What’s in a name? For pups, it’s a wide mix

Rover.com releases trends for 2017 dog names

Naming a pet is no easy task. The options are plentiful. One can go traditional or unique, and because it’s a pet’s name, few will bat an eye.

This year, Rover.com has released the top dog names for 2017.

For male pups, Max leads the pack, with Charlie, Cooper, Buddy, Jack, Rocky, Oliver, Bear, Duke and Tucker rounding out the top 10.

For female pups, Bella was the no. 1 pick of the litter, followed in order by Lucy, Daisy, Luna, Lola, Sadie, Molly, Maggie, Bailey and Sophie.

It’s an interesting mix, with many traditional names still leading the top 10.

But when Rover looks at overall trends, the information gets a little more intriguing.

Pop culture has an interesting impact, for example. Rover reports that 8 percent of all dog names are clearly pop culture-influenced, but among that percentage, there are some fun themes to be found. Rover notes that “Wonder Woman” themed names are up 45 percent, while Game of Thrones names such as Khaleesi, Snow, Arya and Jamie are up 12 percent.

Names inspired by Stranger Things also saw a spike, with Barb up 182 percent and Eleven up 166 percent.

Not surprisingly, “Star Wars” makes waves with dog names, too, with Finn, Luke, Leia, Rey and Yoda all in play — and up 70 percent. Frankly, it’s surprising that Chewbacca didn’t make that list!

Rover also breaks out information by city, and neither Yuma nor Phoenix got their own trend report, but San Diego did. Rover reports that healthy food names are up in San Diego by 229 percent — think Tofu, Carrot and Mango, while Chargers-themed names dropped 13 percent. We’re surprised the Chargers names didn’t plummet more, considering the team’s move to L.A.

Whatever you choose to name your pup, it’s always a fun process. What pet names are tops in your homes, readers? Do you go traditional or pop culture? Let us know. Share your thoughts online at www.YumaSun.con, or send us a Letter to the Editor at letters@yumasun.com.