Football fans show off their love of the gridiron in numerous ways—hats, jerseys, flags, car decals, even tattoos! But what about pet names? Sure enough, we dug into our member rolls and found that thousands of pet families chose clever pet names to celebrate their favorite teams.
Here’s a ranking of Nationwide® pet insurance members’ top ten favorite teams, as determined by their pets’ names.*
1. Chicago “Bears”
Nationwide covers the whole field of ursine-themed names—and when it comes to pet names, da Bears have locked in the top seed. A total of 3,883 Nationwide-protected pets are named “Bear”—including 3,534 dogs, 318 cats, 11 ferrets, 9 guinea pigs, 8 rabbits, a hamster, a hedgehog and 1 parrot. An additional 1,681 fans opted for a bear-adjacent name for their pet, including “Grizzly Bear,” “Polar Bear,” “Koala Bear” and the ever-formidable “Teddy Bear.”
2. Cleveland “Browns”
It’s no surprise that a team whose fans are known as the “Dawg Pound” were strong in the pet naming category. More than 1,500 Nationwide-protected pets have “Brown” in their name, including 1383 dogs, 129 cats, 29 guinea pigs, 20 rabbits, 3 bearded dragons, 2 doves, 2 ferrets, 2 geckos and a tortoise. Some of our favorite name variations include “Brownie”—both sporty and delicious—and “Charlie Brown,” a noted football player…ish.
3. Cincinnati “Bengals”
While our starting lineup of Bengals fans in our membership is modest—we found only 6 cats and 6 dogs who are named “Bengal”—we can’t overlook the other ways Cincinnati’s home team is represented. For one, Nationwide protects 2,033 Bengal cats, who, like the team, are known for their stripey uniform. Of the more subtle in team spirit, 952 members chose “Tiger” as their nom de pet, including 629 cats, 312 dogs, 4 rabbits, 3 parrots, a bearded dragon and a gerbil.
4. Baltimore “Ravens”
Known as the “Raven’s Flock,” our Baltimore members came on strong for their team. More than 820 Nationwide-protected pets are named “Raven,” including 574 dogs, 239 cats, 3 guinea pigs, 3 rabbits, 2 bearded dragons, a chicken, a parakeet and a rat.
5. Kansas City “Chiefs”
In total, 587 Nationwide-protected pets are named “Chief,” including 557 dogs, 27 cats and 3 rabbits. “Mischief” is another potentially popular name for those counter-surfing, furniture destroying pets who live in the Chief Kingdom. Forty-three cats, 22 dogs, 2 rabbits, a ferret, a bearded dragon, and a monitor lizard share this telling moniker.
6. New Orleans “Saints”
There are 250 Nationwide-protected pets named “Saint,” including 228 dogs, 21 cats and a rabbit. An additional 75 pets have “Saint” in their name—making “Saint Nicholas,” “Yves Saint Laurent” and the ever-popular “Croissaint” de facto fans.
7. Dallas “Cowboys”
Nothing is more emblematic of Texas culture than the cowboy—or the Dallas Cowboys, who are widely regarded as the NFL’s most paw-pular team. In total, 283 Nationwide-insured pet names contain “Cowboy” including 234 dogs, 47 cats, a rabbit and a macaw.
8. Las Vegas “Raiders”
Maybe the most dedicated pet fanbase in the NFL, Raiders fans stuck to the playbook when it came to pet naming. With very little variation on the team’s name, a total of 226 Nationwide-protected pets are named “Raider” (209 dogs, 17 cats and 1 African grey parrot) plus one “Raiderette” from the team hub in Las Vegas.
9. San Francisco “Niners”
If the 49ers were to choose a pet mascot, it would probably be a dog (or a canine paw-spector, perhaps?). A grand total of 27 dogs are named “Niner” with 67% of those pets living in the Golden State.
10. Philadelphia “Eagles”
Five Nationwide-protected dogs are named “Eagle” including a Chihuahua, a golden retriever, a German shepherd, a Cavapoo and a small mixed-breed pup. However, this team known as “The Birds” is also highly represented by our avian members, including numerous pets who are named “Bird:” An African grey parrot, 2 cockatiels, 2 cockatoos, 5 conures, a lovebird, a macaw, a parakeet and 2 parrots.
Bonus round: Peyton Manning
Nationwide’s favorite play caller got a few nods from his devoted football fan pet families. In total, 213 members named their pet “Peyton,” including a devoted Maltipoo in Colorado who is named “Peyton Manning.” So far, no Nationwide-protected pets are named Paintin’ Manning, but the year is still young.
There you have it!
Share your favorite team pet name and count down to Super Bowl LIX with more pet football activity on Instagram @NationwidePet.
*Name data as of 12/2024.
