A cat named Dr. Fauci?
Pandemic pet names are signs of the times
The coronavirus pandemic brought a wave of pet adoptions and, along with it, pet names that reflect the times.
Americans adopted 750,000 pets from shelters in 2020, split almost evenly between cats, 55 percent, and dogs, 54 percent.
Many people were inspired to adopt by the companionship and health benefits pets provide. Spending time with pets reduces owners’ stress and helps them manage anxiety and depression.
And, for some, naming a new pet offered a light moment during a dark time. An annual listing of the most popular pet names shows that Covi, Rona, Corona, and Covie are trending.
Rover, an international network of pet sitters and dog walkers, scoured its database of more than a million pets to create the list. Special shout-outs went to a dog named Rona Von Covid and a cat named Dr. Fauci.
A new reality inspires pandemic pet names
The top three names for dogs and cats tended toward the traditional, per Rover.
Bella, Luna, and Lucy led the 2020 list for female cats and dogs. Max, Charlie, and Cooper were the three most popular names for male dogs; Oliver, Leo, and Milo took the top spots for male cats.
But as people spent more time at home, they looked to movies, television, music, and video games for inspiration.
“Examining the trends in pet names provides a snapshot of the year gone by and 2020 has never been a better example, with cultural events, new everyday realities, shifting sentiments, and emerging icons really influencing how pet parents name their pets,” said Rover’s Kate Jaffe.
“John Wick,” a 2014 action film based on a retired hitman seeking revenge for the death of his dog, Daisy, likely pushed the popularity of the name Keanu for dogs. The franchise has already spawned two sequels starring Keanu Reeves. With a fourth movie on the way in May and a fifth in development, expect canine Keanus to be with us for a long time to come.
The release of “Hamilton” on Disney+ sent the names Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson trending for dogs. Hours of binge-watching inspired the names Mando, Geralt, and Carol, based on lead characters in “The Mandalorian,” “The Witcher,” and “Tiger King.”
“Friends” characters Phoebe, Chandler, Ross, Rachel, and Monica remain favored names, even though the show ended its 10-year-run in 2004. Reality TV lovers turned to the “The Real Housewives of New York” for the names Ramona, Tinsley, Sonja, and Luann.
Lizzo, Kanye, Nas, and Jay-Z were big hits with dog lovers. The top music-inspired cat names included Lady Gaga, Katy Purry, Catsy Cline, and Beyonce.
Midas from “Fortnite,” Hanzo from “Overwatch,” and Shep from “Animal Crossing” scored points with video gamers. Griggs from “Call of Duty” was a popular pick for dogs, while “Gaz” was a winner for cats.
What the country’s oldest pet cemetery tells us
The culture of each decade influences pet names according to records kept by the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery in New York.
Researchers looked at more than 25,000 Hartsdale records dating back to 1905 and identified the most popular names for cats and dogs along with the cultural trends that likely influenced them.
Princess, for example, has been among preferred names for both dogs and cats for the last 115 years. It only became №1 in the 1980s, tracking growing public interest in Princess Diana. Her enduring celebrity made it the second-most popular pet name in the 1990s.
Max was the top dog name in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s following the release of the first of three “Mad Max” movies in 1979. The name got an additional boost when “Gladiator” starring Russell Crow as Maximus was released in 2000.
In “Dirty Dancing,” released in 1987, Patrick Swayze famously said, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” The name Baby went on to be a favorite cat name for decades.
