Choosing a name for your puppy is part of the fun of bringing a new pet home. The best male dog names and the best female dog names depend on many factors – from personal preference to the individual dog’s personality.
While there are many possible sources of dog names, pop culture is currently a heavy influence on pet parents – and there’s no big change in that trend in 2023. .
Stacie Grissom, content director at BARK, which launched BarkBox in 2012, a themed monthly toy and snack subscription, says she thinks we’ll continue to see pop culture-inspired dog names . She says pet parents tend to prefer naming their dogs after the protagonist or misunderstood character, as opposed to the villain. BARK has served over 6.5 million dogs since launch, which is the foundation of their database against which to forecast their names.
Popular dog names for 2023
Since we’ll continue to see dog names inspired by pop culture moments, Stacie says, these names will be popular in 2023 because of upcoming movies and shows. next:
- Nori, Galadriel and Finrod from Amazon’s “Power of the Rings” – a new “Lord of the Rings” series
- Maverick is the result of the release of “Top Gun: Maverick” in 2022
- Ariel, Flounder, Sebastian and Ursula, to coincide with “The Little Mermaid” theatrical release in May 2023
- Charlotte, Daphne and Simon because “Bridgerton” continues to be an influencer and the next season is expected in 2023
- Tuk / Tuktirey and Kiri for the re-release of “Avatar”
- Gizmo for “Gremlins 3” is slated for release in 2023, and Gizmo is the Shih Tzus’ top name, according to BARK’s breed data, released last summer.
Stacie said one of the big trends they’re seeing is a lot of characters from recent popular movie and TV universes like Marvel, “Game of Thrones” or “Star Wars.”
“These cultural institutions have a lot of followers who want to show their love of these fictional worlds so they can talk about it with others,” she said. “Since you can’t talk to your dog about the latest ‘House of the Dragon’ episode, we saw it as a way to share your love and get your dog involved in all these things. what you love. This continues to be a huge trend with more and more dog parents wanting to include their dogs in their human celebrations throughout the year. “
Inspiration for the best bitch names
Stacie says that in the case of female dog names, today there is a strong correlation between the increase common human baby names and dog names — especially when it comes to two-syllable, easy-to-call names like Luna, Nova, and Bella.
“We don’t tend to see religiously inspired names, but we do see a lot of Greek god names like Athena, Atlas, Zeus and Apollo, and we expect this trend to continue into the future.” in 2023.”
Erin Askeland, animal health and behavior specialist at Camp Bow Wow of Westminster, Colorado, which has a database of dog names from nearly 400,000 campers annually, says it’s still a bit early to predict the 2022 names could give some indication of common dog names variable in 2023.
Erin said that in 2022, Luna beat Bella to be the top name of the year. Camp Bow Wow’s top 10 dog names for 2022 are:
- Moonlight
- Bella
- Charlie
- Cooper
- Lucy
- Daisy
- Max
- Milo
- Sadie
- Friend
Jenna Mahan, curator and registered veterinary technician at Pet insurancesays that based on their large national database, the most popular pet name in the United States at the moment is actually Luna, followed by Bella.
“Based on data from previous years, we found that some of the top names continue to appear year after year,” she said.
“Some of these names include Luna, Bella, Max, Daisy, Buddy and Rocky. We predict that most of these names will move into naming trends by 2023.”
She said some of the always-loved bitch names are Luna, Bella and Stella. Though they are seeing the proliferation of bitches named Lucy and Zoey. Max and Charlie are the two names that dominate the top of male dog names, names like Milo and Bear are heard more and more.
Predict dog naming trends for 2023
Embrace also finds that pet parents are inspired by pop culture.
“Prior to the premiere of Marvel Studios’ ‘Loki’ TV series in 2021, they discovered that there were over 800 insured pets with the name Loki and almost 500 named Thor,” she said. “Other famous names inspired by Marvel include Groot, Stark, Hulk, Thanos, Wanda, Gamora, Hawkeye, and Falcon.”
In 2021, Embrace analyzed holiday-inspired pet names and discovered that over 1,000 dogs were named Buddy, after the holiday elf. Other popular holiday-inspired pet names include Ginger (600+), Cookie (430+), Holly (around 300), and Ivy (280+). Embrace also covers pets with pop-culture-inspired names and historical figures, including: Albus Dumbledog and Khloe Korgidashian.
How to find the best dog name
Jenna says pet owners find naming inspiration in everything from movies and television to holidays and seasons.
“When naming your pet, think about their physical features for more unique options,” she says. “Consider their personalities, their interests and more. While Oreo and Hershey are lovely names, there are likely to be other options that stand out as interesting or unique. “
She says one place to start is to consider your and your family’s interests, hobbies, passions, frequent travel destinations or favorite characters and then make some outside choices. Don’t be afraid to mix and match influences.
“Get an Embraced pet, Lady Butterscotch First Duchess of Carbahill,” she said. “Sometimes, finding inspiration from multiple sources can make for the most memorable names.”
Erin says there are a few things to keep in mind when naming a dog.
“Since your dog’s name will be used for training purposes, short, two-syllable names will be helpful for getting your dog’s attention,” she says. “Names like commonly used words or signs can confuse your dog. For example, Shay is a cute name, but it can sound like ‘stay’ for a dog. “
She says that names ending in vowels help dogs distinguish their own names from others because vowels change the timbre of their voices, which is something dogs are very pleased with with acute hearing. of them.
“Names that end in more difficult sounds, like Breck, can also be easier for a dog to distinguish from other words,” she says.
Stacie recommends thinking about your interests and choosing something you love, whether it’s nature, a particular TV show, a type of car, or a character from a novel.
“I think it’s hard to pick a name that absolutely no one chooses,” she said. “For example, I was surprised to see in our data two customers whose dogs were named Butternut Squashington, but the data on dog names is intriguing to see as a signal of what people respect.”
Find the most suitable name for your dog
Ultimately, the best name for your dog is one that works for you, your family, and your dog. Think about how easy it is for you and your family to say your name and how clear it is for your dog to understand.
Pop culture references from movies and TV shows are great sources that can help you come up with a more unique name for your pet. If you have a hobby like sports, that can help steer things too.
“When we drill down to the data at the regional level, we find dogs named after college coaches, mascots, or NFL/NBA/NHL players,” says Stacie. “Overall, movies, books, television, and popular culture are the biggest influences on dog names.”
Even if your dog’s name isn’t unique, don’t sweat it as long as you and your dog are happy.
