Life
Did you welcome a new family member into your home this year? If you did, your friends might not be able to tell whether you have a new baby or a new dog just by hearing the name. Rover.com just released its list of the top dog names of 2018, and the trend of giving "people" names to our pups shows no sign of going away.
The Dog People at Rover analyzed their own site (where millions of dog owners submitted their pet's names in 2018) to come up with the following data, and the results are fascinating. Just over one-third (36 percent) of dog owners gave their pets a name normally associated with humans, which certainly explains the popularity of the phrase "fur baby." What's more, nearly half of all millennial pet owners have met a dog who has the same name they do. (That's worth taking into consideration if you're currently deciding on baby names.)
What other dog-name trends were hot in '18? We certainly loved our pop culture: Westworld character names saw a spike in popularity, with Maeve up 127 percent from the last survey. Even after all these years, Muggles love Harry Potter: The name Draco went up 123 percent, and Albus Dumbledog jumped 29 percent. Our fascination with the royals extended to our dogs as well, with Harry going up 133 percent and Meghan rising 129 percent. (How much you wanna bet that their new baby's name becomes a 2019 pup fave?)
Take a look at Rover's list. The first 10 are the top five male and female dogs' names, along with their popularity as baby names according to BabyCenter. Then the names that follow are ones that reflect some of this year's hottest trends. Is your pooch's name among them?
Max
The number-one dogs' name on Rover is also the 73rd most popular boys' name on BabyCenter's list. From the English-German Maximilian meaning "greatest," it has a friendly, open vibe that's hard to beat.
Bella
This Latin word for "beautiful" took the 32nd spot on BabyCenter's popularity list, but it's a solid #1 for female dogs, so chances are that the fluffy Shih Tzu or endearingly wrinkly French Bulldog you recently met was a Bella.
Charlie
This nickname for the French name Charles, which means "free man," has become a favorite as a stand-alone for both boys and girls. (It's a respectable #86 on BabyCenter's boy-name list.) But it's favored even more highly as a moniker for boy dogs.
Lucy
Since this name comes from the Latin for "light," it makes a lovely choice for the one who brings light into your own life, whether it's a sweet baby girl or a devoted dog (which explains why it holds the #3 spot on female pup names). It's also highly ranked as a baby name; #53 on BabyCenter, to be precise.
Luna
The Latin word for "moon" is astonishingly trendy in both the human and animal worlds. For baby girls, it stands as a red-hot #14 on BabyCenter's list, not far behind its #3 spot for female pups.
Cooper
This Latin name meaning "barrel maker" made the #82 spot on BabyCenter's popularity list, but it ranks even higher for boy dogs. Surprising, considering that pups don't have the opposable thumbs necessary for making a good barrel.
Buddy
The one notable exception to the human-name dog naming trend is Buddy. It comes from the British for "brother," yet despite its association as a good-pal name, it's not a favorite among parents of human baby boys.
Daisy
The flower itself is simple and sweet-looking, which makes it a natural choice for both a baby girl and a lovable pup, although it currently ranks much higher for our pooches.
Jack
This is the most popular baby boys' name that also ranks highly for pets. Once used solely as a loving nickname for John, Jack is now commonly used on its own. It ranks #21 on BabyCenter's list — not far removed from its #5 position as a boy dog's name.
Lola
This Spanish-derived name meaning "strong woman" works even better as a name for your female Chihuahua or Lab. It's Rover's #5 girl dog's name, and I'm guessing that whatever your dog Lola wants, Lola gets.
Nakia
Rover.com reports that names from the movie Black Panther, such as this Arabic name meaning "pure," have gone up 25 percent since their last survey. Nameberry explained that although this is a traditional boys' name, it's gaining ground as a girls' name as well, perhaps because of the "ia" ending.
Cardi
The trendy rapper had an eventful year in 2018, ranging from a new album to a brush with the law. Now we can list this stat as well: The name Cardi for dogs shot up an astronomical 1,000 percent in 2018, reports Rover.
Gambino
Yet another musician-inspired name, Gambino (as in Donald Glover's rapper alter ego, Childish Gambino) rose 190 percent as a name for pups.
Brooklyn
Certain names were trendy in particular regions of the U.S., reports Rover. In New York, for instance, names of the five boroughs rose 13 percent as a dog name choice this year. Brooklyn, home of Coney Island and Park Slope, was the most popular borough name among dog owners.
Fitz
DC residents opted for country and political dog names more often in 2018, with names like Lincoln and Liberty leading the way. Also trendy: names inspired by Scandal, which rose 44 percent this year. Of those, Fitz was the most popular among Capitol residents, enjoying a 164 percent increase.
Macklemore
Seattle dog owners enjoyed honoring their hometown celebs, and names such as Macklemore and Bruce Lee saw a full 300 percent surge in popularity in the Emerald City.
Zoey
The uber-popular game Fortnite inspired dog owners, too. This Greek girls' name meaning "life" was already a hot baby name choice (#88 on The Bump); as a pup name, it joined the Fortnite names that rose 16 percent this year.
This first-time mom wants to have a home birth, but is she ready? Watch how a doula supports a military mom who's determined to have a home birth in Episode One of Romper's Doula Diaries, Season Two, below. Visit Bustle Digital Group's YouTube page for the next three episodes, launching Mondays in December.
