Trendiest pet names of 2024 inspired by celebs, shows and snacks
These pet names sure are cheesey.
Dog-walking company Rover released its 12th annual Top Pet Names Report, revealing some of the unique names bestowed on dog and cats accross America this year by their — apparently hungry — owners.
The No. 1 most male popular dog name in 2024 is Charlie, holding the top spot for the second year in a row after unseating the 10-year frontrunner Max. Milo is the most popular male cat name, dethroning Oliver, which held the top spot for five years in a row.
For female pets, Luna remains the number one most popular name for both dogs and cats for the second consecutive year — and it’s also a popular baby name.
The top 10 male dog names for 2024 were, in order: Charlie, Max, Milo, Cooper, Buddy, Teddy, Rocky, Bear, Leo and Duke. For female dog names, the top 10 were: Luna, Bella, Daisy, Lucy, Lily, Lola, Zoe, Sadie, Coco and Bailey.
The top 10 male cat names for 2024 were, in order: Milo, Oliver, Leo, Charlie, Loki, Max, Simba, Jack, Ollie and Jasper. For females: Luna, Lily, Bella, Lucy, Callie, Nala, Kitty, Willow, Cleo and Daisy.
“The pet names we choose are a look into our latest cultural obsessions and our sources of joy,” Nicole Ellis, Certified Professional Trainer and Rover Pet People Panelist, said in a statement. “This year’s report reads like the magazines we used to love flipping through—the names are equal parts tabloid-worthy and total comfort food.”
Aside from the overall top 10 names, there were plenty of hyper-specific trends that dominated pet names this year.
Food & drink names
Foodies have taken their love to a new level, naming their pups after their favorite thing to nibble on.
Topping the food name trend for dogs is a three-way tie between Calzone, Chive and Provolone — which are all up 211% compared to last year.
Poutine, Babybel, Pastrami and Tempeh are also popular this year, all with an increase of 111%, as well as Tortilla, Cauliflower and Pork Chop. Bone Appétit!
Cats are also being named after foods, particularly Provolone, which is up 509% for felines compared to last year. Other popular food-related kitty names this year include Casserole, Babybel, Burger, Burrito, Goat, Maple Syrup, Dumpling, Loaf and Pepperoni.
New to this year’s list is Sardine for dogs — the hottest snack to hit TikTok in 2024 — as well as some obscure new names for cats, like Cheeto Burrito Puffypants, Cornelius Cage Croissant and Meatball Sauce.
Cat parents also opted to name their felines after beverages, including Port, Tazo, Yerba, Champagne, Pop, Cola, Martini, Soda, Cider and Boba.
Celebrity names
Pup parents are looking to the “It Girls” for name inspiration. After her record-breaking Eras Tour, People are naming their pets Taylor Swift, with the name being up 461% for dogs and 459% for cats.
Other icons dogs are being named after including Jisoo (up 361%), Jane Fonda (up 111%), Normani (up 61%), and Renee, as in Rapp, (up 39%).
Charli XCX’s hit album “Brat” also inspired dog names this year, trending up 31% in popularity. Singers such as Beyonce and Sabrina (Carpenter) are also making moves in the dog world. New this year to the dog name list are Eilish (Billie) and Dua Lipa.
Some cat names making headlines include Styles (Harry, up 509%), Ivana (up 309%), Halsey (up 159%), Gaga (up 142%), and Jin (up 99%), as well as Cardi B (up 84%) and Elon (up 79%). New celebrity cat names this year include Eilish, Justin Timberlake and Kelly Clarkson.
Celebrity couples are also hot with pet names. Renee (Rapp) is trending up 39% for dogs and 209% for cats, while Towa (Bird) is up 11% for dogs and was added to the list for the first time for cats this year.
The wicked pairing of Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater had an impact, with Ariana trending down -20% while Ethan (6%) and Slater (3%) are trending slightly up for dogs. For cats, Ariana is trending up 76%, as is both Ethan (19%) and Slater (20%).
Pet parents are using the naming opportunity as a way to honor lost celebrities as well. Chandler Bing is popular for dog names, in honor of the late Matthew Perry. And in honor of late actress Shelley Duvall, the name Shelley is trending, while Shelley Dupaw appeared on the list for the first time.
TV & movie-inspired names
The phenomenon that is the “Dune” movies was a source of inspiration, too, with the release of “Dune 2” this year. Gurney is up 511%, Atreidies is up 361% and Chani is up 73%. Feyd, Irulan, Rabban and Thufir are all new to the dog list this year.
But “Dune 2” wasn’t just for dogs. For cat names, Irulan is up 109%, Chani is up 64%, and Dune and Gaius are both up 52%. Atreides and Stilgar are new to the list this year. There’s also some more creative names inspired by the film, such as Duke Paul Atreides, Rabban The Beast Harkonnen and Timothee Chalameow.
And parents of young ones won’t be surprised to hear that Bluey made the list this year, as well as characters from the show. For dogs, Bluey is up 58%, while Judo is up 73%, Stripe 67% and Pom Pom 40%.
Spongebob Squarepants is still as hot as ever, with Plankton up 361% and Sandy Cheeks up 311%. Some new names inspired by the sponge this year include Gary (also a “Gaaaaaaaaary”), Spongebob and Squilliam Fancyson.
“Ted Lasso” also continues to top the charts, with popular names such as Keeley Jones, Teddy Lasso, Lasso, Higgins and Beard making the list.
Sports-related names
Brunson is the top trending sports-related dog name in 2024, thanks to Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks.
Other sports names for dogs include Wemby (Victor Wembanyama), Witt (Bobby Witt Jr.), Kelce (Jason and Travis), Purdy (Brock), Bronny (James), Diggs (Stefon) and Messi (Lionel).
New this year include SweetSimone, CaitlinClark, Shohei, Luka “Dogcic”, CeeDee and Amon–Ra.
Of course, the 2024 Paris Olympics had a role, too. Snoop Dogg brough home the gold for dog names, trending up 38%. Henrick Christiansen, known on TikTok as the Olympic Muffin Man, also inspired many names for pups, with people choosing Henrick, Muffin Man, Muffin, Miss Muffin, Muffin Jr., and Mini Muffin.
