A new study by TrustedHousesitters analysed over 50,000 pet names in their database and found that food plays a big role when naming pets, with over 12% of our furry friends are named after food or drink.
Have you ever looked at a pet and thought, “What an adorable little baguette!” Well, it turns out, you’re not alone, as a new study has revealed that food plays a big role when naming pets, with over 1 in 10 (12%) of our furry friends are named after food or drink.
TrustedHousesitters has released its 2023 Pet Names Study, which analysed over 50,000 pet names registered on its platform and found that food-inspired names are surprisingly popular for both cats and dogs.
The 2023 top food-related names for dogs:
- Pepper
- Ginger
- Olive
- Honey
- Cookie
- Peanut
- Mochi
- Maple
- Oreo
- Biscuit
Top 2023 top food-related names for cats:
- Pepper
- Coco
- Olive
- Ginger
- Pumpkin
- Oreo
- Peanut
- Cookie
- Mochi
- Pickles
3% of cats were named after a food or drink, with cat owners more likely to pick foodie names than dog owners. While popular names, including Pepper and Coco, take the top spot for cats, many owners opt for more unusual options; Miso, Bean(s), Sushi, Kiwi, Mango, Taco, Cheeto, Cheddar, Basil, and Chilli feature in the top 50 food-related pet names for cats, with one owner even naming their cat French Fry.
11% of dog names are food or drink inspired. Popular foodie names for dogs include classics such as Pepper, Ginger, and Olive. However, many dog owners also get creative when picking a name for their furry friend. Some of the more unusual food-inspired names found for pooches include Dulce de Leche, Cream Cheese, Snickers and Baguette.
The five most popular drink-related names for pets all relate to alcohol, with Cosmo, Whiskey, Brandy, Guinness, and Julip coming out on top. Unique drink-inspired options, including Shiraz, Tequila and Boba also made the list.
TrustedHousesitters Head of Community, Angela Laws, commented: “While working with pets and pet owners worldwide for over 14 years, I’ve always been exposed to the up-and-coming popular names. But it’s been even more exciting to see what our data has to say about 2023 pet names in this study. One of the most interesting finds is how food has influenced pet name trends this year, with some wonderfully unique options making the list!”.
To explore the full 2023 Pet Names Study findings, please visit TrustedHousesitters here, or learn more about food names for dogs and food names for cats on the blog.
