And the Winners Are
Most popular pet names for 2021 reaffirm Austin’s affinity for food and booze
Move aside, Max. Stand down, Sadie. C’mere ... Rona? Rover.com has released its list of the most popular pet names for 2021, and there are some very of-the-moment monikers climbing the rankings.
According to the nation’s largest network of pet sitters and dog walkers, the top five dog names haven’t changed much: Charlie, Max, Milo, Teddy, and Rocky are still tops for male dogs, while Luna, Bella, Lucy, Lola, and Daisy are still going strong for females.
But coming in hot for dogs is the name Rico, which is up 1,230 percent since last year. Also making waves are Manny, after Puerto Rican skateboarder Manny Santiago (up 730 percent), and Amber, inspired by USA Women’s skeet shooting gold medalist Amber English (also up 730 percent).
Dogs named Greta are trending up 930 percent, perhaps inspired by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg or American rock band Greta Van Fleet.
Of course, Austinites have always loved naming their pooches after food and booze, and this year is no exception. Hershey is up 1,030 percent for local dogs, with Tequila shooting up 630 percent and Merlot popping in with 330 percent.
And for the first time in Austin, the dog names Rona and Zoom made the list.
Where cats are concerned, there’s a bit of overlap in the top five. Charlie, Loki, Leo, Max, and Sammy scoop the honors for males, with Luna, Lucy, Ginger, Bella, and Zoe for females.
After a year of wild weather in Austin, it’s no surprise that Storm is the most popular new-to-the-list name for cats. Snow also falls on the list for the first time.
And to bring it all back around to food, Sushi is up 944 percent and Bean is up 544 percent for cats.