The Most Popular Dog Names of 2018

Every year, parents-to-be anxiously await baby name rankings – but did you know the same thing exists for dog names? Rover.com, the world’s largest network of pet sitters and dog walkers, recently released their “Top Dog Names of 2018” list. The results were derived from a study of more than one million pups, and they included some pretty interesting findings. Here are the most popular male and female dog names of 2018.

Most Popular Male Dog Names of 2018

1. Max
2. Charlie
3. Cooper
4. Buddy
5. Jack
6. Rocky
7. Duke
8. Bear
9. Tucker
10. Oliver

Most Popular Female Dog Names of 2018

1. Bella
2. Lucy
3. Luna
4. Daisy
5. Lola
6. Sadie
7. Molly
8. Bailey
9. Maggie
10. Stella

Dog Name Inspiration

The Rover.com study concluded that 36% of dogs surveyed had “decidedly human” names. A handful of these monikers even ranked in Baby Center’s Top Baby Names of 2018 – specifically Max, Charlie, Cooper, Jack, Oliver, Bella, Lucy, Luna, and Stella.

Additionally, 16% of dog names were inspired by popular culture, from the royal family to television show characters. “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. “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.”

Some trendy celebrity-inspired dog names include Cardi (derived from rapper Cardi B), Gambino (taken from rapper Childish Gambino), Freddie Mercury, Stormi (the daughter of Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott), and Luna (the daughter of Chrissy Teigen and John Legend).

Pet owners also took their dog names from the following items:

• Newly-released movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and Black Panther (for example: Drax, Nakia, Shuri)
• Villains (Loki, Pennywise, Bane, Jafar)
• TV shows like Westworld (Maeve, Dolores, Teddy)
• The British royal family (Harry, Meghan, George)
• The 20th anniversary of Harry Potter (Dracus, Albus Dumbledog)
• Video games like Fortnite (Zoey, Lucky, Rex)
• Viral trends (Whip, Dab, Kiki)
• Food and drink items (Biscuit, Muffin, Whiskey)

And let’s not forget the classics: retro names like Minnie, Pearl, Fred, and Irene are up 17% from last year. Hipster names are on the rise too – think Soy, Brew, and Bae.

Not sold on a male or female dog name yet? Don’t worry – Rover.com reports that 75% of pet owners choose a name after meeting their furry friend. So you’ve still got time to find a catchy name that speaks to your dog's personality!

For more, see Rover.com’s complete ranking of popular dog names here: https://www.rover.com/blog/dog-names/.