Most Popular Dog Names

One of the fun parts of getting a pet is picking out a name. I have seen some trends come and go during 15 years as a dog trainer, while others seem to be consistently popular.

For example, in the late 1990’s, Elmo was a very popular name, with kids taking a role in the naming and the Sesame Street character being at the peak of his popularity at the time. Buddy, an ever popular name became even more so with the release of “Air Bud,” a movie about a basketball-playing golden retriever. Disney princesses Jasmine and Arielle have also dubbed their fair share of dogs.

I have also seen some very unusual names over the years, including Deogie (pronounced D.O.G… the client vowed to someday get a cat and name it Ciatie). Other less common dog names have included ones given human names such as Jennifer or Mike. I even had a client one time whose dog was named after a Pokeman character… I’m sorry to admit that I never did learn to pronounce it properly!

While some people enjoy naming their pets something less common, there are several names that have been long-standing classics, and many that have maintained their popularity over the past ten years. According to a database that gathers data based upon the printing of identification tags for tens of thousands of pets, the top ten male dog names in the US of late include: Max, Jake, Buddy, Bear, Bailey, Shadow, Sam, Lucky, Rocky and Buster, while the top ten female dog names are: Maggie, Bear, Molly, Shadow, Lady, Sadie, Lucky, Lucy, Daisy and Brandy.

Paired dog names are also fun and some of the ones I have trained have included Laverne and Shirley, Heckle and Jeckle, Romeo and Juliet, and Peaches and Cream. Other popular pairs from the database include: Back and Forth, Beauty and Beast, Coco and Chanel, Duke and Duchess, Itsy and Bitsy, Lady and Tramp, Mumbo and Jumbo, Sugar and Spice, and Zig and Zag.

Further, some pet owners I’ve worked with have chosen funny names for their pets, including a large bulldog named Tiny, very small dogs named Spike or Killer, a smooth dog named Fluffy, and a solid black dog named Spot.

Whatever name you choose for your dog, it is likely to bring something to mind for you and everyone who meets your pet. Just one of the fun parts of having a pet, naming your dog is a great way to get creative and have that creativity last for many years to come!