Here Are The Top Pet Names For 2021 & The COVID-Inspired Ones Are Hilarious
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COVID-19, Olympic winners, vegan food, celebrities and Disney-inspired names are among the many trends people use to name their furry friends in 2021.
Rover, a Seattle-based company that connects pet sitters and dog walkers with pet owners, released its ninth annual rundown of the most famous names for pets in 2021.
It's safe to say, all the time spent at home and surge in adoption rates has got people coming up with some pretty creative pets names.
Trends for 2021
Don't be surprised if you meet a dog named Dr. Fauci soon as the name, which first gained popularity back in 2020, went up 270% this year, followed by Covid, which went up by 35%.
Following the trend of naming pets after the social impact of COVID-19, it's no surprise that the name Zoom went up by 443%, given the sheer amount of time people have spent on the telecommuting platform since the pandemic hit.
Being at home has also propelled people into streaming more TV shows and movies, especially on Disney+. At least, that might be the reason why so many people named their pets Grogu after The Mandalorian, which went up by 4,000%. This was also the first year that anyone named their dog Lady Whistledown after the hit Netflix show Bridgerton.
"Each year, our annual top pet names report showcases what cultural moments made an impact, and clearly, the pandemic was a big factor. From sports to the TV shows we binge-watched, our pets' names were shaped by a truly unique year," said trend expert for Rover, Kate Jaffe. "With the continuation of work from home, our bonds with our pets have grown even deeper."
The most significant pop culture moments also played a massive role in the names people chose for their pets. The Free Britney movement made a cameo as the celebrity's name went up in popularity for the first time as a dog name.
Similarly, the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman boosted the name Chadwick by 400% as a cat name, while Boseman went up by 1,068% as a dog name.
Possibly the cutest dog name trend of all from 2021 is the one inspired by vegan foods. The two most popular names along those lines were Tofu and Almond.
The most popular names
Although people came up with some interesting names, according to a press release by Rover, the most popular female dog names in 2021, were Bella, Luna, Lucy, Daisy, Zoe, Lily, Lola, Bailey, Stella and Molly. In comparison, the most popular male dog names were Max, Charlie, Milo, Buddy, Rocky, Bear, Leo, Duke, Teddy and Tucker.
Similarly, the top female cat names in 2021 were Luna, Bella, Lily, Lucy, Nala, Kitty, Chloe, Stella, Zoe and Lola. While the top male cat names were Oliver, Leo, Milo, Charlie, Max, Simba, Jack, Loki, Ollie and Jasper.
Rover also released that the top dog name of 2021 in the UK is Luna. The country also saw a spike in British-inspired names like Boris, after the British PM and Teddy from Love Island.
The Top Pet Names of 2021
Alas, only a handful of names can make the list of the top pet names used globally and here it is:
- Bella
- Luna
- Charlie
- Max
- Lucy
- Daisy
- Bailey