MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's note: The attached video originally aired on July 12, 2021
Picking out a name for your pooch doesn't rise to the level of rocket science, but it is a significant decision in the scheme of things. Think of it this way: You will call that name out loud thousands of times during the years you'll spend together. If it's too trendy, too cute, or impossibly annoying... you get the drift.
Rover.com, a company that operates an online marketplace for people to buy and sell pet care services, has released its list of top dog names for 2022. Most will not surprise you, and chances are you have a dog in your neighborhood who responds to one of them.
TOP FEMALE DOG NAMES
- Bella
- Luna
- Lucy
- Daisy
- Zoe
- Lily
- Lola
- Bailey
- Stella
- Molly
TOP MALE DOG NAMES
- Max
- Charlie
- Cooper
- Buddy
- Milo
- Bear
- Rocky
- Duke
- Tucker
- Jack
But along with the largely conventional comes some that reflect the times. Dogs adopted during the COVID pandemic have been named Fauci, Zoom, Pfizer, Vax, or even COVID itself. How could you do that to a four-legged friend?
Rover says the Tokyo Olympics also worked their way into the dog naming game with some owners opting to go with Suni, after Minnesota's own gold medal gymnast.
The survey found that Korean boy band BTS dominated celebrity-inspired dog names, with Suga, Kim, V and Gin making the list. Bad news for T-Swizzle fans, however: The number of pooches named Taylor or Taylor Swift is definitely trending downward. Rover says for the first time, a dog named Aretha Franklin showed up in their query.
And when it comes to dogs named after food, meat monikers continue to be popular. Among those most cited are Bacon, Brisket, Ham, Pork Chop, and Beef. Those who opt to steer away from meat reported names ranging from Cauliflower and Beans to Tofu, Almond and Pickles.
Get more info on 2021's top dog names and trends here.