Disney and the Royal family influence 2017’s top pet names
The most popular pet names for new animal companions in the UK are Charlie, Poppy and Bella for the second year in a row, according to figures from Pets at Home.
Pets at Home surveyed new additions to its VIP Club – which has six million members – and found the top five most popular names for each species. Charlie, Poppy and Bella remained the top choices all pets, coming in the top five for birds, cats, dogs, fish, horses, reptiles or small animals.
Celebrity baby name choices, children’s films and cartoons have also had a major effect on what Brits name their pets.
Luna, the name chosen by Chrissy Teigen and John Legend for their daughter, has become the third most popular name for cats. This astrological name makes the list for the first time following the birth of the singer and his model wife’s baby.
Recent Disney release Finding Dory helped the name reach fifth place for fish, joining previous sensation Nemo in the list for the first time. Spongebob Squarepants’ Fred the Fish has also been influential, with Fred coming in at fourth in the list of the most popular names for fish.
George has also remained popular amongst the names chosen for pets since the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s first born, although Charlotte has not had the same influence.
Gavin Hawthorn, group CRM director at Pets at Home, said: “It’s interesting to see that just as popular culture and famous faces influence what parents name their children, likewise, these trends can help British pet owners select a name for an animal companion. It seems likely that children being entrusted to name their first family pet forms a big part of the name choice, particularly among the film and TV inspired monikers.
“However, it’s also interesting to see how many cute, traditional names retain their popularity, suggesting that sweet yet simple options will always remain popular when it comes to naming a pet.”
Top ten names for British pets by species
Top five names for birds
1. Charlie
2. Blue
3. Joey
4. Billy
5. Rio
Top five names for cats
1. Bella
2. Poppy
3. Luna
4. Charlie
5. Oscar
Top five names for dogs
1. Poppy
2. Alfie
3. Lola
4. Charlie
5. Max
Top five names for fish
1. Bob
2. Nemo
3. Bubbles
4. Fred
5. Dory
Top five names for horses
1. Jack
2. Charlie
3. Rosie
4. George
5. Molly
Top five names for reptiles
1. Spike
2. Rex
3. George
4. Leo
5. Charlie
Top five names for small animals
1. Nibbles
2. Daisy
3. Poppy
4. Fudge
5. Cookie
