New data reveals that nine out of ten names given to the nation’s kittens and puppies are shared by Britain’s newborn babies.
Information on the monikers of more than 100,000 UK dogs and cats revealed an increasing number of owners are opting to call their pets names which rank highly in the list of 2019’s popular kids’ forenames.
According to data from pet wellbeing specialist, ITCHpet.com, Bella is the most popular dog’s name in Britain today, and the second most common cats’ moniker.
The same name appears in the top 100 newborn baby names list along with Poppy, which comes in second for dogs and third was Lola.
Buddy, the name singer Robbie Williams and wife Ayda Field gave to their new puppy recently, was the only name out of the dog’s top ten not to feature among common human names.
When it comes to cats, Luna was top with Bella second and Lola third. Poppy and Charlie came fourth and fifth respectively despite the fact that they rank 21st and 5th on the list of names that parents are choosing for their new borns.
The results emerge at a time when the human birth-rate has hit an all-time low in the UK- and as an increasing number of Brits are counting their pets as ‘one of the family’.
Charlotte Harper, co-founder of pet wellbeing specialist, ITCHpet.com said: “Pet humanisation – or anthropomorphism as it is scientifically known – is becoming common because owners are increasingly wanting to provide their pets with human-lie products or experiences.
“Giving them human names is us subconsciously drawing then ever closer into the family environment and treating them as children, which is obviously of great benefit to the pet, and for the family’s general wellbeing.
“But above all, it is really important to remember a dog or a cat is not as self-sufficient as a 12-year old child. They have entirely different needs and require a high level of care to protect them from developing health issues, such as those caused by fleas and worms.”
The ITCHpet.com data us based on customer data gleaned between July 2019 and 25th January this year.
The numbers show that 90% of top 10 canine and feline names feature in the top 100 baby names for girls and boys. However, dog owners are slightly more likely than cat owners to pick a ‘baby’ name, with 14 out of 20 ranking on the babies list, compared to 100 out of 20 for cat’s names.
Other names to feature prominently for cats and babies include, Daisy, Molly, Tilly, Willow and Oscar. Dogs’ names which are on both lists are Teddy, Daisy, Ruby, Alfie and Charlie, while Luna, Molly, Rosie and Tilly also made the cut.
Separate studies carried out last year show that 84% of pet owners think of their animal as ‘part of the family’. And around one third even claim to prefer their pets to real life members of their family, with one in six considering their pet more important than their cousin.
It has also been reported that dog owners are the most keen to make their pet a bona fide family member, with 16% choosing to include the animal in the last census.
