Life
I am a huge dog lover and a book and movie fanatic. So when it comes to naming my pets, I tend towards the names of fictional characters. I've drawn inspiration from everything from the bible to science fiction novels popular in the 1960s. But I always try to match the dog (or cat) to the character. So it comes as no surprise to me that the most popular dog names by breed tend to work similarly: the dog matches the name.
Sometimes owners will be quite literal, like naming their Chihuahua "Tiny," or their St. Bernard "Beefcake." More often, judging by the list, owners choose a name that seems diametrically opposed to their breed's professed nature or stature. Imagine a Rottweiler named "Fluffy" or a Bichon named "Killer." A lot of dog names fall along patterns of matching the breed to the region they come from, like naming a Scottish Terrier "Lass," or an Akita "Murakami." But no matter how people name their beloved four-legged friends, the names do fall into patterns and tend to be cyclical, much like baby names, with a few classics that tend to stick around no matter the generation naming the pups, according to the statisticians at Rover.com.
Mostly, they're just stinking adorable.
1
Labs
My chocolate labrador was named Sophie, and she was 100 percent perfection in a fluffy body. She loved swimming, pats on the belly, and sleeping on top of you. According to Rover.com, they are still one of the most popular breeds around, and the most popular names for labs are really quite sweet — which matches the breed perfectly.
- Bella
- Bailey / Baylee
- Charlie
- Luna
- Lucy
- Cooper
- Max
- Sadie
- Daisy
- Lily / Lilly
- Buddy
- Duke
- Bear
- Riley
- Zoey / Zoe
2
Golden Retrievers
Golden Retrievers are ridiculous and I love them. Given all the fur they shed, I'd be tempted to name them all "Rogaine" or "Sampson." Something that sounds like "has a lot of hair or wants it." They're such great dogs. If you've ever had the joy of giving one some intense belly rubs, you'll know how fabulous they are, and Rover.com agrees. Their list of top names are not unexpected. In fact, they're kind of predictable.
- Cooper
- Charlie
- Bailey
- Bella
- Buddy
- Lucy
- Max
- Cookie
- Sadie
- Daisy
- Tucker
- Luna
- Riley
- Molly
- Maggie
3
Huskies
Why are huskies so hilarious? They are the dogs that require more activity than I do at my most gripping ADHD moments. They need to run. All the time. My neighbor has one, and that poor man is out for hours each day with his husky. My Shih Tzu cannot hang with Dante. She's like "Peace, dude. I am out." The names for Huskies, according to Rover, are kinda spacey and fun, which is just what the breed dictates.
- Luna
- Koda
- Bella
- Loki
- Maya/Mya
- Blu/e
- Max
- Sky/e
- Zeus
- Sasha
- Nala
- Dakota
- Ghost
- Nova
- Apollo
4
German Sheperds
My husband is a cop, and as such, we know a lot of German Shepherds. They are smart, loyal, and sweet. They're also a reasonably popular breed, but the names tend to run the gamut, according to Rover. They noted that the name Lana is number one, but the others are more suggestions for their top picks, as opposed to based upon stats.
- Bruno
- Axel
- Elsa
- Zelda
- Kylo
- Khaleesi
- Rey
- Thor
5
Chihuahuas
My mother-in-law had two Chihuahuas: Machito and Machita. They were utterly ridiculous, and I loved them. Chihuahuas are spunky, silly little creatures, and according to Rover, this is reflected in their names. (With Bella added, because apparently every third dog on the planet is named "Bella.")
- Bella
- Coco
- Lola
- Daisy
- Lily / Lilly
- Lucy
- Charlie / Charley
- Peanut
- Luna
- Max
- Chloe
- Zoey / Zoe
- Buddy
- Chico
- Roxy / Roxie / Roxi
6
Pugs
Who doesn't love a squishy faced, snoring pug? They're adorable and look like angry old men and I want to grab each of them, rub noses, and find their scratchy spot. This is probably because of Men in Black — Frank was just the best. Rover found that one of the most popular names for pugs continues to be Frank. And, of course, Bella. And Lola. Lucy. Sense a pattern?
- Bella
- Lola
- Lucy
- Charlie / Charley
- Daisy
- Lily / Lilly
- Max
- Zoey / Zoe
- Otis
- Luna
- Rocky
- Oliver
- Frank
- Frankie
- Louie
7
French Bulldogs
Of course, Bella is close to the top of this list as well, according to Rover, but go further down the list, and you'll find some real gems. Frenchies are adorable, and the way their whole butt shakes when they get excited is fantastic.
- Jack
- Jax
- Buster
- Bailey / Baylee
- Enzo
- Ellie
- Penelope
- Winnie
- Murphy
- Phoebe
- Harley
- Dexter
- Roxy / Roxie
- Rosie
- George
- Bubba
8
Rottweilers
I had the best Rottweiler on the planet. He was super dumb and incredibly sweet, and had no idea that his breed's reputation said that he should be fierce and protective. He used to pull up my son's blanket and held him up by his pants as he was learning to walk. Ugh, the best. And now Rover has some great names for rotties that I'm bummed I didn't think of. You know, other than Bella, which is on this list as well.
- Koda / Kota
- Sadie
- Bailey / Baylee
- Sasha
- Thor
- Brutus
- Lola
- Moose
- Buddy
- Daisy
- Hank
- Riley / Rylee
- Bo / Beau
- Athena
- King
9
Pit Bulls
I love pit bulls. They're basically the official dog of New York City, there's so many here. Their reputation is not well deserved, and they're mostly just super cuddly and perhaps a bit needy. My baby cousin's blue pitty, Kai, will sit with her head on your shoulder, breathing into your ear for hours. It's quite wonderful.
I'm just going to skip over Bella and Lucy at this point.
- Lucky
- Pepper
- Lulu
- Storm
- Rex
- Olive
- Izzy
- Ginger
- Petey
- Simba
- Willow
- Bubba
- Dixie
- Toby
- Oreo
