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Pups Named After Taylor Swift and Tiger King Part of the Top Dog Names and Trends of 2020

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Animal lovers looking for companionship during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic caused a surge in pet adoptions in 2020, which means there are a lot of newly-named dogs out there.

Rover.com, an online network of pet sitters and dog walkers, has an idea of what these oodles of new poodles and other dogs might be called. The company analyzed millions of user-submitted pet names over 2020 to determine the overall most popular dog names and the unique naming trends that cropped us this year.

According to Rover's "The Most Popular Pet Names and Trends of 2020" report, the top 10 female and male dog names will likely look familiar, since the lists are filled with canine classics. The most popular male dog name is Max, followed by Charlie, Cooper, Buddy, Milo, Bear, Rocky, Duke, Tucker, and Jack. The most popular female dog name is Bella, with Luna, Lucy, Daisy, Lola, Sadie, Molly, Bailey, Stella, and Maggie finishing out the list.

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While these evergreen names filled out the top spots, Rover found that many new pet owners got creative with naming their animals this year. Unsurprisingly, many new pets received names inspired by the coronavirus pandemic. The popularity of the name Covi is up 1,159 percent, Rona is up 69 percent, and Corona is up 24 percent. There were also a few pets named Dr. Fauci, a first for Rover's annual analysis into pet names.

Along with being inspired by these uncertain times, new pet owners also took cues from the media they consumed over the past year. Pets named after Tiger King's Carol Baskin were up 46 percent, while dogs named Mando, a nod to Disney+'s Mandolorian, rocketed up 2,658 percent — making it the number two trending dog name of 2020. The honor of the top trending dog name of 2020 goes to Geralt, a name that saw a 9,308 percent increase thanks to the success of Netflix's The Witcher.

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Celebrity names were also top of mind when pet owners were naming their dogs this year. Taylor Swift, a well-documented cat lover, increased in popularity as a dog name this year, with a 92 percent bump. The name Lizzo saw a 458 percent increase, and Betty White continues to be a popular name for dog owners looking to add some famous flair to their pet's name.

To get the full rundown of how animal lovers are naming their pooches and why, read Rover's full report.