good dog!
Most popular pooch names in Houston for 2017 are doggone adorable
Gone are the days when Spot and Fido were the most popular names at the dog park. According Rover.com, a national network of pet sitters and dog walkers, Houston is in sync with the rest of the nation when it comes to the most popular male and female dogs names for 2017, with Max and Bella coming in at No. 1, both locally and in the U.S.
For male pups in H-Town, Charlie (No. 2) and Cooper (No. 3) finish out the top three. Rocky (4), Buddy (5), Duke (6), Bear (7), and Jack (8) directly follow. Creativity shines more with the ninth and 10th on the list: Zeus and Milo.
For female dogs in the Bayou City, Luna and Lucy are Nos. 2 and 3, respectively. Next up are Daisy (4), Molly (5), Lola (6), Bailey (7), Sadie (8), Penny (9), and Sophie (No. 10).
While not in the top 10, Rover.com says hipster names are hot in Houston, with monikers like Sushi, Taro, and Brooklyn trending. Latin names, including Bruno and Diego, are also on the rise, as are names inspired by Texas fare: Brisket, Pickle, and Cajun.
From coast to coast, Max (No. 1), Charlie (No. 2), and Cooper (No. 3) for males, along with Bella (No. 1), Lucy (No. 2), and Daisy (No. 3) for females, top the list. Across the nation, dog names dominating 2017 parallel the top baby names for 2017, with human-inspired names making up a whopping 44 percent of all dog names this year, up 57 percent from 2016.
Owners are also taking a nod from powerful women with Oprah, Madonna, and Katniss all up and coming. And 8 percent of all dog names are pop culture-influenced. Barb, a character in the Netflix series Stranger Things, saw an increase of 182 percent, while Star Wars-related names like Rey and Finn went up a notable 70 percent.
Food and political names trended down this year, but new sources of inspiration include newsmakers like Wonder Woman; Taylor Swift; and DoggoLingo, an internet-based dialect and nonofficial language of dog lovers everywhere.