Unisex names are passé. Uni-species names are here. Two separate surveys in the USA, one pertaining to cats and the other pertaining to dogs, found that the most popular name for cats and female dogs in the country in 2024 was Luna. (In the India of the 1970s and 1980s, Luna was a popular moped manufactured by the TVS Motor Company Ltd.)
Among cats, Luna was followed in popularity by Leo and Kitty, both of which are traditional names for cats. This information was shared by JustAnswer, which claims to be the world’s largest expert platform that connects people with live (as against robotic) doctors, lawyers, veterinarians, mechanics, and other verified experts for real-time, online professional help.
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The information was collected by analyzing more than 43,000 online conversations of veterinarians with American cat owners in the past year on the site. The other names rounding out the top 10 for cats whose owners sought help on JustAnswer were Milo, Lucy, Charlie, Oliver, Simba, Bella, and Smokey.
The list of most popular dog names was shared by the American Kennel Club, a not-for-profit organization and the world’s largest purebred dog registry and leading advocate for dogs.
“Dogs are an extraordinary and important part of our lives and choosing a pet’s name is a fun part of the process,” said American Kennel Club Executive Secretary Gina DiNardo. “People put a great deal of thought into naming their dogs and often spend hours trying to pick the perfect name to fit their new pet.”
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According to the club’s registration statistics and the American Kennel Club Canine Partners enrolments, while Luna again claimed the top spot for female dog names, Milo made an impressive jump to first place for male dog names, from fifth in 2023. Last year’s number one dog name, Max, slipped to the second spot. Also climbing the list this year for dog names was Teddy, which took the third spot, pushing Charlie and Cooper down to fourth and fifth, respectively.
Among names for bitches, Stella rose substantially in popularity, landing at number six this year from twentieth in 2023. Bookending the list for bitches was Violet and Tito for dogs.
Following are 2024’s top 10 pet names in the USA:
| S. No. | CATS |
FEMALE DOGS | MALE DOGS |
| 1 | Luna | Luna | Milo |
| 2 | Leo | Bella | Max |
| 3 | Kitty | Daisy | Teddy |
| 4 | Milo | Lucy | Charlie |
| 5 | Lucy | Willow | Cooper |
| 6 | Charlie | Stella | Bear |
| 7 | Oliver | Maggie | Toby |
| 8 | Simba | Sadie | Finn |
| 9 | Bella | Lola | Tucker |
| 10 | Smokey | Rosie | Ollie |
SOURCE: PR Newswire
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