Almost every pet owner has joked that their four-legged friends are so cute they could just eat them up. It’s such a tempting thought that sometimes we even give our dogs and cats food-themed names, as though we’re trying to tempt ourselves even further. But if your dog’s name is Donut or your cat’s name is Croissant, you’re not alone. Rover, the online pet care marketplace, has just released its 2023 roundup of millions of user-submitted pet names, and food and drink are as popular an inspiration as ever.
Compared to last year, the top trending food and drink name for dogs is Beer, up 330 percent. Diving deeper into that specific beverage, Rover notes that the names Stella Artois and Heineken were both up, but dark beer names like Porter, Stout and Guinness were trending downward. Maybe that’s because, echoing shifts in the actual beverage market, the name White Claw jumped up 289 percent this year.
As for edible food, Green Bean took the next highest trending spot in the category with a 217 percent increase. Other higher-than-average trends in the food category Rover highlighted include Cheerios (198 percent), Stilton (198 percent), S’more (157 percent), Quince (131 percent) and Tiramisu (122 percent). Among new dog names hitting Rover’s list this year were Grapefruit, Breadcrumb, Cornichon, Pop Tart and Everything Bagel.
Cat owners are also leaning into drinks over eats, with Prosecco up a whopping 793 percent over last year. But that doesn’t mean cat people aren’t hungry for some inventive food names. Chive is also up 793 percent, and then there’s the adorable Babybel (593 percent), seasonally-appropriate Stuffing (493 percent), Dijon (218 percent) and Sausage (193 percent). Other trending names in the category include Soju (131 percent), Choco (110 percent) and Munch (93 percent). And perhaps reflecting the White Claw dog name trend, cats named Seltzer were also up 193 percent, as were the names Tea and Cafe. New-to-the-list cat names this year included Maple Syrup, Pastrami, Calzone, Burrata, Boursin and Provolone.
And because we’re talking trends, popular culture also has its impact on the popularity of certain pet names. The name Swift (think Taylor) is up 133 percent for cats, and Kelce is this year’s top trending dog name, up 198 percent nationwide from last year. Wednesday (as in Addams) is the second-highest trending name for dogs, and from more food-centric TV, The Bear is up 197 percent, Carmy is up 157 percent, Omelet is up 198 percent, and Chef is up five percent.
The reason trends might be more important to look at than hard numbers is that, by and large, the top picks for pet names don’t change all that much. Take, for example, the fact that this year’s top new overall male dog name, Charlie, has been coming in second for over a decade to Max, which hasn’t gone anywhere, as it now holds the number two spot. For female dogs, Luna has been topping the list for years, and if you’ve spent any amount of time at a dog park, you probably know a Luna or two. (Luna also happens to take the top spot as the overall most popular cat name.)
Frankly, we’re partial to more delicious-sounding names. So, if you’re looking for a unique name for a dog or cat, don’t forget to try scanning a restaurant menu or strolling through the supermarket for a little inspiration.
