Popular and Unusual Pet Names

Posted by Jennifer Copley Jul 16, 2008

Petfinder.com offers a searchable database of animals in need of homes, hosting a directory of more than 10,000 adoption organizations and animal shelters throughout North America and Mexico. In addition to helping people find pets, Petfinder provides animal information and fun articles, including a survey of the top pet names for 2007.

Of 260,000 pets, the top three cat names for 2007 were Smokey, Lucy and Angel. The top three dog names were Buddy, Max and Sadie. Other top cat names included Oreo, Midnight, Shadow, Patches, Princess, Tigger and Molly. Additional top dog names were Jack, Daisy, Lucy, Lady, Charlie, Rocky and Duke. The perception of dogs as companions rather than possessions is reflected in the shift away from names such as Spot and Rover over the years. Dogs are more likely to receive human names, while cats are more often named based on their physical appearance. Lucy is the only name that made both lists.

Petfinder has also compiled a list of the most unusual pet names for 2007, including

• Barney Google
• Bubba Big Foot
• Cinderella Cookiedough
• Ditto Dippin’ Dots
• Fat Alice
• Fizzleboom
• Miss Booty-q
• Not Pants
• Partly Cloudy
• Zhivago

To adopt a pet, make a donation, learn about volunteering in a local animal shelter, or watch cat and dog training videos, visit Petfinder.com. For more quirky cat stuff, see Dancing with Cats, Cat Circuses Make a Comeback and Cat- and Pet-Related Holidays.