Most Popular Dog Names Of 2018 Reveals ‘Big Cultural Moments,’ Says Rover.com

Not only do people love their dogs but apparently they love naming them, too. Inspired by whatever is around them, dog owners are trendy when naming their furry loved ones. The Dog People, powered by Rover.com, published its annual list of most popular dog names and revealed that pop culture made a huge impact on the dog-naming decision.

Rover.com is the world’s largest network of dog walkers and pet sitters. The site proclaims itself “obsessed with dog names.” Using its database of more than a million dog names, Rover.com processed the data and compiled statistics to show the trends of the year. The result uncovered some surprising choices.

Not surprisingly, however, more than 94 percent of pet parents consider their dog a family member. Likewise, the numbers indicated more than 36 percent of dog names are human, with many dog names inspired by celebrity baby names.

The top five male names were Max, Charlie, Cooper, Buddy, and Jack. The report indicated the name Cooper is on the rise, while the name Buddy is on the decline. The top five female names were Bella, Lucy, Luna, Daisy, and Lola. The report showed the name Luna is on the rise, while the name Daisy is on the decline.

Names inspired by pop culture take the top spot as pet parents look to television, movies, and music for their pup’s namesake. People are using names of celebrity babies, such as Luna, Stella, and Jack, with the name Stormi rising 240 percent. Also on the rise, expect to hear people calling their dogs Cardi, Freddie Mercury, and Gambino. And though dogs everywhere are good, some have been named after fictional villains, such as Loki, Bane, and Thanos.

A surprisingly large amount of people have named their dogs after a murderous clown, Pennywise, in honor of the 2017 release of It. With a 500 percent increase in the name, it is only second to Cardi, which saw a 1,250 percent increase. Dog people enjoy their science fiction and fantasy just as much as their horror flicks. Names from the Guardians of the Galaxy, Rogue One, Wonder Woman and Thor increased up to 186 percent.

Retro names are also on the rise, such as Minnie, Pearl, and Irene, while some folks are inspired by the west, giving their dogs names such as Maeve, Dolores, and Logan. Other top influencers include the royal family, with the names Harry and Meghan increasing roughly 130 percent each. Other popular royal names for dogs were Sophie, George, and Prince.

“Nine out of ten pet parents consider their dogs full-fledged members of the family. They’re not just pets, but part of the family we choose,” said Halle Hutchison, vice president of marketing for Rover, as reported by Business Wire. “Our dogs and what we choose to call them is part of our self-expression, which is why people name their pets after the things they love and admire, from pop culture icons to superheroes.”