TMTM
Cheapism’s independent editorial team finds the best for less. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission to support our work. Learn more
Cheapism may earn a commission if you buy through a link on our site.
  Leer en Español
    • All Money
    • Business
    • Careers
    • Housing & Real Estate
    • Living on a Budget
    • Personal Finance
    • Retirement
    • Taxes
    • All Travel
    • Camping & Outdoors
    • Cruises
    • Destinations
    • Road Trips
    • RV Life
    • Vacation Rentals & Hotels
    • All Cars & RVs
    • Maintenance
    • Makes & Models
    • RVs
    • All Shopping
    • Auto
    • Beauty & Fashion
    • Deals
    • Fitness
    • Gear
    • Home & Garden
    • Kitchen & Groceries
    • All Reviews
    • All Food & Drink
    • Beer, Wine, & Spirits
    • Fast Food
    • Food Trends & Trivia
    • Recipes
    • Restaurants & Dining
    • Taste Tests
    • All Lifestyle
    • At Home
    • Entertainment
    • Family
    • Health & Wellness
    • Holidays
    • Life After 50
    • Pets
    • Tech
    • All Gift Ideas
    • Gifts by Interest
    • Gifts by Price
    • Gifts for All
    • Gifts for Her
    • Gifts for Him
    • Gifts for Kids
Dogs in the forest
PK-Photos/istockphoto

The Most Popular Dog Names of 2021

View Slideshow
Dogs in the forest
PK-Photos/istockphoto

Fetching Names for Pooches

If you acquired a pandemic puppy in the last year or so, then you’re a member of a huge club. Dog adoptions have gone gangbusters since the start of COVID times, with approximately 23 million Americans adopting a pet during this period, according to the ASPCA. All these new pets need to be named, so the site Rover, which connects dog owners with dog walkers, looked into their databases of over a million pet owners to discover the 100 most popular dog names of 2021. Some old favorites made the list, but so did some surprising new names that are totally of the moment.


Related: The Most Popular Dog Breeds in Every State

Dog jumping in autumn
Vincent Scherer/istockphoto

No. 1: Max

This timeless moniker takes the top spot for male dog names yet again this year.


Related: Cute Dog Breeds That Make Terrible Pets


Man and his dog
AleksandarNakic/istockphoto

No. 2: Charlie

Another strong and simple male-dog name, Charlie is in second place for the second year in a row.


For more fun pet stories, please sign up for our free newsletters.


Big ears, upside down.
Fenne/istockphoto

No. 3: Milo

Milo is moving on up. The name jumped from fifth place last year to third place this year. 


Shallow focus on the eyes of a beautiful pedigree miniature poodle puppy.
Nickbeer/istockphoto

No. 4: Buddy

The perfect name for your best friend, Buddy continues to be the fourth most-popular boy dog name.


Related: 13 Free Perks of Owning a Dog

Chocolate  Labrador Retriever
THEPALMER/istockphoto

No. 5: Rocky

Rocky finally made the top five, moving up from seventh place last year.

Young Woman Spending Quality Time With Her Dog Outside
RyanJLane/istockphoto

No. 1: Bella

This pretty name is No. 1 for female dogs yet again this year. 


Lovely lablador lying on the bed. Cute kind dog resting on the couch
Andrii Borodai/istockphoto

No. 2: Luna

Lovely Luna remains in second place for the second year in a row.


Related: Otterhounds, Pulis, and 23 Dog Breeds You've Never Heard Of

American Akita Golden Purebred Dog on the grass
marcelinopozo/istockphoto

No. 3: Lucy

This playful yet classic moniker continues to hold steady in third place.


A Pug walks across a meadow
Fischer S./istockphoto

No. 4: Daisy

Daisy remains a top five name choice for another year. 

Beagle tired sleeping on couch yawning
Przemysław Iciak/istockphoto

No. 5: Zoe

Zoe is a new name to the top five female dog-names list, jumping into fifth place after not even being in the top 10 dog names last year. 


Related: Must Love Dogs: 14 Unexpected Jobs for Animal Lovers

Anthony Fauci
NIAID / Wikimedia Commons

Pandemic-Themed Name: Fauci

Fauci has gone to the dogs. The name jumped up in popularity by 270% in 2021.


zoom
Cheapism

Pandemic-Themed Name: Zoom

Zoom fatigue is clearly not setting in as a pet name. The moniker is up by 443%. 

Corona Quick Test Chopsticks
Lisa Nentwich/istockphoto

Pandemic-Themed Name: Covid

You can’t come up with more of a pandemic puppy name than this one. Covid as a choice for a dog name is up by 35%.

Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
Nikada/istockphoto

Travel-Themed Names

Maybe it’s because traveling abroad feels like a distant post-pandemic goal; whatever the reason, travel-oriented names for dogs are on the rise. In particular, Eiffel is the fifth most trending dog name of the year- its popularity has gone up a whopping 1,363%.

Boy Band Names
Jon Kopaloff/Getty

Boy Band Names

The Korean boy band BTS is inspiring pet names. Devoted fans are picking the names Suga, Kim, V, and Jin for their pups. Suga as a dog name is up by 113%.


Related: 10 Cheapest Dog Breeds to Own

Cauliflower
NoSystem images/istockphoto

Food Names

Cauliflower pizza is more popular these days, and so is Cauliflower as a name. The cruciferous veggie used as a dog name is 163% more trendy. 

biden harris
Anna Moneymaker/Getty

Political Names

Presidential pups are of the moment. The name Biden is up 863% this year. Also popular are Joe (up 24%) and Harris (up 17%).


Related: Presidential Pets: A Look Back

Siri, Apple's voice-activated digital assistant
Wachiwit/istockphoto

Tech Names

Calling out “Hey Siri” is taking on a new meaning. They’re part of our daily lives, so it’s no surprise that tech-oriented names would transfer to dogs. Amazon as a name went up in popularity by 363%. Google went up 63%, and Siri is up by 131%. 


Eggo Waffles
memoriesarecaptured/istockphoto

Breakfast Names

Leggo of my “Eggo” — the waffle brand name Eggo is trending up as a dog name by 106%. “Toast” has gone up by 37%.

Grogu
Wikimedia Commons

Finally, The No. 1 Trending Name Of the Year

Star Wars fans are coming in hot. The No. 1 trending dog name of 2021 is inspired by "The Mandalorian" and "Star Wars." Grogu is up by a huge 4,063%!


Related: The Most Family-Friendly Dogs to Bring Home to the Kids


Related

082415 diy dg tys slide 0 fs
10 Homemade Toys to Spoil Your Dog
Tess Rose Lampert
Dog Breeds That Don't Shed
Dogs That Don't Shed
Andrew Lisa
Cheapest Dog Breeds
Cheap Dog Breeds
Jennifer Magid
Spaniels begging for food
Things Dogs Mustn’t Eat
Jennifer Magid

Live Well For Less

Behind every budget is a bucket list. From travel, food and lifestyle to product reviews and deals, we’re here to show you how to save and what’s worth saving for.

Cheapism in the News
msn
today
nytimes
cnbc
newyorker
cbs
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Licensing
  • Community Guidelines
  • In the News
  • Jobs
  • info@cheapism.com
  • 101 Bedford Avenue #D806
    Brooklyn, NY 11211
  • (646) 374-8456

Note: Cheapism does not accept or publish guest blog posts

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Sitemap
  • Cookies on Cheapism

Copyright ® 2022 Cheapism