Every year, Rover.com releases its list of top dog names, and the results are in for 2017! One of the most interesting things about the annual list of the 10 most popular dog names is that it rarely changes much. It’s a classic group of names that dog owners gravitate to year after year. However, when Rover slices and dices its data, different trends do appear in dog naming, even if they’re not apparent in the top 10 names. For those who love statistics, more about that later. But here’s the brand new list of top 10 dog names for 2017:
Top 10 Male Dog Names:
1. Max
2. Charlie
3. Cooper
4. Buddy
5. Jack
6. Rocky
7. Oliver
8. Bear
9. Duke
10. Tucker
Top 10 Female Dog Names:
1. Bella
2. Lucy
3. Daisy
4. Luna
5. Lola
6. Sadie
7. Molly
8. Maggie
9. Bailey
10. Sophie
Popular culture continues to rule the name game. Fifty-three percent of all dog owners name their dogs for a character from a TV show, movie, or book, or after a celebrity. This year, Wonder Woman-themed names are up by 45 percent, and the name Atwood, after the author of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” is up by 200 percent. “Star Wars” names, like Rey, Finn, Luke, and Leia are up by 70 percent.
Nineties pop culture is making a comeback, with names inspired by Harry Potter, Buffy the Vampire, and the band Nirvana. In fact, nineties nostalgia accounts for 3 percent of all dog names.
One new trend this year is inspired by the Internet. “DoggoLingo” refers to words that are heavy on cuteness and onomatopoeia. They have their origin in videos and pictures that have spread throughout social media, creating a virtual Internet language of dogginess. So this year sees a rise in names like Fluffer (up 500 percent) and others, including Floof, Corgo, Boofer, and Woofer.
And finally, we can hardly call this a trend because it persists year after year: 44 percent of all dog names are human names. Which may go to show that our dogs really are part of the family.