The UK’s Most Popular Pet Names
From ordinary human names to those inspired by pop culture and all the weird and wonderful names in between, choosing what to call your pet is a serious business. After all, the name must fit with their personality - But what are the most popular pet names for our four-legged friends?
Well, we have delved into thousands of pet insurance enquiries to find out just that - with some interesting results. The data reveals the UK’s favourite cat and dog names and even investigates which pet monikers are most common by breed type.
The results show that the name we love most for both cats and dogs is Luna, with over 16,000 dogs Band 3,343 cats sporting this ethereal name around the country. Both animals also share the same rank for the name Milo, coming in third cross-species.
The UK’s favourite dog names
When it comes to the nation’s pooches, we see that the most popular names are female, with Luna (16,051), Bella (15,838) and Lola (11,636) all in the top five. Milo is the most popular male dog name at 12,588 and Bailey is the top gender-neutral name at 12,179.
The most popular dog names by breed
Whilst more common dog names like Max, Charlie and Daisy are popular across the board, when looking at the breakdown by breed, there are some interesting trends.
Breeds like Shih Tzus, Pomeranians and Cockerpoos all share the name Teddy as the most popular dog name - which might be due to their likely resemblance to the cuddly soft toys.
Similarly for bigger breeds like Rottweilers and St Bernards - Bear is the most popular pooch name.
Dog owners also like to take inspiration from the breed’s name itself, where we see Italian Greyhounds most likely to be called Enzo, which is a traditional name in Italy. Another traditionally inspired name is Angus, which is the favourite for Scottish Terriers.
The UK’s favourite cat names
Our feline friends' top five names are more evenly split with female names like Luna (3,343) and Coco (2,371) ranking first and fourth in that order, male names Simba (2,637) and Milo (2,397) ranking second and third respectively and gender-neutral Charlie (2,111), in fifth.
The most popular cat names by breed
When we look at cats, owners are generally led by the colours of their cats’ coats, for example, short hair black and white cats are most popularly named Oreo and Persian Smokes are most likely to be called Shadow.
For those without fur, like the Sphynx cat, the choice of name offers up more of a pop culture reference, where the most popular name for the breed is Dobby.
Other pop culture references include – Casper, a popular choice for white cats including the British White Shorthair and Garfield, the top name for the Longhaired Grey.
Advice for getting a new pet
When getting a new pet, coming up with its name may be one of the first things you do, however, there are certainly lots of other things to consider when thinking about bringing your new four-legged friend home.
Have a plan
Brush up on breed specifics such as exercise needs and dietary requirements, that way you can be clear on what your new pet needs and sort a schedule ahead of time.
Registering your pet
Be sure to register with your local vet as soon as possible and consider which pet insurance coverage might be right for you.
Microchipping
Microchipping your dog is a legal requirement and will soon be a legal requirement for cats too. Responsible breeders will ensure puppies are microchipped before 8 weeks old, but you should always check that this has happened and that they are registered in your name. Kittens are also required to be chipped before they reach 20 weeks.
We have plenty of helpful guides to help with owning a pet, including information on training puppies and kittens.
Methodology
All data was taken from the number of enquiries made for pet insurance at comparethemarket.com over the past 12 months (Jan-2022 to Jan-2023).