There’s no doubt that 2020 has been an interesting year. Between a global pandemic, an election, celebrity drama and deaths, and everything else that went on, there is no shortage of inspiration for naming our furry family members. And with more people embracing the pet life thanks to months of quarantine, this year’s list of top dog and cat names is unlike any other. Every year, Rover compiles data on what pet people are naming their dogs and cats, and they recently released the much-anticipated 2020 list.
It’s going to take more than a global pandemic to dislodge some of the top 10 names that have held their ranks for years and years, but the data does show big increases for certain names farther down the list.
Pandemic Names
It shouldn’t be a surprise, for example, that pandemic-related names are way up this year. The name “Covi” saw a 1,159% increase, and there are also a lot more dogs and cats named Rona, Corona, and even Fauci.
Entertainment Names
But enough pandemic talk. Other dog and cat names that are on the rise this year include those inspired by popular streaming TV shows. Geralt from “The Witcher” is up an impressive 9,308%. Mando from the “The Mandalorian” and even Carole from “The Tiger King” are also more popular than usual this year.
Tribute Names
On the more tragic side of pop culture, the names Kobe and Gianna, after the late basketball star and his daughter who died this year in a helicopter crash, both showed significant popularity increases. So did the name Ruth in tribute to the patriarchy-fighting Supreme Court justice who passed away in September.
Even with those huge popularity increases, most of the 2020 trending names still didn’t make the top 100 names for cats or dogs. Max and Bella are still the number one choices for male and female dogs, and Oliver and Luna take the top spots for male and female cats.
Find out if your dog or cat’s name made the list of most popular by reading the full lists for yourself. Click here for the dog list, and here for the cats.
