These Are the Most Popular Dog Names from 2021
Rover's Top Dog Names 2021 list was just released and on it are some adorable classics and some (ahem) very creative options. While Max and Bella once again took the top spots, the way the pandemic is changing our way of life inspired pet parents to give their pups some pretty odd monikers like Pfizer, Dr. Fauci, and Zoom.
Did your pup's name make the list of most popular dog names this past year? Check out the options from the list below and see if you can spot any of your favorites. At the very least, some of the more questionable names that made the list of top picks might give you a laugh.
Top 10 Male Dog Names 2021
The top two boy dog names are the same as last year, but the name Leo rose up from 13th place last year into the top 10. Poor Cooper, on the other hand, fell from his 3rd place spot from last year all the way out of the top 10.
- Max
- Charlie
- Milo
- Buddy
- Rocky
- Bear
- Leo
- Duke
- Teddy
- Tucker
RELATED: 260 Clever Name Ideas for Boy Dogs
Top 10 Female Dog Names 2021
The names Zoe and Lily made the list, up from 36th and 15th place last year, but Sadie and Maggie dropped out of the top 10.
- Bella
- Luna
- Lucy
- Daisy
- Zoe
- Lily
- Lola
- Bailey
- Stella
- Molly
Dog Names Inspired by Our Favorite Celebrities in 2021
The tragic loss of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman inspired tributes across the country, as did the widespread support for the #FreeBritney movement. Excitement around K-Pop band BTS and the Friends reunion reflected in the way pet parents named their dogs this year, too.
- Chadwick Boseman
- Britney Spears
- Taylor Swift
- Yeezy
- Oprah
- Suga
- Kim
- V
- Jin
- J-Hope
- Halsey
- Dua Lipa
- Aretha Franklin
- Phoebe Buffay
- Joey
- Chandler
- Ross
- Gunther
Funniest Top Dog Names 2021
Unfortunately the pandy had a big impact on literally everything, including what many pet parents named their dogs. Other influences for some of the more peculiar name choices included the space race, emerging technology, and pop culture.
- Fauci
- Pfizer
- Zoom
- Siri
- Doge
- Bitcoin
- Elon Musk
- Bezos
- Solstice
- Aster
- Nebula
Dog Names Inspired by Athletes and Olympic Medalists
After a one year delay, the 2020 Summer Olympic games in Tokyo gave us some breakout superstars. There were also a few past favorites who won gold for the USA once again. Since we watched every pulse-pounding minute with our pups next to us on the couch, it's no surprise these names took some of the top spots on the most popular dog names 2021 list. (Have you ever honestly heard of anything cuter than a golden retriever named after gold medal gymnast Suni Lee?! We didn't think so.)
- Suni
- Naomi
- Simone
- Katie
- DK (Metcalf)
- Kittle
- Mahomes
- Gronk
- Tom
- Brady
Most Popular Food Names for Dogs in 2021
For some reason, pet parents were really into their French food this year (who can blame us?) And the general high demand for vegan-friendly meat alternatives also inspired some pretty interesting monikers.
- Bean(s)
- Tofu
- Almond
- Cauliflower
- Paneer
- Tempeh
- Caviar
- Dijon
- Baguette
- Raclette
Disney Dog Names Based on Disney+ and Netflix Smash Hit Shows
As we collectively spent a majority of time this year in our homes watching a lot of TV, it's no surprise that our favorite shows influenced how we named our furry friends. For example, Grogu from The Mandalorian was up 4,000 percent year-over-year in popularity. And while they were not on Rover's list, we can assume the names Loki, Sylvie, Hawkeye, Vision, Agatha, Sam, and Bucky (and Sebastian) were also popular picks this year for obvious reasons.
- Grogu
- Raya
- Wanda
- Daphne
- Lady Whistledown