Lookalikes

One reason for naming a dog can be due to the way they look. Golden retrievers are incredibly friendly and kind dogs. They may have been bred for hunting purposes, but they make the perfect pet for families with children.

While they are both protective and trustworthy, their size and colouring make them perfect for naming after another strong animal. It is for these reasons that some people would name their retriever, Leo, after the lion.

 

The Rhyming Names

Puns and rhymes are popular with some dog owners. Groucho is one option that could be used, ie Groucho Barks.

Another popular one with a certain breed of dog is Doug. The pug is one of the oldest breeds of dog in the world, but instead of receiving a dignified title, they are known the world over as Doug the pug.

They make lovable pets though, and their size makes them perfect for small pet beds that double as a side or coffee table.

 

Traditional Dog Names

Some dog owners like to go down the traditional route when it comes to naming their pets. This can mean names such as Lucky and Lassie, along with Spot, Buddy, Shadow, Pepper, and Lady.

 

Human Names

Alternatively, human names can be used. Fans of the Walking Dead will know that Daryll went extremely literal when naming his companion who is known simply as Dog.

However, human names are also used for dogs, and some of them are the most popular titles given today. Bob, Charlie, Jenny, Milo, and Benjy, are all commonly used.

 

Named due to Colour and Appearance

One of the most common ways a dog finds itself tagged for life is due to the way they look. Pepper is not unknown for scruffy-looking Jack Russel terriers. Similarly, Guinness is used for dogs with rich black, brown, and white colouring. Panda is used for dogs with black and white patches, as is Patch for white dogs with one eye surrounded by black fur.

Nanouk is a rarer name but one that can cover more than one base here. Nanouk, or Nanuq, is Inuit for the polar bear. Thus it works for white dogs as well as having another meaning in a different language.

 

The most popular dog names Today

According to Statista, there are 471 million dogs in the world, which means there are a lot of different names out there.

The popularity of dog names does differ across different countries, and names come in and out of style as do human names. Popular names in Australia such as Dingo and Tilly may not be so popular in South Africa or the UK.

However, at the risk of angering dog lovers everywhere, here are the top five names for boy and girl dogs, according to some sources.

 

Popular male dogs

    Bailey
    Max
    Charlie
    Buddy
    Rocky

 

Popular female dog names

    Bella
    Lucy
    Molly
    Daisy
    Maggie

 

What may be interesting about the current popularity of these names is that nearly all of them are based on real human names. The exceptions are the classic Buddy, the pop culture reference to Rocky, and one more. Bailey could well be simply a name or it may refer to Baileys the drink.

 

Summary

No matter how you choose to name your dog, or which title is given to him or her, there is only one thing you need to remember.

Your dog will give you unconditional love, try to protect you, comfort you, and be your friend. You, though, have a responsibility to give that dog all the love in return you can.

So, with this in mind perhaps don’t name them anything too daft such as Cuddles. After all, if they run away from you in the park, it will be you who has to call out their name loudly...

 

 

 

 

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