Alcohol inspired, Love Island and political dog names are on trend this year

Conkers could kill your dog
Just hanging out with my pal Prosecco (Picture: Ella Byworth)

Looking for inspiration for what to name your new canine friend? Take a glance at your drinks cabinet.

Apparently alcoholic drink inspired dog names are bang on-trend.

According to a report by Rover.com, naming your puppy after Prosecco has increased in popularity by over 200%, Champagne by 67% and Gin by 47%. The report is based on data from two million pet owners who use Rover, which is a network for pet sitters and dog walkers. Of course, it doesn’t cover all dogs but it gives a good idea of what is popular this year.

They revealed the top 10 dog names from the last year as well as highlighting some of the rising trends for pooches.

Although some old-fashioned names are really falling out of fashion among humans, they are making a comeback with dogs.

Gertrude is up 300% on last year, Malcom up 150% and Clive up 100%. Others that are rising in popularity include Nigel, which increased by 60%, Humphrey up 63%, Shirley up 67% and June up 50%. Classic canine names also became more popular this year with Lassie up 400% and Spot up 53%, while Buster was up 11% and Buddy was up 12%. Naming your pet after celebrities or tv characters has always been popular, and this year, it was Game of Thrones and Love Island that influenced dog naming trends.

INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR PET: 94% of pet owners say their animal pal makes them smile more than once a day.

Arya, Sansa and Ned all trended this year and from Love Island, Anna was 450% more popular in 2019, and Anton was up 200%, while India increased by 180%. With Brexit in the news, political names are also more popular. Jeremy and Jo have both risen in popularity by 100% and Boris by 12%. Kate Jaffe, Trend Expert for Rover comments: ‘Dogs are considered fully-fledged members of the family by nine out of ten pet parents in the UK, so choosing a name for our canines can be as difficult as it is for our children.
‘Our dogs and the names we give them are part of our self-expression, which is why we see such strong influence from the things that Brits love – everything from favourite foods to small screen stars.’ Kate also has some suggestions for names that could be big in 2020. She says Goose and Maverick are expected to be popular with the release of the sequel of Top Gun. As Tokyo hosts the 2020 Olympics, the city could also inspire some new dog owners. Kate also suggests Scooby Do, with the cartoon’s 50th anniversary next year and Gal or Wonderwoman as the sequel lands next summer.

Make him part of the family. Pets, especially dogs, need companionship. They are traditionally pack creatures and need the warmth and love that comes with living indoors with their family.

Finally, she suggests Mars could rise in popularity with the NASA Mars exploration penned for 2020.

If you are struggling to pick a name for your new pet, you can use Rover’s dog name generator to help.

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