Top Dog Names for 2019
Pet service companies, those that groom, walk, and otherwise babysit pets like dogs for consumers all across North America, have long known that pop culture is a huge influence on the names people give their pets — especially their canines. It looks like 2019 will be another year when dog names will be retro and/or inspired by popular baby names for humans. Sports teams generate a huge amount of names for dogs as well, with the most publicized players having everything from German shepards to beagles named after them. And up in Canada the Royal British family continues to inspire pet parents to name their dogs Charlotte, George, Harry, and Sophie.
Dog names like Spot and Rover are falling out of favor with pet parents in favor of real human names. This goes along with scientific findings that over ninety percent of Canadians consider their dog to be a family member, not a lower species. Similar findings are also in place for the USA and for parts of Europe. The premier baby names in new families, such as Bella, Luna, Jack, and Charlie, are also the top names for canines nowadays. When dogs are given retro names, they are also human — such as Fred, Matilda, Roy, and Beatrice.
What does this really say about dog owners in today’s world?
Among other things, it indicates that before a young couple is willing to commit to having a child of their own they want to try taking care of a pet, a dog, first. They want to see if they can handle the feeding, sleepless nights, messes, and other complications that a dog brings into the home. Young couples primarily want to learn if their relationship is strong enough to survive a puppy chewing up a good pair of shoes or ruining an expensive carpet. And trying to figure out who takes care of the dog when, and for how long. If these obstacles are easily overcome, then the couple will be much more comfortable making the decision to have a child of their own. If, on the other hand, taking care of a demanding puppy strains their relationship to the breaking point — that couple will probably not proceed to the next logical step of having children.
There is also the consideration that more and more young couples have already decided that they will not be having children of their own, and so a pet dog becomes their surrogate child. They lavish all the attention, care, and money on a dog that would normally go to a child. “While this may be bad news for population growth, it’s certainly good news for the pet supply industry,” say the experts at K9 Resorts franchise opportunity. Today in most major metropolitan areas a dog owner can find not only someone to babysit their dog, but someone to groom their dog, potty train their dog, and even give them canine therapy to break bad habits like barking at night, nipping at guests, or nervous bladder release.
Dog names from Game of Thrones and The Handmaid’s Tale are growing by leaps and bounds this coming year. And don’t be surprised to find dogs named Real Madrid or Atlanta United — soccer sports teams are becoming a huge thing among dog owners in North America.
According to a recent story onNPR, the most popular name for a male dog among media stars is Tucker — and Daisy for female canines. It all goes to show that the bonding that is taking place between pet parents and their pooches is growing ever closer and stronger.
Late night comedians may joke about taking out adoption papers for a Blue Heeler — but like most comedy, that may actually become a reality in the not-too-distant future.
I’m a single mother of 2 living in Utah writing about startups, business, marketing, entrepreneurship, and health. I also write for Inc, Score, Manta, and Newsblaze