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Top dog names in 2018 have TV, athletes for inspiration

Pet owners put a lot of thought into their dog's names, network for dog sitters says
Dog 1

Pet owners increasingly see their dogs as a member of the family and that’s why they give them people names, according to a network of pet sitters and dog walkers.

You might think your dog’s name is special — made up from personal experience or your animal’s unique characteristics.

It turns out most people are giving their dogs names they like and are getting that inspiration from popular baby names, TV shows, movies, celebrities and famous athletes, according to rover.com, which put together the data from submissions from pet owners.

“We continue to see pets become more and more a part of the family with many pet owners even calling themselves ‘pet parents,’” according to Megan Teepe, general manager of Rover International.

Teepe points to recent marketing research that suggests an increasing number of millennials see pets as surrogates for children, in part because they are having babies later, are struggling to gain a financial footing and don’t want the extra responsibilities a baby brings.

A dog and all its unconditional love gives them that parenting feeling without the worry of how to pay for college tuition.

“This shift in attitude toward pet ownership goes hand in hand with the increase in care taken during the naming process. Just like a child, the naming of a dog is a form of expression showcasing the dog’s personality and a pet parent’s love for their pet.”

The survey also offers data on the ways Canadians view their dogs, including:

• 94% of pet parents see their dog as a member of the family

• 28% of all dog names are human

• 44% of millennials see pets as a surrogate to children

So what pet names are being picked the most?

This year baby names like Charlie, Bella, Luna and Jack were popular for pets, while names with a retro flare like Minni and Fred also made an appearance. For 2019, other old-school names names like Martha, Louise, Beatrice and Roy are expected to make a splash in the dog community.

Here are some other influences for dog names:

Popular culture:

Some 8% of dog names come from TV shows, movies and celebrities with pet owners giving their pups’ names from Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, such as Fred, Luke, Serena and Rita, Game of Thrones (Arya, Jon and Khaleesi), and Netflix show Riverdale (Archie, Betty and Jughead).

In 2018, popular celebrity baby names such as Jack, Milo, Stella and Leo were also used for dogs while rover.com anticipates that Mabel, Bodhi and Marshall will top the list 2019.

Sports:

For those with a passion for sports, it’s not surprising that top players from NHL, the NBA and the Toronto Blue Jays were the inspiration for dog names such as Maple, Auston, Marleau, Miro and Guy, as well as Miles and Miller, Kevin, Luke and Marco.

The Royals:

Finally, what’s more Canadian than an infatuation with the royals and this past year royal baby names were among the most popular, with Sophia, George, Harry, Charlotte and Prince among the favorites.

The Top Dog Names report was developed by rover.com between October and December, 2018. Results are based on analysis of thousands of user-submitted dog names provided by owners.