With 48 Pet Hospitals across the UK, vet teams at the nation’s leading vet charity, PDSA, see thousands of dogs each week. It’s no surprise there’s a handful of names they hear more often than others.
PDSA Vet Nurse Nina Downing said: “From Disney-inspired names, to royal monikers, it’s safe to say, we’ve met them all! However, there’s definitely some names we’re more likely to see on a daily basis, from beautiful Bella’s to cheeky Charlie’s.
“And to brighten our day, we do see some really unique names too – favourites of mine include when owners incorporate their surname to match their pooch pal’s first name, like ‘Blue Berry’, and when pets are named after famous people or characters.
“We see lots of doggy duos named after well-known dynamic duos – Bert and Ernie, and the infamous Thelma and Louise or Ronnie and Reggie as well as other name pairings like Salt and Pepper.”
The top 20 dog names are*:
- Bella
- Lola
- Coco
- Poppy
- Luna
- Daisy
- Roxy
- Charlie
- Buddy
- Milo
- Max
- Ruby
- Teddy
- Alfie
- Buster
- Molly
- Marley
- Bailey
- Rosie
- Bruno
Nina added: “There have been weeks when I’ve had back-to-back appointments with Bella’s, but with a name that literally means ‘beautiful’, I think it’s a lovely way to honour your faithful canine companions.
“It’s clear to us that many of these names are popular for a reason, whether it’s the meaning behind them, or because they are easy for dog’s to recognise.”
Nina has shared a few tips that can help you pick the perfect name for your pooch:
- Avoid over-complicated, long names – these names aren’t the best to quickly capture your dog’s attention. If you have a long name in mind, consider a shortened nickname you can also use when out and about.
- Pick something you’ll like for a lifetime – just as your dog is for life, their name should be too, so they can learn to recognise it. Swapping and changing their name on many occasions may cause them to get confused.
- Choose a name unique to your household – picking a name different from your other pets or fellow household members will avoid any confusion as to whose attention you are trying to get, and of course everyone needs an individual name to match their personality!
For tips, tricks or helpful advice about caring for your dog visit: pdsa.org.uk/dogs
*Top 20 names for dogs that PDSA saw in 2022
