Sign of the times
Pandemic influences naming trends for 2020, Rover survey says
Met any dogs named Rona this year? Bet you did. Or, at least, you probably know someone who did. Just as with babies, people’s choices for naming pets follow popculture trends every year. And in 2020, with more people at home adopting four-legged companions, the names have followed suit.
Rover.com, the world’s largest network of pet sitters and dog walkers, recently released its eighth annual report of most popular pet names — and yes, Rona was right up there, along with Covie. And Corona.
This year’s data show our pets reflect our daily reality and sense of humor. The COVID-19 pandemic gave rise not only to Covi (up 1,159 percent), Rona (up 69 percent) and Corona (up 24 percent), but also names like Fauci, which had never been seen before in this survey.
During quarantines, most of us binge watched TV, which influenced new pet names. For dogs, the unusual name Geralt (a character in “The Witcher”) is up 9,308 percent, the No. 1 trending dog name in 2020; Mando (“The Mandalorian” on Disney+) is up 2,658 percent, the No. 2 trending dog name of 2020; and Carole (Baskin, of “Tiger King”) is trending up 46 percent.
“Examining the trends in pet names provides a snapshot of the year gone by and 2020 has never been a better example, with cultural events, new everyday realities, shifting sentiments and emerging icons really influencing how pet parents name their pets,” Kate Jaffe, a trend expert for Rover, said in a press release. “Unique stressors, like coronavirus, coupled with people increasingly working from home, has led to a boom in pet adop
tion rates and a strengthening of the human-pet bond, so it’s no surprise that the days of simply naming a dog Fido are long gone.”
The humanization of pets continued in 2020, as revealed by Rover’s survey. The majority (58 percent) of pet parents said their pet either has a human name or they would consider a human name in the future. The majority of respondents (62 percent) also said their pets have anywhere from a few nicknames to too many to count. And, as proof that people see their pets as individuals, note that only one in 10 pet parents kept the name their pet already had.
So what’s in a name? Rover examined this year’s data to learn where today’s pet parents are drawing inspiration.
Binge-watching
• Geralt, from “The Witcher,” is the top trending dog name in 2020 (up 9,308 percent).
• Mando, of “The Mandalorian,” is the second top overall trending dog name of 2020 (up 2,658 percent).
• Tiger King’s “Carole” is trending up 46 percent in dog names.
• Are pets named “Ellen” cancelled? Surprisingly, no! Pets named Ellen are actually on the rise.
• “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” ends ... and so does their popularity among pet names. Khloe, Kourtney, Kim, Kylie and Rob are all trending down this year.
• Are RuPaul’s Drag Race superfans also pet owners? Ru is trending up 59 percent in dogs and 30 percent in cats.
COVID = More AtHome Gaming
• Midas (Fortnite), Hanzo (Overwatch) and Shep (Animal Crossing) are all up for both dogs and cats, which is no surprise as people spend an more time at home gaming.
• Call of Duty names are on the rise with Griggs up nearly 60 percent for dogs and Gaz up 250% for cats. Ghost is also trending up for dogs.
• Midas isn’t the only Fortnite name trending this year. Blaze and Banshee are trending up in cats, while Raven is up for dogs.
Music as an Outlet
• For the second straight year, Lizzo is trending up (458 percent in 2020) in dogs. Inspired by the Detroit native hip-hop artist, the name Lizzo is also trending up 100 percent for cats, whereas Kanye and Drake are trending down in cats.
• Kanye is up 33 percent and Nas is also trending up, but Drake, Beyonce and JLo are trending down for dogs.
• Taylor Swift continues to remain a popular dog name, trending up 92 percent in 2020.
• The top five trending music-inspired cat names are Lady Gaga, Lizzo, Katy Pur r y, Catsy Cline and Beyoncé.
• East Coast vs. West Coast: Biggie and Tupac are both trending among dogs this year. Shout out to “Biggie Paws” trending up 258 percent.
COVID, Please Don’t Take Our Sports!
Sports names are trending down this year among dogs and cats, perhaps because we had no live sports for most of this COVID year. But there are exceptions:
• In commemoration of the beloved Kobe Bryant, Kobe is up 16 percent, Mamba is up 111 percent and Black Mamba is up 58 percent in dog names this year. Kobe’s daughter, Gianna is also trending up 20 percent.
• Fan favorite LeBron James is trending up among dogs and Michael Jordan is trending up in cats since the documentary series “The Last Dance” came out.
• Soccer player Neymar (58 percent) tops the list of the most trending athleteinspired dog names of 2020.
• Tom Brady is trending upward, as the TB12 brand reaches a new market (“Tompa Bay”).
Cannabis craze
With states legalizing the weed, marijuana-inspired names are alive and well among cat and dog owners in 2020.
• Ganja is the top trending marijuna-inspired name for dogs at 658 percent, followed by Hash (58 percent), Sativa (33 percent), Haze (21 percent) and Dank ( 13 percent).
• For cats, Hash ( 100 percent), Cheeba (50 percent), Ganja (50 percent), Indica (39 percent) and Mary Jane (11 percent) are the top trending names.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
This is also the year that trend- setting Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a feminist icon and hero to many, died at the age of 87.
• Dogs named Ruth are up in 2020 and dogs named Ruth Bader are up 19 percent.
• Cats named Ruth are up 16 percent .
You think that’s punny?
Pun-inspired names are trending up slightly with cats, down with dogs.
• Top 3 for dogs: Sherlock Bones (309 percent), Karl Barx (59 percent) and Bark Wahlberg (59 percent)
• Top 3 for cats: Fuzz Aldrin (251 percent), Katy Purry (101 percent) and Catzilla (101 percent)
2020 Top Female Names for Dogs
• Bella (also a top baby name), Luna (top baby name), Lucy (top baby name), Daisy, Lola, Saidy (top baby name), Stella (new to the top 10; top baby name), Molly, Bailey and Chloe (new to the top 10)
.2020 Top Male Names for Dogs
• Max, Charlie, Cooper (also a top baby name), Buddy, Milo, Oliver (new to the top 10), Leo (new to the top 10), Bear, Rocky and Jack.
For a full list of the top dog names and trends of 2020 as well as the top pet names in 26 local markets across the United States, visit rover.com/ blog/dognames. To see the top male and female cat names and trends of 2020, please visit rover.com/blog/cat-namesforTop Pet Names reports were also created for the UK and Canada.
Methodology
The Top Pet Names 2020 report was developed by Rover between September and October 2020. Results are based on analysis of millions of user-submitted pet names provided by owners on Rover.com. Secondary data was collected by a Rover survey conducted via Pollfish among 1,000 U.S. adult pet owners in October 2020.
To learn more about Rover, visit rover.com.