Shakespeare famously asks, “What’s in a name?” Well, turns out a lot more than Romeo and Juliet thought, so far as our pet families are concerned.
Pet names are a unique way to show off your cat’s purr-sonality or complement your canine’s bone fides. You can honor a beloved character with your bird or make a fun pun for your bun bun. There’s so much naming excitement to be had!
Some of our most paw-pular pet names are perennial winners, while others are only growing more common as time goes on. Others are downright wacky—something that we celebrate in our own special way (more on that later). No matter your pet name preferences, there’s something for everyone.
New pet name trends
Some pet names are always in vogue: Luna, Bella, Milo and Oreo come in near the top of our list without fail every year. Some years, one may be more popular than another, but they’re always surefire winners for a good pet name.
According to recent trends, reptiles are commonly named after dinosaurs and dragons from pop culture, whereas dogs and cats often get named very human names. Birds and small mammals tend to be named after fruit and other foods, being the delightful little morsels that they are.
Of course, nothing in pet naming is ever set in stone. Trends shift as the public fascination with different movies, television shows or celebrities wax and wane (a nod to all our cats named “Khaleesi” or “Tom Brady”).
Here are the most popular pet names from 2023, based on the names of pets who enrolled with Nationwide® pet insurance last year.
Tail of the tape
Top 10 dog names
- Luna
- Bella
- Charlie
- Daisy
- Milo
- Coco
- Max
- Lucy
- Lola
- Cooper
Top 10 cat names
- Luna
- Milo
- Leo
- Oliver
- Loki
- Charlie
- Bella
- Nala
- Simba
- Shadow
Top 10 small mammal names
- Oreo
- Luna
- Cookie
- Pepper
- Mochi
- Willow
- Peanut
- Lola
- Mocha
- Coco
Top 10 bird names
- Mango
- Kiwi
- Rio
- Sunny
- Blue
- Coco
- Zazu
- Luna
- Charlie
- Lucy
Top 10 reptile names
- Spike
- Mushu
- Draco
- Mango
- Charmander
- Spyro
- Rango
- Phoenix
- Yoshi
- Puff
A wackier approach to naming
Some pet parents like a … wilder, wackier approach to naming their pets. Our annual Wacky Pets Name campaign is a celebration of these creative folks. We'll be announcing this year's wackiest canine, feline and exotic pet name nominees in April. Be sure to come back and vote for your favorites!
In the meantime, discover the most unique pet names over the years in our wacky hall of fame.
