Choice of pet name is important
LUNA is shooting for the moon, topping the lists of both Australia’s most popular dog names and our most popular cat names.
But despite its popularity, Luna is something of an outlier when it comes to pet names, as the monikers we give our furry friends more and more often begin to mirror those we give to our children.
According to a study from PetCircle, Luna was the most popular name for dogs born in 2022, followed by Charlie, Daisy, Archie and Milo.
Luna was also No.1 for cats, followed by Loki, Coco, Milo and Bella.
With more and more Aussie pet owners pampering their pets in the same way they might treat their children, the study found a strong correlation between Australia’s favourite dog and cat names and our favourite baby names.
Sixty per cent of Pet Circle’s top 20 dog and cat names feature in parenting website BabyCentre Australia’s top 100 baby boy and girls names in 2022, including 80 per cent of the top 20 dog names and 45 per cent of the top 20 cat names.
Some of the most popular choices for both fur babies and human babies were: Leo, Charlie, Archie, Max, Ollie, George, Teddy, Alfie, Luna, Ruby, Mia, Bella, Millie, Frankie, Rosie, Lola and Willow.
Owners increasingly find inspiration in popular culture such as movies or TV shows.
The popularity of Luna may come from its romantic name, which of course means moon in Spanish, or perhaps also from Harry Potter character Luna Lovegood, who is the first Luna that comes up via a Google search.
Early on Archie was slated to be the name of the dog Michelle Goodsell and her children Alyssa and Ashton added to the family.
“We love names that start with A, so when we are choosing our kids names, we came across Archie and loved it so much we basically reserved it for our future dog,” Mrs Goodsell said.
“Eight years and two ‘A named’ kids later, Archie was realised.”
Dog behaviourist Lara Shannon said owners should carefully consider what name they will give to their pet. “Think about what you, and particular children might be calling out in public,” she said.
“Think about how many other dogs might have the same name, which can be confusing for your dog, ending up with other dogs running to you or your dog running off to someone else.
SEE TODAY’S AT HOME MAGAZINE TO DISCOVER WHAT YOUR PET IS TRYING TO TELL YOU.