Each year, Rover’s Top Pet Names Report unveils the people, places, and events that defined the previous 12 months. This year is no different with new, unique names and trends inspired by 2022–spoiler alert, nostalgia was big this year.
This year’s report draws from millions of user-submitted pet names provided by Rover pet parents over the last decade, and breaks down the most influential trends leading up to 2022. From adventurous food preferences and pastimes, to favorite TV shows and nostalgic pop culture icons, pet names are a reflection of the passions and preoccupations that defined the year.
“Looking back at the last ten years of pet names data, we can see that the humanization of pets has become an increasingly influential macro trend for pet naming conventions,” said Kate Jaffe, trend expert at Rover. “Rover’s database of millions of user-submitted pet names reveals how names we lovingly choose for our pets reflect our passions and lifestyles, and often serve as a time capsule for the moment we welcomed them into our families.”
A lot has changed over the last decade, but some things remain the same. After claiming the #1 spot nine years in a row, Bella was eclipsed by Luna as the most popular female dog name in 2022, making Luna the #1 name for both female dogs and cats for the first time. Max takes the top spot for male dogs once again—marking ten consecutive years of the name’s popularity—with Oliver in first place for male cats.
As for other pet name trends, as the COVID-19 pandemic winds down, names like Rona, Covid and Dr. Fauci are losing their luster, but others are going strong.
As taste buds and foodie trends evolve, so do food-inspired pet names. Classic food-inspired names like Ginger and Peanut were trending for dogs in 2014 and 2015, while food-inspired names took a backseat in 2016 and 2017 due to increasing popularity of human names and “Stranger Things”. Renewed popularity for food-themed names emerged in 2018, with brunch-inspired names like Biscuit, Muffin and Waffles trending up for dogs. Brunch continued to inspire pet parents again in 2019, with Rosé and Croissant trending for dogs while Mocha and Latte were up for cats. In 2022, the top-trending food-inspired names are Hotpot (1,085%), Sashimi (785%), Pastrami (485%) and Calzone (435%) for dogs, and Roll (182%) for cats–perhaps driven by pandemic-related comfort foods and increased emphasis on takeout.
Life consistently imitates art when it comes to the names we give our pets. Entertainment was a top inspirational category for dog and cat names throughout the last decade, with names inspired by “Game of Thrones” (2014, 2017, and 2019), “Stranger Things” (2016 and 2017), “Star Wars” (2014, 2015, and 2017), and “Harry Potter” (2015 and 2018) trending in multiple years. In 2018, Rover survey results revealed that one third (33%) of pet parents named their dogs after characters from TV shows, a trend that continues in 2022. Inspired by the popular “Game of Thrones” prequel series, “House of the Dragon,” the names Targaryen (185%) and Daemon (45%) are trending up for dogs. Gen Z’s favorite drama “Euphoria” didn’t just inspire fashion trends this year—it also inspired the #1 trending dog name of 2022, Fezco, up 3,714% for dogs and 182% for cats. Other “Euphoria” characters driving inspiration include Rue ( 35%) and Faye ( 24%) trending up for dogs, while Maddy (35%) and Rue (24%) were trending for cats.
Are pet parents the new fashion trend experts? This year’s report breaks down which luxury brands are in and which are out for 2022 (according to dog parents). Move over Coco Chanel (trending in 2016): luxury brands like Bottega (185%), Burberry (135%), and Hermes (24%) are inspiring dog names in 2022. Notably, despite global popularity of luxury brands like Gucci and Balenciaga, both are trending down this year as dog names. For cats, however, Gucci is trending up 27%, with Louis Vuitton (32%) and Prada (46%) rounding out the top-three.
In 2022, pet owners took inspiration from their favorite streaming entertainment, including Encanto, Ted Lasso, and Yellowstone. After the release of the Top Gun sequel and the Elvis Presley biopic, names like Cruise, Maverick, Cyclone and Goose trended up, as did Elvis Pugsley for dogs while Elvis Purrsley for cats.
Pet owners also chose to honor the departed with names like Betty, Ivana, Meatloaf, and Judd. But following the passing of the late Queen Elizabeth, the dog names Elizabeth and Lilibet really shot up in the rankings. The Queen’s corgis’ names are also trending, with Bramble up 182%, Laurel up 37%, Rose up 24%, Holly up 14%, and Willow up 9%.
Musical artists (Kitty Gaga, Eilish), Sports figures (Serena, Shohei), and Food and Drink (Taco Bella, White Claw) inspired many from coast to coast as well.
For a full list of the top dog names and trends of 2022, as well as the top dog names in 26 metro markets across the US, please visit here. To see the top male and female cat names and trends of 2022, please visit here. And if you’re curious, the Top Pet Names reports were also created for the UK, Canada, Germany, France, and Spain.
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Photo Credit: Michael Kraus / Shutterstock.com