2020 has seen a surge in pet ownership, with an average of 41% of UK households now enjoying the company of at least one pet. This has doubled since the 1960s, with a recorded 9 million dogs and 8 million cats across in the UK alone.
If you're stuck picking a name for your new pet, we have looked through thousands of our pet insurance customers names and we have shared some of their favourites from MORE THAN between 2018 to 2020.
Popular names for dogs and cats
There are some great popular names for dogs and cats that have featured in the top 5 for a few years now. We've listed out the top 5 popular names for dogs and cats from 2018 to now. Have a look for some inspiration or to help you avoid 7 dogs running up to you in the park when you shout your dog’s name.
Top five most popular dog names
2018
- Bella
- Luna
- Teddy
- Lola
- Buddy
2019
- Luna
- Bella
- Teddy
- Lola
- Buddy
2020
- Luna
- Milo
- Bella
- Teddy
- Buddy
Top five most popular cat names
2018
- Luna
- Milo
- Bella
- Simba
- Nala
2019
- Luna
- Bella
- Simba
- Milo
- Nala
2020
- Luna
- Milo
- Nala
- Simba
- Loki
Imaginative and funny pet names
The UK has been imaginative this year when naming their dogs and cats. Some have taken inspiration after famous figures, places, other types of animals and their favourite musicians. If you’re looking for a pet name that’s slightly more unique, see 100 names that our customers have named their pets over the last couple of years.
60 unique dog names
Film and television related names
Children’s characters
- Prince Charming
- Peter Pan
- Scar
- King Louis
- Ursula
- Jafar
- Cinderella
- Rafiki
- Aladdin
- Cookie Monster
Star Wars characters
- Obi Wan
- Wookie
- Skywalker
Old movies
- Money Penny from James Bond
- Truly Scrumptious from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
- Jaws from… Jaws
- Toto from The Wizard of Oz
- Baggins from Lord of the Rings
- Gump from Forrest Gump
- Benjamin Button from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- Starsky from Starsky and Hutch
- Hooch from Turner & Hooch
- Rizzo from Grease
Famous British film and television
- Sherlock Holmes (or Sherlock Bones if you’re a fan of puns)
- Shirley Bassey
- Jon Snow
- Del-boy
- Gryffindor
- Albus Dumblepaw
Music
- Missy Elliot
- Adele
- Presley
- Dolly Parton
- Cardi B
- Gaga
- Snoop Dog
- Stormzy
Politics
- Bojo and Boris grew in popularity by 197% when Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in 2019
- Donald grew in popularity by 74% between 2018 and 2020 after Donald Trump became President in 2017
Places
- Athens
- York
- Tennessee
- Winchester
- California
- Brooklyn
- Moscow
- Leicester
Other animals
- Rabbit
- Bunny
- Possum
- Chick
- Shark
- Lamb
- Tiger
- Hippo
- Bumblebee
- Puffin
Sport
- LeBron
- Kobe
- Lando
40 unique cat names
Film and television related names
Children’s characters
- Noddy
- Scoobie
- Snow White
- Duggee
- Kristoff
- Pinocchio
- Tiny Tim
- Nemo
- Mowgli
- Crookshanks
- Harry Potter
- Hiccup
- Sven
- Gromit
Fantasy characters
- Hans
- Samwise
- Bilbo Baggins
- Aslan
- Smeagol
- Vadar
Food
- Chutney
- Wasabi
- Plum
- Ravioli
- Pretzel
- Mushroom
- Candyfloss
- Mustard
- Orange
- Cabbage
- Cheddar
- Avocato
- Churro
- Lemon
- Tofu
- Gingerbread
- Toast
- Pesto
- Sushi
- Brownie