Rover.com, the world’s largest network of five-star pet sitters and dog walkers, has today revealed the UK’s most popular dog names of 2021. The report, which is pup-dated annually, reflects how the biggest trends of the year influence Brits’ naming of their pedigree chums.

While the main themes of 2021 – travel, sports, entertainment and the pandemic – inspired an eclectic mix of names, Luna officially became the UK’s number one pooch title, closely followed by last year’s favourite, Bella, and top choice for males, Milo.

Top 10 Dog Names for British Pups in 2021

Luna
Bella
Milo
Lola
Teddy
Poppy
Max
Coco
Buddy
Alfie

Rover’s research also revealed that while half of pet owners had pre-selected their name before they met their pooch, one in five (20%) said they waited to understand their dog’s personality. Meanwhile, 12% of owners admitted they had previously considered using the name of their hound for their child and 5% even picked their dog’s name from a baby book.

WHO’S A GOOD SPORT
Despite it becoming 55 years of hurt, the England squad’s gallant efforts at this year’s European Championships still inspired the next generation of pet names. Fan favourite Jack (Grealish) topped the list of names from the team, while captain Harry Kane saw both his first and last name both featured in the top five. Luke (Shaw), saw the largest increase at 409%.

Wimbledon also caused a racket in this year’s rankings, with Murray trending upwards by 760% and Roger increasing by 234%. Perhaps no surprise given pups’ love of chasing tennis balls.

WISH YOU FUR HERE
During a year when Brits pined for travel, it’s no surprise that destinations from across the globe featured in this year’s report. The most popular travel-inspired names included China, Chile, Sofia, and India, while Santorini entered the list for the first time.

However, Tokyo was this year’s clear winner, with an increase of 809%, claiming the gold medal for destination-related names. The podium finish may have been assisted by hit-show Money Heist, which featured Silene Oliveira, who was nicknamed after the Japanese capital. Other city-themed characters from the show helped propel Moscow into the rankings, and boosted adoption of the name Rio by 39%.

With millions of Brits taking staycations this year, the report also revealed dogs named Devon were trending, up by 209% in 2021.

PUP CULTURE
Following another successful season of Love Island, it appears plenty of people were ‘pulling their partner for a chat’ over their future dog’s name. Teddy rocketed to number five in the overall UK rankings, while Hugo, Toby and Millie were the other three most popular names from the hit show.

There also appears to be a new wave of doggy names styled on Netflix’s recent hit, Bridgerton. The report says Simon saw an increase of 359%, while Daphne is up 66%. Duke and Penelope are trending down, 52% and 91% respectively, but for the first time Eloise was put on the map.

LOCKDOWN HOUNDS
With the pandemic continuing to dominate headlines, it’s hardly surprising that owners across the UK have embraced the situation by thematically naming their pets. The most popular COVID-inspired dog names were revealed to be Delta, Rona, Covi and Covid, but Boris was bounced down the list, with a decrease of 9%.

With Brits needing to take the edge off the doom and gloom, it’s no surprise their favourite tipples saw a spirited return to the rankings. Upwards trending alcohol-inspired names for dogs in the UK include Whiskey (226%), Fizz (134%), Scotch (59%), Cosmo (39%), and Brandy (26%).

LOYAL ROYALS
While the Queen’s Corgis often steal the royal limelight, the next generation of regal names comes from Harry and Meghan’s son, Archie, with his name featuring as the 17th most popular pooch name in the UK. Diana, mother of Harry and main character in The Crown season four, continues to perform well year on year, with her name trending up by 59% in 2021.

Adem Fehmi, Rover’s canine behaviourist, comments: “Naming your dog is never an easy task, and after a year like no other, it’s easy to see how a whole host of new names have trended upwards this year. The bonds between pets and owners are as strong and individual as ever, so owners have increasingly looked for something unique which reflects them and their pup. With people increasingly drawing on trends for inspiration, it means each year’s report is just as fascinating as the last.”

Adem’s top tips for naming your dog:

Pick a short name or a name that can be shortened to one or two syllables. This makes learning easier as they can clearly hear their name during training e.g. ‘Luna, down’.

Consider a name that has a vowel or vowel sounding consonant at the end e.g. Bella or Penny as these sounds roll easily off the tongue. When saying a name like this you are also more likely to elongate the vowel sounds and change your pitch of voice for the second syllable in a sing-song voice. This can help your dog to hear their name more clearly and make it sound more positive, helping them to learn their name.

Avoid names that sound like a command you might use e.g. Jay as this might sound like ‘stay’, or Neil as this could sound like ‘heel’. It is best to run through rhyming words with any considered names so that these can be eliminated.

If you are a regular park visitor, it could be wise to research the most popular names (easily done thanks to Rover’s report). You want your dog to be able to clearly distinguish their name from others so that they can be recalled when it’s time to go home.

Choose a name that everyone in the family who will be responsible for your dog agrees on and is happy to use. You want consistency when teaching commands and calling for your dog’s attention. If other members of the family or carers start using an alternative name because they don’t like the one chosen, then this could become confusing and pose a problem.