Choosing a name for your furry friend is one of the most important decisions you’ll make during your canine-human relationship. After all, a dog’s name follows them throughout their whole life. While some dog owners choose names that have deep meaning (like those inspired by the Bible) and others look to pop culture (calling all Succession fans!), there are certain names whose popularity holds strong and steady across all demographics.
In honor of National Pet Month, TrustedHousesitters dove into the most popular pet names, analyzing over 50,000 monikers registered on its platform. Then, the site sorted those names by popularity, region, and pet type. What it discovered is the most creative and unique pet names in the United States.
“Looking at the thousands of pet names registered at the time of data analysis in 2023, we can reveal the pet names owners are loving across the US, and cultural trends across each state,” the company said in a statement. Without further ado, let’s get into the data behind top dog names!
The top dog names in the U.S.
Nationally, the five most popular boy dog names are:
- Charlie
- Max
- Cooper
- Buddy
- Jack
The five most popular girl dog names are:
- Lucy
- Bella
- Luna
- Daisy
- Bella
The five most popular food-inspired pet names in the nation are:
- Pepper
- Ginger
- Honey
- Cookie
- Peanut
The five most popular character names for dogs are:
- Winnie
- Zeus
- Gizmo
- Thor
- Mickey
The most popular dog name in every state
The TrustedHousesitters study found that the culture of where dog owners live plays a major role in naming their pooches. When looking at dog names at the state and city level, these regionally inspired names dominate the most popular lists. Here’s a map showing the top dog name for each state.
Now we’re going to break down some of the more unusual and exciting findings of a handful of geographic areas.
Texas
Pet names in Texas greatly reflect the ranch and cowboy culture and Spanish influence of the state. The top 100 pet names of the state include:
- Austin
- Dallas
- Rooster
- Dolly
- June Bug
- Paco
- Pinto
- Chief
- Banjo
- Brisket
The largest city in Texas, Houston, includes 50 top pet names influenced by the city’s NASA Space Center, such as Apollo, Astro, Astra, Star, and Cozmo.
Portland, Oregon
As a well-established literary town, Portland residents tend to gather inspiration from literary classics when naming their pets. The top 100 pet names in Portland include notable literary character names like:
- Romeo and Juliet
- Jay, Daisy, and Gatsby
- Atticus
- Huck and Finn
- Harry, Hermione, Dobby
- Pip and Bentley
Distinguished author names on the list include Oscar, Zora, Edith, Ernest, Franz, and Edgar.
California
As the entertainment capital of the world, Los Angeles pet parents certainly carry this reputation when naming their pets. These character names are among the city’s top 100 pet names:
- Gatsby
- Mickey
- Simba
- Minnie
- Elsa
- Winn Dixie
- Zelda
- Yoshi and Yoda
Musician names like Elvis and Biggie are also popular.
Louisiana
The Cajun and Creole French culture and language in Louisiana play a major role when it comes to the most popular pet names of the state. The deep-fried pastry associated with New Orleans — Beignet — is the 10th most popular dog name.
Colorado
Dog names in Colorado take plenty of influence from the Mountain State, with Bear being the 20th most popular dog name, naturally. The top 50 dog names in Colorado also include:
- Scout
- Aspen
- Moose
- Rocky
- Ash
And one last fun fact related to Colorado! The most popular city a dog is named after? Aspen.
Alaska
As one of the best places in the country for stargazing, it comes as no surprise to see astrology-inspired names dominating 2023 pet name trends in Alaska. Cosmo, Star, Eclipse, and Jupiter are included in the top 50 pet names.
New York City
The study found that pet name trends vary in New York City, with Manhattan pet names revolving around movie characters. Meanwhile, pet names in Brooklyn are dominated by food and drinks. Top pet names in Queens reflect the most culturally and diverse borough, while pet parents in The Bronx and Staten Island opt to name their pets traditionally human names.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle, the coffee capital which hosts the very first Starbucks location, has a wide variety of coffee-related pet names. Bean, Mocha, Latte, and Kopi — the Indonesian word for coffee — are included in Seattle’s top 50 pet names. In fact, 80% of pets in Washington named Bean, Beanie, or Beans live in Seattle!
More dog name inspiration
Still looking for the perfect name for your pup? We have plenty more ideas for you. Check out our dog names by breed and by theme!
TrustedHousesitters assisted in the creation of this article.
