Wow, 2024, what a year for us all. Taylor Swift started dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, The Eras Tour became one of the most significant and successful tours of all time, and Tay officially joined the billionaire club. Of course, there were some non-Swift-related events, but truthfully those were mostly a blur. Like, I think England had some kind of coronation or something. Regardless, as Rover releases its annual report of the most popular dog names in America, it’s clear most of pet parents have their priorities straight.
Not only was Taylor one of the most common musician-inspired names, but Swifty is trending up 37 percent in popularity from last year. Kelce is also the top-trending name for all pups, up 135 percent from 2022. This is in addition to clear Swift nods including Cardigan, August, Betty, Karma, and Midnight all seeing positive naming upticks. Naturally, there are a few more major takeaways from the 2023 report for dog parents who have other interests and/or a life.
First, Americans continue to show their love and support for all things edible. Food-inspired names, including Breadcrumb, Eggsy Benedict, Bubble Gum, and Everything Bagel appeared in Rover’s database for the first time. In what was admittedly a surprise, Green Bean was the most popular food-related name overall. This was followed by Cheerios and S’more, which align much closer to my understanding of average Americans and our health habits — evidenced further by the name Beer being more common than all three.
Even a good chunk of the trending TV-inspired names were in honor of the medium’s cooks and bakers. Several Top Chef-driven denominations were doled out, led by Padma trending upwards 197 percent, clearly as a tribute to host Padma Lakshmi, who recently retired from the role after nearly two decades. Similarly, the name Kish appeared for the first time as a nod to new host Kristen Kish, while dogs named after Top Chef judge Gail increased by 24 percent.
In terms of narrative television, The Bear trended nearly 200 percent in popularity following our clear interest in watching Jeremy Allen White do anything. It’s why his character’s name, Carmy, is trending 157 percent, followed by other nods like Marcus, Neil, Claire, and Sugar.
And because the only thing this country loves more than eating is paying corporations to do so, brand names like Pop Tart and Gogurt emerged for the first time as well. But those two may also represent a statewide nostalgia for the ’90s that pet parents appear to be exercising with their pups. Leonardo Dogcaprio, Shania Twain, and Freddie Prince all appeared for the first time to pay homage to a few of the decade’s icons. That’s before Alanis, for Alanis Morissette, which saw a staggering 547 percent increase, along with other ’90s stars such as Halle Berry and Winona, for Winona Ryder, trending upwards. Plus, Rover’s data proves that nostalgia for the era is stronger than support for the Writer’s Union, as dogs named Drew Barrymore were up almost 300 percent.
Now, before we round up the most popular dog names across all categories, there is one honorable mention I believe deserves some attention. According to the Rover’s report, there is a pup out there roaming the streets and taking treats named Linkin Bark. Incredible, zero notes.
Below, the top male and female dog names of 2024.
Top 10 male dog names
1. Charlie
Not unlike Washington recently sneaking into the college football top four, there was a major shake-up this year atop the male dog ranks. Charlie took the number-one spot after Max held it for the past 10 years.
2. Max
All dynasties eventually end, look no further than the 2023 New England Patriots as proof. As for what caused Max to drop off after a decade of dominance, I’m less sure. But boy does that HBO rebrand continue to look rough.
