Most Popular Pet Names Of 2022 Revealed, Some Might Shock You
Pets named after food was the new pet-naming trend that defined 2022, which experts think may be correlative between the comfort we get from food and our pets.
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When it comes to naming pets and kids, people seem to take greater creative liberties year by year. You’re just as likely to hear grown adults calling out to “Maverick” or “Arrow” on the little league ballfield as you are at the dog park. Food&Wine Magazine noticed another trend in pet naming: more people than ever are choosing food and drink monikers for their precious pets.
Rover.com recently published its lists of the most popular dog and cat names for 2022. Their list was compiled from millions of pet names submitted by website users. In addition to sharing the most popular pet names for 2022, Rover also provided insight into some of the more unusual names pet parents are giving their fur babies.
Kate Jaffe, a trend expert at Rover.com said in an email, “Our pets’ names reveal a lot about us – including the foods we’re craving right now. In 2022, we saw a spike in pet names inspired by comfort foods like desserts and fast food. Some of this year’s top-trending pet names may indicate a link between the comfort we get from food and the comfort we get from our beloved companions.”
Food-related dog names enjoyed a surge in popularity, with the name Hotpot surging 1,085% over last year. Sashimi, Pastrami, Yerba and Calzone also appeared much more often on the 2022 list of popular pet names for dogs. As for cats, food-centric name surges included Parsley, Morel, Roll, Green Bean and Tamale.
Beverages also seem to inspire newly popular pet names for both dogs and cats, with the name Seltzer appearing on Rover’s list for the first time ever. Pups with drink-based names include Gin, Mai Tai and Truly. Kitties with fizzy or boozy names include Gimlet, Chardonnay, Vino and the adorable but foreboding White Claw.
Musicians, royals and other celebrities have always been the source of many popular pet names. In 2022, Lilibet surged 282% and the already popular Meghan got a new twist when Meghan Barkle appeared on the list. Dolly Barkin’, Ozzy Pawsborn and Diggie Smalls were funny takes on musicians’ names when tagged onto canine companions.
Celebrity spins also applied to the kitty cat crowd. Football star Patrick Mahomes inspired more than one Catrick Meowhomes in 2022, and a surprising number of cats (perhaps orange?) were named Donald or Trump. Marvel and Disney movies also contributed to the cat pool of popular pet names, with Micro, Zemo and Gilmore climbing cat trees beside Mirabel, Luisa and Zurg.
Nostalgia was also big in 2022 and it was reflected in the way we decided to name our new pets. Not quite contenders for the most popular pet names, Delorean, Happy Gilmore, and Scarlet O’Hara showed up as dog monikers, while Bing Crosby and Iggy Pop popped up on the cat charts. A considerable number of cat owners decided to show their support for marijuana legalization by naming their kitties Ganja, Canna, Reefer, Kandy, Dank, and Stonie.
As expected, the most popular pet names for dogs are those most of us have heard before. The top ten names for male dogs were Max, Charlie, Cooper, Milo, Buddy, Rocky, Bear, Teddy, Duke, and Leo. Female dogs are most commonly named Luna, Bella, Daisy, Lucy, Lily, Zoe, Lola, Sadie, Bailey, and Stella.
Popular pet names for furry felines also sound familiar. Tomcats were most often named Oliver, Milo, Leo, Charlie, Max, Loki, Simba, Jack, Ollie or Jasper. The top ten list of names for female fluffs featured the following: Luna, Lily, Bella, Lucy, Nala, Callie, Kitty, Cleo, Willow and Chloe.
